Max Boot, in a July 20th, 2018 column wrote: This conservative would take Obama back in a nanosecond
How I miss Barack Obama.
And I say that as someone who worked to defeat him: I was a foreign policy adviser to John McCain in 2008 and to Mitt Romney in 2012. I criticized Obama’s “lead from behind” foreign policy that resulted in a premature pullout from Iraq and a failure to stop the slaughter in Syria. I thought he was too weak on Iran and too tough on Israel. I feared that Obamacare would be too costly. I fumed that he was too professorial and too indecisive. I was left cold by his arrogance and his cult of personality.
Now I would take Obama back in a nanosecond. His presidency appears to be a lost golden age when reason and morality reigned. All of his faults, real as they were, fade into insignificance compared with the crippling defects of his successor. And his strengths — seriousness, dignity, intellect, probity, dedication to ideals larger than self — shine all the more clearly in retrospect
Few Republicans speak highly of Obama, let alone would make such a statement for fear of being summarily drummed out of the Republican party. Barack Obama is a Democrat, a sworn enemy. For his entire presidency, the moment he took the oath of office, Republicans did everything the could the sabotage his agenda. Their favorite word is a two-year-old favorite, NO! When you think about them, they behaved like two-year-olds.
As an advisor to both McCain and Mitt Romney, I get why he felt Obama was cold and arrogant. Obama defeated McCain and Romney rather handily in the 2008 & 2012 elections, which makes this he wrote about Obama 18 months ago interesting, his presidency appears to be a lost golden age when reason and morality reigned.
I was reading that it made me wonder what would make a life-long, die-hard conservative Republican such as Max Boot, write what most Republicans would condemn as blasphemy?
I caught an interview he did on the Morning Joe show discussing his book, The Corrosion of Conservatism: Why I Left The Right. The conversation was thoughtful. I purchased the book downloaded to my Kindle and put off reading it.
It wasn’t until I read the following in his February 15th WP column: This is how democracy dies — in full view of a public that couldn’t care less that told me it was time to read Boot’s book.
“The French philosopher Montesquieu wrote in 1748: “The tyranny of a prince in an oligarchy is not so dangerous to the public welfare as the apathy of a citizen in a democracy.”
We are seeing his warning vindicated. President Trump is increasingly acting as a tyrannical (and erratic) prince. And yet much of the public is so inured to his misconduct that his latest assaults on the rule of law are met with a collective shrug. Public passivity is Trump’s secret weapon as he pursues his authoritarian agenda. “I have the right to do whatever I want,” he says, and the lack of pushback seems to confirm it.
Ever since his departure from as he put it — his beloved party — Boot has raised a clarion call telling any who will listen, how Trump is systematically undermining one of the significant principals the Constitution. So when I read the following:
“November 8th, 2016, was one of the most demoralizing days of my life. It was also, in ways that have become impossible to ignore. devastating not just for America in general but for American conservatism in particular.”
I took comfort knowing, someone else experienced the same demoralizing feeling I had while watching the early returns sensing something was wrong in the force
Max Boot talked about things I’ve discussed with my friends about what Trump is doing to the country. It’s crystal clear, Donald J. Trump is systematically destroying the rule of law.
His push to purge those whom he believes not loyal for those he can control is classic Dictators Handbook material: a selectorate that makes up a winning coalition. These are the people whose support is essential if a leader is to survive in office. It’s a crucial part of his push to tear down the rule of law that true conservatives like Max Boot see as one of the essential tenets implicit the Constitution.
With his acquittal, Trump is more than comfortable and eagerly willing to destroy one of the most scared Republicans shibboleths, the rule of law, and with the help of the docile Republicans, replace it with the necromancy of authoritarian governance under Trump. That would lead to the death of democracy as we know it. I agree with the following statement:
Republicans were casting themselves ever further into dishonor, disgrace, and disrepute by helping the president to undermine the rule of law — the very foundation of the American republic. For those who strongly believe because we have a Constitution, and couldn’t end up with an authoritarian form of government. Need to wake up. We are already on that slippery path.
Trump has smashed through on all the established norms 44 other presidents followed. He’s told Congress, a co-equal branch, to go pound sand. With Attorney General William Barr — his Roy Cohn — whispering the sweet melody of “unitary executive” in his ears, Trump is doing his best imitation of The Hulk, as goes about smashing and shredding all things Constitutional.
Boot writes, “democracies die not in darkness but in full view of a public that couldn’t care less.” Or to the chants from the floor of the House of four more years.
If we don’t want to lose our democracy, then it’s time to wake up for; ’Tis “ the witching time of night.” The Time Democracy Dies Under Trump.
Excellent piece T. It is good to read you on The Planet.
Most eloquently and powerfully said, twilson 117! If enough decent Americans don’t rally to the banner of whichever Democratic candidate wins the nomination for president and work with all their will and might to ensure that person’s victory over Trump, our democracy will likely die with his re-election. — And not just for
a few years, but for the lifetimes of even newborn babes and then far, far beyond theirs’.
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. I’m very concerned with the direction the country is going with Trump* sitting behind the Resolute Desk. He is by far the most unqualified of all the Presidents I have lived under, and that is quite a few, starting with Eisenhower up this clown.
His views are those of a disgusting time in our history.
You’re most welcome, sir, and it’s a pleasure to make your (virtual) acquaintance here — although the strength of your character and force of your personality come through so well in your writing I wouldn’t expect to appreciate it much more even if I even met you in person.
I share your concern with the malignant narcissist and sociopath Trump* sitting behind the Resolute Desk he desecrates just by his evil presence. The first president I lived under was Roosevelt (Franklin in his third term, not Teddy), and Trump* — who I call a so-called “president” — is not only the worst of all the legitimate presidents I have lived under, I think in terms of being unqualified he leaves every other bad president in history in his noxious dust.
I agree with you that Trump’s* “views are those of a disgusting time in our history.” Were this time not so appalling, he could never have gone so far with so little — actually with nothing admirable at all — to recommend him. Just as apathetic Germans were as important to Hitler’s rise to power as his brownshirts and the self-deluded aristocrats who supported him, apathetic Americans today are just as important to Trump’s* rise and possible re-election as his extreme right-wing reactionary Republican base and the plutocrats who enable and support him.
Again thank you for your kind words.
Wow, FDR. Currently, I’m reading The Supreme Commander by Stephen E.Ambrose. I’m finding it interesting how Eisenhower dealt with Roosevelt and Churchill two demanding taskmasters with their own opinions on how to conduct the war.
You’re welcome again. It’s my turn to say “Wow,” because that’s my reaction to hearing you’re reading Stephen Ambrose. And why is that? It’s because I had the chance to meet and talk with him one on one for a while at a small dinner in his honor before he gave a talk at a university’s speakers series in the fall of 2000.
I’d read a number of his books on World War II over many years but never thought I’d have a chance to meet him. And while it was already public knowledge he had terminal lung cancer, he was still well enough to keep working and meet some speaking engagements.
But when Ambrose strode into a hotel’s private dining room, he looked so hale and hearty it was hard to believe his lease on life was nearly up! I introduced myself and told him the military history of World War II and those who fought it is one of my chief interests and that I have studied it extensively for most of my life. Then I said “I think your Band of Brothers is the most outstanding account of courage under fire I have ever read!”
Before my last word left my lips, he extended his right hand very quickly to grasp mine, shook it slowly, and without uttering a single word, held it in his firm grip for about ten seconds, with his piercing, deep blue eyes locked on mine all the while — his poignant silence as eloquent as any spoken words could have been.
We resumed talking after he released his grip; and while the entire experience was very memorable, the handshake we shared was a transcendent occurrence I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
Stephen Ambrose, who was engaging and charismatic as well as an outstanding historian, died at his home in Bay St. Louis, LA less than 2 years after I met him.