NOTE FROM NORM: A Remarkable 72 Hours In American History
The last 72 hours have been extraordinary ones in American government and politics.
On Monday, we saw the Iowa Democratic Party literally self-destruct as Democratic candidates for President and their allies in the one-party media nearly imploded with rage at the failure of the party to do the one thing it was supposed to do well: Run a Caucus.
Nate Silver, long past his hallowed days as the “Golden Child” of polling and percentages, did suggest that the massive collapse of the Iowa Democratic Party infrastructure may well have screwed up the entire nomination process for Democrats.
After all, Iowa was supposed to be the beginning of the winnowing process for the Democrats as they look to find a candidate they believe can defeat President Trump and regain the White House for their party.
On the contrary, it resembled an episode of “Keystone Kops” with everybody in charge and nobody in charge and everyone blaming everybody for what ended up being one of the worst excuses for the practice of democracy in the modern era.
On Tuesday, we saw the President of the United States address the nation in the annual State of the Union Speech.
In a speech that didn’t look to pick fights – didn’t dwell on the fact that Democrats had despoiled the sanctity of the chamber weeks before by launching a bitterly divisive partisan impeachment process – but simply pointed out the reality that America is stronger today than it has been at anytime in the last decade – Donald Trump made his argument for why he should be given a second term.
High employment.
Low unemployment.
Confidence in the economy.
A nation not engaged in a war anywhere in the world.
A Commander-in-Chief committed to supporting the nation’s military that is engaged in acts of heroism to keep us out of war around the world.
An unwavering commitment to addressing border security, an openness to finding a bipartisan approach to massive investment in our nation’s infrastructure and support for criminal justice reform that is long-overdue.
There was not much for the average American not to like in the speech delivered by President Trump on Tuesday.
Nancy Pelosi, and her Democratic Caucus, however, are not average Americans.
Led by Pelosi, egged on by the farthest left members of her party (which is saying something since there remains virtually nobody remaining in her Caucus that could be described as anything but far left of center) couldn’t count on Robert Mueller to give them what they wanted to impeach the President, so they settled on hearsay to try to oust him from office.
Elections matter to Speaker Pelosi but only if they benefit her personal political agenda.
Then, on Wednesday, the United States Senate acquitted Donald Trump of the manufactured charges brought against him by Pelosi and her Caucus.
In between all this there were Democrats unwilling to call Bernie Sanders a Socialist – which is what and who he is. Unwilling and afraid because they fear offending his most ardent supporters who, are themselves, socialists.
Democrats appear to believe that their coalition cannot win unless it is put together with the red tape of Socialists who are, themselves, not unafraid to threaten to withhold their support of a Democratic nominee that doesn’t spell his name B-e-r-n-i-e S-a-n-d-e-r-s
There was Speaker Pelosi sitting behind the President, furious at virtually every word he uttered, wincing as he recognized American heroes, celebrated America’s economic resurgence and called for more investment in America’s future.
How can you not swell with proud at the recognition of a 100-year-old Tuskegee Airman; an African American former homeless veteran who has pulled his life together; bringing home a soldier from Afghanistan and reuniting him with his family, awarding a nine-year-old girl with a scholarship, and yes, awarding the conservative radio icon Rush Limbaugh, just diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The President presented America’s story of redemption, sacrifice and compassion.
Yet Nancy Pelosi, Ilhan Omar and their colleagues offered no applause.
Pelosi was so furious that finally, without a vision of her own to counter a vision that sees America’s best days ahead of us, she was left with nothing but a petulant act of spite: She ripped up the President’s speech.
It may be that Pelosi was angry at the perceived snub by the President who didn’t shake her hand.
He also didn’t shake the Vice President’s hand.
He may not like Nancy Pelosi, but I imagine he respects her.
I know he likes and respects the Vice President.
The fact that he didn’t shake either of their hands didn’t really seem like that big of deal to me.
Certainly, it didn’t rise to the level of an angry and belligerent destruction of a speech that spoke of nothing more than a President who is committed to America’s greater days.
After all, maybe the President was deep in thought – focusing on his speech and his message to the bold and optimistic American people in front of him and not the petty Democratic House Leader behind him.
Yes, there has been a lot to pack into the last couple of days in American politics and government.
And, there is still the Iowa Democratic Party that seemingly can’t figure out who – if anyone – won on Monday.
If anyone actually won those who did not will simply ignore the results and claim that the race for the Democratic nomination remains wide open.
Which it is.
Which is bad for Democrats.
Which is good for the President.
Which is great for America.