7 October
I’ve just arrived “home” from watching the Washington Nationals fall to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the National League Division Series. My hands (from clapping), throat (from yelling), and heart (from losing) are all a bit sore.
And what do I find when I check in with the internet? A 2005 recording of Donald Trump being grotesque and, seemingly, bragging of sexually assaulting women has emerged.
Given all he’s said before this should come as no surprise.
He is the absolute worst of America in one human being.
Suddenly, Republicans who were going to campaign with him this weekend are denouncing him – like such comments are out of character. This is who Donald Trump is. He hates women.
I’ve been thinking for a while about the video of the then Chief of the Australian Army’s remarks on unacceptable behaviour, particularly, the line: the standard you walk past is the standard you accept.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaqpoeVgr8U
I’ve been thinking about that in relation to, especially, so-called Republican leaders who have “walked past” such a litany of foul, repugnant Trump behaviour as to now be – I hope – branded forever as having accepted that behaviour.
But I also have been thinking of what sort of people, even now, will vote for him. How is that even possible? How can a thinking human being look at him and say: Yes, he should be President?
As hard as it is to wrap my mind around that one, here’s one that’s even harder: how do you weave together a working civil society which contains millions of people who will have voted for him.
That seems to be a challenge looming on America’s horizon.