The coronavirus pandemic has given us many examples of heroes: our medical personnel, police and fire responders, scientists, grocery store staff and countless others have selflessly served us while risking their own health. We owe them a deep debt of gratitude. In the political realm we have seen governors, Republican and Democrat alike, step up to the plate and lead through difficult times. New York’s Andrew Cuomo, our own Jay Inslee, Ohio’s Mike DeWine and others. We are all in this together.
Except … well … Trump? He has acted like a petulant, angry 2-year-old. After early denials and blaming, he agrees to “allow” the governors to lead (what they had been doing all along) regarding phased reopening of economic life. He stood on a Thursday night briefing next to Dr. Anthony Fauci and Vice President Mike Pence and sort of sounded like an adult.
Then, the next morning, the petulant child erupts, tweeting “LIBERATE MICHIGAN,” “LIBERATE MINNESOTA,” contradicting everything he had said the night before, throwing the entire leadership process under the bus, and giving encouragement to right-wing rallies and conspiracy theories.
Leadership? Not what I was taught. Denial is not a river in Africa. This November, reject the Putin/Trump/Pence ticket.
