Power to the people

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Immediately after his Bay of Pigs fiasco in 1961, President John F. Kennedy told a press conference: “There’s an old saying that victory has a thousand fathers, and defeat is an orphan”. If President Donald Trump felt like an orphan on November 4 following midterm elections in which his Republican Party suffered heavy losses, he certainly didn’t show it. Instead, he welcomed reporters into the construction site of his new ballroom.

When asked about the previous night’s drubbing, he nonchalantly said he hoped to work with Democrats in Congress, reminding everyone that he still has veto power. President George W. Bush had a very similar humiliation in the 2006 midterms, losing control of both Houses of Congress, as did President Barack Obama in 2014. They both accepted responsibility the next day, but President Trump seems incapable of doing that, and will probably be looking for scapegoats in his administration to throw under the bus. Chances are he will take solace in a line from Will Rogers, the famous American humorist who died about 90 years ago: ”I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat”.

It was obvious to anyone watching election results on television that voters totally rejected the authoritarian attitude of the White House, with tariffs that increased the cost of living and affordability pressures, the ongoing war in Iran causing higher fuel, food and commodity prices, ICE tactics, alleged corruption among oligarchs, plutocrats and Trump family members, etc, etc.

While flipping between several domestic and foreign news channels, I noted many differing political viewpoints expressed. Some were gloating, others were aghast or shell-shocked, with excessive and mandatory hyperbole from all sides. From my own non-partisan viewpoint, the best exchange came on CNN where Democrat commentator Van Jones said: “It’s not a Blue Wave in Texas. It’s not a Blue Tsunami in Texas. It’s a Volcanic Eruption of Blue Crayola in Texas !”. Sitting next to him, Republican mouthpiece Scott Jennings didn’t skip a beat, and responded: ”Get this man a straight-jacket. Republicans spent over a quarter billion dollars in Texas putting a thoroughbred saddle on a mule”.

The CNN panel collapsed in laughter at this clever reference to defeated Senate candidate Ken Paxton. Mr Jennings is from Kentucky, and knows about horse races. The only thing missing was for them to have played the 1970 hit from John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band Power to the People.

BERNIE SMITH

Parksville, BC

Canada