Trump Time at Minnesota Midterms

The best descriptive analysis of Donald Trump I've ever come across was featured in The Minneapolis Star Tribune on Monday March 10, 2024.

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Of course that was before the newspaper became The Minnesota Star Tribune, and before the Books Section was eradicated, and before Books editor Chris Hewitt lost his job. At that time, though, Hewitt interviewed Steve Almond, author of "Truth Is the Arrow, Mercy Is the Bow" and teacher at the Loft Literary Center.

In this interview Hewitt asked, "What about (Trump) as a storyteller of his life?" Almond gave this insight:"He's kind of the ultimate example of an unreliable narrator, where on every level he is trying to tell a story about being powerful and being the best and perfect, but underneath that is this wreck of a person who has failed over and over again and is doing everything he can because he despises himself so much. His superpower is that shamelessness."

This description, however, evokes even more questions about The Donald than anyone wants to ask:

* Why is this guy still getting approval ratings around 32-35%? Why aren't those numbers lower?

* Why are so many Americans still so willing to keep him and his cabal of Republican enablers in power?

* Why do so many voters still believe anything and everything he says when he keeps proving what a pathological liar he is?

It's almost as though Trump's supporters have a mantra of "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, and I'll just keep on voting for you."

Trump's latest cheap shot at Minnesota came during a press conference when he declared, "The Somalis have destroyed Minnesota's lakes!"

Huh?

Even more surprising is the way local reporters and TV networks in the Twin Cities have given very little thought or coverage to Trump's blatantly racist and dishonest accusations. They've chosen instead to give publicity to Republican women Michele Tafoya and Lisa Demuth who are campaigning to be U.S. Senator and Minnesota's governor.

That is, Minnesota media has thrown its attention to Republicans in this Midterm Election…Again, I must ask Why? Why? Why?

Okay, these powers-that-be want the Republicans – not the Democrats – to win the senate and gubernatorial races. Okay, I get that. Wouldn't it make more sense, though, to back candidates who have at least some significant experience in public service? Michele Tafoya has never held ANY political office. Lisa Demuth has had some experience as a state legislator, but no more than dozens of other fellow legislators in The Minnesota House.

Any snowplow driver has had more experiences with public service than both women combined.

To make matters worse, both women keep trying to distance themselves from Trump – as if that's an actual possibility. It isn't. They're Republicans, and this President sees himself as THE sole leader and undeniable King of the Republican Party. He's in charge. He's running everything. That includes anything going on in the local, state, and national level when it comes to politics and everything else he personally decides what he wants on his purview, whether or not it's Constitutional.

So both Demuth and Tafoya know they must do this President's bidding 24/7. And yet, they both try to maintain this ersatz image of "independence" that cannot exist as long as Trump holds court in The Oval Office. Unfortunately for them, their M.O. to distance themselves from their fearless leader isn't working.

Lisa "I SPEAK NO EVIL" Demuth

Demuth actually believes that the less she says about Trump, the more independent she will come across to voters. Sorry, Lisa, your plan isn't working. We all know you're a Republican, just like Trump. We also know that whatever he wants and expects from you will be cheerfully delivered by you – whether it's a plan or a speech or a law he specifically wanted and designed himself. If you get elected, you will be under his thumb.

Michele "I'M AN INDEPENDENT VOICE" Tafoya

Tafoya is not only a familiar face on Minnesota TV, she's also interviewed football players on the national level. She looks good on screen and expresses herself directly and simply. In other words, she translates well. In her campaign ads she even looks like a model advertising a luxury sedan…Then she opens her mouth and out comes the used car sales pitch. Her latest shtick is her "independent voice."

If you're a Republican, there's no such thing. On some level she must know this, yet she persists in telling us otherwise:

"If (Trump's) right, I'll work with him. If he's wrong, I'll stand up for Minnesota."

Nice try with your get-out-the-vote hustle, but not a real possibility. Both Liz Cheney and Susan Collins tried that ploy, but still ended up voting with Trump and his GOP enablers 90-95% of the time. If you want to go against Trump and the Republican agenda, this President will also negate, slander, and libel you in public and never apologize. ( You might even have to move to a different address because of the incoming death threats from his deranged followers.)

If you are running on the Republican ticket, you'll have to forget all that crap about your independent voice and do whatever the party – AND The Donald – tells you to do.

ATTN: Demuth & Tafoya: If you both were really that independent, you never would have been Republicans in the first place.