Why Are Some Dems Still Hugging The “Dangerous Dictator”?

Trump will just take their capitulation as a sign of weakness and abuse them even more.

Donald Trump and Gretchen Whitmer. Image via Reuters

by Bob Cesca

WASHINGTON, DC – Donald Trump’s poll numbers after 100 days in office are predictably dismal, which is a major reason why it’s so baffling that Democrats continue to supplicate themselves at his dainty feet.

Imagine that I have a giant ear-to-ear grin on my face while I type the following poll numbers. Because I do.

According to a new AP-NORC poll, the president is drowning. Only 39 percent approve, while 58 percent disapprove of his leadership so far. These are the worst numbers in 80 years for any president after his first 100 days.

But that’s not all.

The same AP poll shows him underwater on every issue, including immigration. Gratefully, voters are beginning to realize that ignoring the courts and unconstitutionally rejecting due process, while deporting children with metastatic cancer and ordering ICE agents into homes without warrants isn’t what they signed up for. (They should’ve known but chose to ignore our warnings.)

And finally, Donald’s job performance was described as “poor” or “terrible” by 52 percent – a clear majority of voters. More specifically, a plurality of 39 percent straight up described his second term as “terrible.” Conversely, only 18 percent described it as “great.”

Even more shockingly, a poll published exclusively by Axios this week showed that 52 percent of Americans described Donald as a “dangerous dictator.” 56 percent of independent voters described him that way, which ought to terrify congressional Republicans running in next year’s midterms. And check this out: 17 percent of Republicans agreed with that sentiment – a relatively small number but politically significant.

Most polls, including the Fox News poll (42% approval) show equally crappy numbers, leading the president to announce he’d like to waste taxpayer funds to investigate the pollsters. Sure, the problem is the pollsters and not his janky dictatorial presidency. Reminds me of Gov. Le Petomane in Blazing Saddles complaining that his paddle game is “warped” rather than admitting to his own lack of coordination.

Polling aside, the stock market under Donald Trump has suffered its worst 100 day decline in more than 50 years. The S&P has dropped by 8.5 percent, whereas the average for a president’s first 100 days is closer to a 2 percent gain. So much for the businessman president, right?

Oh, and we might as well toss into the mix the 0.3 percent retraction of the economy, leading to what will end up being a recession, possibly a deep and long-lasting one.

So, knowing all of this, why the hell would 16 Senate Democrats, including Cory Booker and Ruben Gallego, vote to confirm former Georgia senator David Perdue to be Donald’s ambassador to China this week? I’d understand the votes a little better if Donald had won by landslide margins last year and was riding high on a growing economy and no constitutional crisis, but not with these numbers and his nightmarish, destabilizing track record.

Why would Michigan’s Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who I normally support, hug and accompany Donald during his mid-week trip to her home state?

Why is Chuck Schumer still dicking around with “strongly worded” letters to the president, rather than whipping Democratic votes to oppose everything the “dangerous dictator” sends their way?

To be clear, there are many Democrats who are doing good work, using their notoriety and platforms to blast the administration, practically on a daily basis. However, we need a party that’s not just unified against the tyrant in the White House, but one that’s availing itself of every available lever of power to thwart him.

They won’t get any bonus points from Donald or his congressional minion. They won’t be more willing to listen to Democrats or negotiate in good faith with them. Donald won’t suddenly like and admire them. He’ll just take their capitulation as a sign of weakness and abuse them even more. Actual recorded history proves it.

The only answer I can come up with is that they’re scared. A couple weeks ago, Sen. Lisa Murkowski mentioned that senators are afraid of retribution, and it’s keeping the Republican caucus in line. I assume this meant primary challenges, investigations, social media harassment by the president, and over-the-top pranks like swatting attacks instigated by MAGA fanboys. Sure, that’s all pretty scary, but no one’s really been clear about their concerns beyond Murkowski. Blink twice, Sen. Schumer, if Donald has threatened you personally.

The more I think about it, the more I’ll give Gov. Whitmer a pass. She was the target of a kidnapping plot by a MAGA militia, a traumatic event that would certainly stick with her for a long while. She also lobbied pretty heavily for an economically beneficial addition of F15-EX fighter jets at a military base in Michigan that can only be authorized by the president. Fine, I get it. But maybe pull it back a few notches.

This whole genuflecting business will not age well, especially as Donald continues to abuse his power and ignorantly crash the economy, stubbornly believing that a 19th Century economic blueprint will apply to a globally interconnected 2025 economy. Voters will remember who enabled the fascist government and who stood up against it. The key to avoiding primary challenges isn’t necessarily to replace David Hogg at the DNC, but to join JB Pritzker, Jasmine Crockett, Tim Walz, Chris Murphy, AOC, Bernie Sanders, and the others in defense of democracy and our Constitution. No more hugs or letters, please.

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