Trump To Pelosi to tinfoil hats: The biggest losers of 2020
It’s time to announce the year’s biggest losers. Needless to say, the competition was fierce.
Not surprisingly, the biggest loser is President Donald Trump —but not because he came up short in the election. Being bested in a campaign, of course, a defeat - but it doesn’t automatically make one a “loser” in a negative context. Many upstanding men and women, from Lincoln to Churchill to Thatcher, have lost elections. It’s how one behaves afterwards that defines true character.
Mr. Trump’s behavior since Nov. 3 has been the most appalling of his presidency - and that’s saying something. His constant attacks on democracy - “his” victory was stolen, the election was rigged, he was the victim of fraud, despite absolutely no evidence of widespread irregularities - are unAmerican.
And it has set a horrendous example, especially for our children, many of whom already exhibit an “accountability gap,” where they never blame themselves for their shortcomings. It’s always someone else’s fault: “Bad” teachers; “mean” parents; “unfair” refs, and “bullying” bosses with the “gall” to demand they show up on time and actually do their jobs. The president’s inability to look in the mirror and admit that he lost the election for himself - while dismissing everything and everyone not to his liking as “fake” - has blazed a warped path that many will follow. And the consequences will be monstrous for a country that is becoming more dysfunctional by the day.
Not only does Mr. Trump viciously attack “regular” Republicans who disagree with his unfounded assertions, but he has also unloaded on hand-picked ultra-loyalists who admitted there was no evidence of widespread fraud. Under that rationale, are we to believe that former Attorney General Bill Barr, inner-circle confidant Chris Christie, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and even Vice President Mike Pence are all “deep-staters” secretly trying to “steal” Donald Trump’s second-term? And on top of that, we have the phone call from Mr. Trump to Georgia’s Secretary of State, where he stated, “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have.” Beyond that likely being a crime, it tells you everything you need to know about Mr. Trump’s it’sall-about-me character.
“Trump Derangement Syndrome” starts with Donald Trump himself - and it will forever be a losing proposition.
Conspiracy Theorists: Was there election fraud? Of course. Every election since the dawn of democracy has had fraud, since it’s human nature. Was there widespread fraud, to the extent that it could have flipped the election, as happened in 1960? Maybe. But here’s the thing: It’s not what you know, but what you can prove. And thus far, as even Mr. Trump’s staunchest allies are now admitting, they haven’t proven a thing. This column staunchly supported the president’s right to legal challenges. But every single lawsuit (there were 60 of them) has been thrown out, some by Trump-appointed judges. The Supreme Court - which counts three Trumpappointed Justices among its members - twice rejected Trump campaign cases. And investigations by Republican state officials, as well as the Bill Barr-led Justice Department, turned up nothing of significance. When is enough … enough?
Not yet, apparently. And that obtuseness is mindboggling.
Did O.J. Simpson kill his ex-wife? A majority think so - yet he was found not guilty because the prosecution couldn’t make its case, showing that evidence matters, that it’s not nearly enough just to believe something is true. Likewise, if a doctor recommended kidney removal because he “thought” it was cancer-ridden, but had no scans, data, or other demonstrable evidence to support him, the commonsense response would be: “Are you (expletive) nuts? See ya’, Doc!” And rightly so, since important decisions should always be based on facts — aka, “the truth.”
But Donald Trump’s blind base, echoing its leader, thinks the opposite - that asserting voter fraud, with zero evidence, is enough to change the election result and give the President to a second term, no questions asked. It’s normal to feel dejected when your guy loses, and even okay to be a little “sour grapes.” But denying the obvious truth and undermining democracy is dangerously delusional. And let’s be honest: If the same thing were happening, but the tables were flipped, the alwaysTrumpers would be calling the other side “traitors.”
Here’s hoping for fewer tinfoil hats in 2021’s headlines.
Rioters: Vandals who burn down cities and engage in wanton violence try to justify their actions by citing racism and police brutality, but neither is ever, repeat ever, valid reasons to destroy lives, livelihoods and property. This is America, and that’s never the way
to “raise awareness” and “find solutions.” It is abhorrent behavior, serving only to alienate the very people - the Great American Middle - whom the agitators need to win over. And shame on city leaders who, in kowtowing to criminals, allowed rioting to continue unabated for weeks, naively believing that appeasement was a solution. They are a disgrace to their profession, and should be shown the door.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi: Ms. Pelosi showed the world her tone-deafness when, during the first surge of coronavirus, she gave an interview where she showed off her $24,000 (yes, twenty-four thousand) freezer full of $13 pints of gourmet ice cream - while millions were losing everything. She then shamelessly held up coronavirus relief legislation - solely to deny Donald Trump a “victory” - forgetting that the “win” was supposed to be for ailing Americans. But most shocking was when, earlier this week, Ms. Pelosi encouraged a COVID-positive congresswoman to travel to Washington to vote for her as Speaker. It’s undeniable that Nancy Pelosi is one of the most effective House Speakers in history, but en
dangering countless people for such a self-serving vote shows that her actions speak far louder than words.
Multi-million dollar buyouts of college coaches: It ain’t new, but it’s more obscene than ever: colleges firing football coaches but remaining on the hook to pay the remainder of huge contracts. In early December, Auburn let Gus Malzahn go, but still owes him $21 million. And just last week, the University of Texas fired Tom Herman, yet must dole out $15 million more. Meanwhile, university staffs are being decimated with layoffs, salary reductions and furloughs - real people in real life affected by real challenges, from finding work in a pandemic to paying the mortgage.
Such payouts should be outlawed at all public universities. We can talk all day about how much money football programs generate, but that revenue is dwarfed by state and federal aid - also known as “taxpayer money.” Why should citizens - all citizens, not just those sending their children to college - be forced to pay outrageous sums for coaches who haven’t met their goals? As stewards of taxpayer money, legislators should mandate severance agreements that contain a fraction of today’s golden parachutes. Not only would it motivate coaches to improve, but would move the ball down the field to score better accountability for taxpayers.
Dr. Deborah Birx: Thankfully, one of the government’s leaders in the pandemic fight is retiring. Dr. Birx had no problem admonishing Americans to be “vigilant” and limit holiday celebrations to immediate family - so long as those recommendations didn’t apply to her. So, contrary to her public message, she decided to celebrate with three generations of family at a vacation home. The hypocrisy is staggering, but where was the common sense in thinking she wouldn’t be caught violating her own protocols? She is but one of many leaders who say one thing, but do another - all of whom are culpable in allowing the virus to spread. The most effective weapon in combating a pandemic is trust. By her selfish actions, Dr. Birx destroyed much of the government’s credibility, so her departure is a shot in the arm needed to help restore the public’s confidence.
The Wingless Eagles: Fly Eagles Fly? At 4-11-1, they couldn’t even crawl this season - especially embarrassing since they were Super Bowl champions just three years ago. But being dead last, in the worst division in NFL history, is the ultimate crash-and-burn. Even with Jalen, prepare for another season where it still … Hurts.