Pretty Words That Come To Nothing

Apparently, Trump was allowed by Nancy (or as some call her, Nancy) to give his speech in the House last night.  Apparently, he gave a speech that was part anodyne SOTU and part Trumpian wail against brown people and Democrats, all while saying he liked brown people and Democrats. 

Conor Friedsdorf was on the Twitter saying that if Trump had given this address at his inauguration, we would be evaluating his presidency differently.

This is bullshit.

Or not.  On the one hand, if Trump had adopted the usual rhetoric of politicians, he probably wouldn't be so polarizing.  Trump's saving "grace" is that he's incapable of getting out of his own way on these issues.  And make no mistake, so many of our pundits live in some fantasy world where "The West Wing," or "Dave" or "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington" is a blueprint for governing, rather than airy fantasies more in line with Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings.  They think these speeches matter, and perhaps they might have, had he been giving them.  Trump has said the quiet parts of the GOP out loud, and that has made him an easy target.  But what happens when the next Trumpist candidate comes forth.  What happens when we have some slick mofo like Tom Cotton who knows how to play the dogwhistle to mobilize the racists without alienating the Nice Polite Republicans?

But the fact is, Trump is Trump. If he had given nice speeches, he would not be Trump.  Trumpism requires the "American Carnage" theme.  Trumpism can't exist debating the margins of policy, it must be confrontational. Trumpism is political bloodsport.  It is the natural language of a political movement that will literally vote to hurt themselves as long as it pisses of "the libtards."  You have farmers who are getting killed on Trump's BS trade wars, but they still sing his praises.  People whose economic position is stagnant or declining who cheer on tax cuts for billionaires, because something something socialism.

The consistent insistence from some quarters that Trump be someone other than Trump has to be pushed back against at every moment.  That is the idea of normalizing Trump.  He must be marginalized.  Trump has to become a millstone around the neck of every Republican running for every office in this country.