Weekend thoughts.

January 20, 2024

Hi, all. Paxlovid is working its magic, and I am feeling better. This short(-ish) weekend edition is intended to open the comments section. I will resume the audio version next week when my congestion won’t annoy people listening to the audio

 I offer a reflection in today’s newsletter on one aspect of the difficult road we face over the coming year, i.e., watching otherwise sensible people surrender to the MAGA cult. The short-lived “resistance to Trump” in the GOP has collapsed because 56,000 Iowans representing 3% of eligible voters—and only 51% of votes cast—supported Trump. All it took for the remaining GOP establishment to fall in line behind Trump was 56,000 votes in one state. I would make a list of everyone who has caved to Trump in the last 72 hours, but it would be too long for the newsletter.

The most remarkable thing about the list is that it is filled with people who know who Trump is. They have called him a conman, a liar, “Putin’s useful idiot,” a sociopath, and—worst of all (to them)—a Democrat posing as a Republican. After Iowa, they are rushing to lick his heels lest he cast an arched eyebrow in their general direction. Weaklings and cowards, all.

But the moral collapse and quick surrender to Trump is not limited to politicians he can destroy. tech billionaires and white shoe lawyers, celebrity journalists, social influencers, and investment bankers are hedging their bets, preparing for a life of sycophancy in a possible Trump second term. Greedy cowards, all.

They know what is right. They have education, wealth, power, and fame. But they are afraid of losing an iota of those advantages. Yet they are willing to abandon their country in its hour of need.

Oh, to be sure, they wrap their surrender to Trump in feigned support for his tax policies, immigration policies, or foreign policies—ignoring the ugly, nationalistic, racist, narcissistic, greed-driven understructure that animates Trump's policies.

It can be bewildering and dispiriting to watch so many prominent Americans rush for the exits in a time of national crisis. But we should pay them no heed. Their surrender to Trump makes news because of their celebrity and office, not because anyone will be persuaded by their cowardice.

Over the last 72 hours, the list of those who surrendered to Trump includes Senators Ted Cruz and Tim Scott and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon. How many Americans were waiting for their input before deciding whether to support Trump?

Rather than influence any American of good faith who cares about the future of our democracy, they have merely completed their self-debasement and ensured their ignominious place in history.

So, good riddance to the skulkers and connivers. Despite their celebrity and fame, their importance in the coming struggle for democracy is overshadowed by the contribution of a single grassroots volunteer—and vanishes to insignificance against the hundreds of thousands of volunteers working every day to elect Joe Biden.

Two recent articles address the phenomenon of the moral collapse of politicians and business leaders in the face of Trump's apparent inevitable nomination.

Adam Serwer of The Atlantic writes in response to an op-ed by Ross Douthat in the New York Times. Douthat has gone to great lengths to intellectualize Trump's crimes into nothingness. Douthat’s NYTimes op-ed is entitled “Why Jan. 6 Wasn’t an Insurrection.” Douthat’s thesis is, “[O]ne can abuse the powers of the presidency for one’s own political benefit without it being an insurrection or rebellion under the terms of the 14th Amendment.”

Adam Serwer’s response is entitled, “The Unwitting Trump Enablers.” Serwer writes,

Rationalizing Trump’s actions demands rewriting both history and the English language. Committed Trumpists are happy to warp reality to fit whatever distortions their leader demands.

Yet distinct from the Trump sycophants are the Trump enablers, both witting and unwitting, more serious figures who eschew such crude gestures of devotion in favor of cautious minimizations that obfuscate the truth rather than openly contradict it.

There are all too many serious writers willing to oblige, intelligent people making clever arguments that amount to sophistry.

All dictators rely on propagandists to create intellectual justifications for their cruelty and excesses. Perhaps Ross Douthat is auditioning for that role for Trump?

To similar effect are comments by Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan Chase. Dimon scolded Democrats for being hard on Trump supporters, claiming that “Donald Trump was right about some critical issues.” Oh, really? Like what? Predictably, Dimon listed “tax reform”—that benefitted the wealthy and abandoned the middle class and the poor. Surprisingly, he also listed Trump's “foreign policy,” which nearly destroyed seventy-five years of post-WWII alliances.

Dennis Aftergut and Walter H. White write about Dimon’s statements in The Bulwark, Jamie Dimon Joins the Trump Normalizers.

Aftergut and White write,

On the issue of tax policy, Dimon told CNBC that Trump’s “tax reform worked.” But for whom?

As ProPublica reported in 2021, a “study by Treasury economists found that the top 1% of Americans by income have reaped nearly 60% of the billions in tax savings created by the provision. And most of that amount went to the top 0.1%.”

Dimon’s estimated $1.5 billion net worth would easily land him in that select group. So, yes, maybe the tax reform worked well for Dimon. But the grim record of federal deficits and debt that emerged from the Trump years belies the claim that his tax cuts worked well for the American people in general.

Dimon also said that Trump was “kind of right about immigration.” Aftergut and White write,

Exactly which part was Trump right about? Separating children from their mothers? Saying that too many immigrants came from “shithole countries”? Telling anyone who would listen that a wall would keep immigrants out? Falsely assuring Americans that Mexico would pay for the wall?

There is more. But you get the point. Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase is trying to normalize Trump's hate-filled, greedy, nationalistic agenda. Only Dimon knows his true motivations, but whatever they are, they are disappointing.

Dimon’s grandfather was an immigrant who changed the family name from Papademetriou so his children could avoid the racism and xenophobia that made it difficult for his grandfather to secure work as a bus boy.

Dimon was (past tense) a supporter of Nikki Haley, against whom Trump unleashed a barrage of racist posts on social media on Friday. Trump targeted Haley because of her birth name--Nimarata Nikki Randhawa. Similar to Beto O’Rourke, Haley has been known by her middle name—Nikki—her entire life. But Trump intentionally misspelled her first name in a racist post on social media, referring to her as “Nimbra.” See Trump lobs racially charged attacks against Haley ahead of N.H. primary - The Washington Post. (Accessible to all.)

I wonder what Jamie Dimon’s grandfather would think of his grandson’s support for Trump in light of the racist attacks against Nikki Haley based on her birth name?

Jamie Dimon doesn’t have to care about what his grandfather would think about Trump's threat to democracy. Dimon will be okay no matter what happens. He is a billionaire who might get another tax cut under Trump. But the retail customers of JPMorgan Chase don’t have the luxury of not caring about what might happen to democracy under Trump.

So, for those of you who aren’t CEOs of investment banks or senators occupying safe seats in red states, keep up your good work. When we make it through this challenging time, you will have your dignity and self-respect intact—not to mention a healthy democracy. Most importantly. You will have set an example for your children and grandchildren that they can call on when the next threat to democracy arises.

Opportunity for reader engagement.

Please join Markers For Democracy and Tom Suozzi For Congress for Sundays For Suozzi on Sunday, January 21, 2024 at 4:00 PM Eastern/1:00 PM Pacific for an hour of postcarding with Special Guest, Robert Hubbell, author of the "Today's Edition" newsletter.

This is the third in a series of postcarding sessions to support Tom Suozzi, Democratic candidate for the February 13th Special Election for Congress in NY-03, the seat until recently held by George Santos. Flipping this seat back to blue will show that Democrats can still win races on Long Island and will set up the NY and national Democratic party for a successful 2024. We will also hear from campaign staff about how folks from around the country can volunteer. The program will conclude with a presentation by Markers For Democracy on postcarding. 

Markers For Democracy is committed to saving democracy one postcard at a time. They host virtual and in-person postcarding sessions with guest speakers throughout the year. You can learn more about them and sign up for their newsletter here:  Markers For Democracy

Sign up for Sundays For Suozzi here:  Sundays For Suozzi! - Postcarding Party

Concluding Thoughts.

See above. I have gone on too long and have failed to follow the advice of my loving wife to “Get more rest”—which I am now going to do!

Talk to you on Monday!