Your Dinner Has Been Cancelled

We're in the thick of the political season, and accordingly my posts are becoming more political. But this story transcends politics.  It's about coming  human decency, or the absence of it among those who  claim to be morally superior . You've probably seen the video clip above. Look at it again. The punk "protesters" (read: thugs) driving the elderly couple from their restaurant table are going to drive voters to vote for Donald Trump in November. And I don't mean in a Toyota.

Many millions of Americans can identify with that couple, who were  simply trying to have dinner outdoors while observing the social distancing rules.  Some will identify with the thugs who made it impossible for them to quietly have a meal. Which side do you identify with? And how many voters do you think support your side? 

Will Joe Biden and the Democrats denounce these protesters, loudly and frequently and without hedging or apologizing?  If they don't, he's a dead duck. This is the time for his Sister Souljah moment, for those of you old enough to remember Bill Clinton and the 1992 presidential election. Possibly some of you have a taste for history and have read about it.

But old Joe has gone back to hiding in his basement.  Perhaps the scheduled debate on Tuesday will lure him out.  If he sees his shadow, he might take a cue from his fellow Pennsylvanian, groundhog Punxsutawney Phil, and dive back into his hole.

How can any decent human being not be utterly disgusted by the behavior so vividly on display in this video clip? Even Representative Maxine Waters told her followers to harass *only* members of the Trump administration when they encounter them at gas stations or restaurants. That's bad enough. But these people were innocent civilians. Or did their race, age, and ability to pay for a meal make them automatically guilty in the eyes of the woke thugsters?

Some will no doubt say -- already have said -- that these harassers and hoodlums do not represent the great mass of noble protesters or their leaders. But have you heard the leaders denounce this kind of behavior?  Or you heard them explicitly endorse it?  Some of the "Movement'" leaders have said that looting is "just a form of reparations."  How do you feel about that? Will you be understanding when they break down your door and steal everything you own?

Be careful how you answer. Tomorrow it might be you -- not just expelled from your restaurant table, but with a plate of chicken tetrazzini dumped on top of your irredeemably guilty head. And next week it may be more than your meal that will be canceled.  It might be your life.

Just a Guy from Queens

My article in the summer issue of The City Journal is now available online. Here's the link:

https://www.city-journal.org/html/just-guy-queens-15346.html

Il Duce, Il Donald?

Cartoon by Mike Luckovich.

Lately some political pundits have been asserting that it's not Donald Trump the man but Trump's message that is appealing to Republican voters, at least as reflected in the polls.  They're only partially right.  It's the message but also the man. 

Trump presents himself as a super dealmaker who can make America great again by making great deals with China, Mexico, and other rising competitors.  He's not unlike Mussolini in the way he holds himself out as a strong man who can face down the rest of the world.  His approach is grounded in a politics of personal charisma very different from Ronald Reagan's appeal.  Reagan avowed the essential goodness of Americans and the American system and campaigned on a promise to get government out of people's way.  By contrast, Trump sees the American people as dupes of greedy and incompetent politicians and offers himself as a strong leader with no need to enrich himself finacially from holding public office, someone who possesses the business skills to negotiate tough trade deals with tough foreign adversaries.

Of course, much of this rhetoric is Trump making extravagant promises without acknowledging -- or appreciating -- that making deals with foreign companies is not the same as making decisions as a president.  Yet a certain percentage of likely voters think the two roles are identical and that a President Trump can save us. Far too many people underestimate the importance of political skills, which are not the same as those of a businessman. They may overlap, but there is still a distinctive difference. It may be why America has never elected a businessman who never held political office to the presidency.  

(Victorious generals are another story -- it would appear that military command bears some resemblance to political leadership.  But anyone who makes the quick but facile connection between military leaders-turned politician and fascism should bear in mind that American presidents who were previously generals have a record of being more hesitant to rely on the military than presidents with little or no military experience.)

A conservative politician must always cut the Gordian knot which requires him or her to espouse limited government while at the same time presenting him or herself as strong and competent, someone who can inspire yet does not encourage a cult of personal charisma.

Trump is certainly no fascist.  But his own rather unique politics of personal charisma ought to concern us as his poll numbers continue to rise and his proposals for solving problems still bear closer scrutiny.


UPDATE -- 3/8/16:

On February 28th, candidate Trump quoted Mussolini in one of his early-morning tweets:

"It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep."

According to the New York Times, Trump was not aware that the quotation comes from Il Duce, but said he likes it anyway.