Enjoy the RNC But Don't Forget: The Party's Over

We live in madness. It started when Donald Trump came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower on June 16, 2015 and announced his candidacy for president by slandering Mexico and people from that nation. The crescendo of Trump's madness increased as he won the 2016 Republican nomination, took over the Republican Party, turning the party's establishment from naysayers to enablers, squeaked out an Electoral College win while massively losing the popular vote, became the president of the United States and proceeded to become America's first autocrat, with a propensity for destroying anything and anyone he believes opposes him.

The deaths of thousands Americans to COVID-19 are a testimony to his incompetence. Our economy is shattered by a man proved to be nothing more than a grifter on a grand scale. Our nation is drowning in the insanity created by Trump and the Grand Old Party. As the 2020 election approaches the chaos will intensify as Trump grabs for any way to win re-election, when it is obvious the American majority will reject him in November in favor of Joe Biden, a seasoned rational leader who stands as our last hope to restore our country to sanity. Republican leadership looks away from the wreckage they created by refusing to check a madman, knowing they became the puppets of Donald J. Trump and perhaps Vladimir Putin himself, the man who controls their master.

With millions out of work due to the pandemic and in dire need of government assistance that has now expired, the Republicans leave Washington, D.C., for their recess. Congressional Democrats led by Nancy Pelosi rightfully fight for those in need while Mitch McConnell and the Republicans leave those millions desperate and waiting until September for any possible financial help. The Republican Party will commit the ultimate insult to the American people by nominating Donald J. Trump for a second term as our president.

We do indeed live in madness as one of the two major American political parties irresponsibly nominates a man who has spent his first term proving he is incapable of doing the job in every way possible. Donald J. Trump is a habitual liar, a racist and misogynist, intellectually lacking, devoid of empathy, ignorant of the basic workings of our government with no desire to learn and perhaps mentally incapable of serving a second term, yet he is the man the Republicans choose as their standard bearer. Let's also not forget, he's been impeached. The Republican Party stands in dereliction of its duty by nominating a candidate with a proven unwillingness to uphold the oath of office. He has failed the oath and the country. His nomination for a second term in 2020 is in itself an act of madness.

The elephant has long been the traditional symbol of the GOP. Perhaps it should be changed to the ostrich as the party sticks its collective head in the sand while Trump wreaks havoc on the 2020 election.

The United States Post Office is under serious attack from Trump's recently appointed Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, a Trump mega-donor and fundraiser with no postal experience. The incumbent will destroy our post office, enshrined in the Constitution, because he fears a loss at the polls if mail-in voting is utilized because of the deadly pandemic he refuses to confront. You can bet the Republicans will roll out every tool of voter suppression they can in 2020 to hold on to their power supported by a shrinking minority of the electorate.

Trump reaches into his bag of lies and conspiracy theories to pull out birtherism as his attack on Joe Biden's VP pick, Kamala Harris. She is "angry." Senator Harris must scare Donald Trump because she has swagger, a good swagger supported by intelligence, empathy, confidence and accomplishment. It is something Donald Trump longs for but will never achieve, so he must pretend. Hers is earned and real. We saw it when she grilled Attorney General William Barr during a Senate hearing. He didn't like it either.

The people's attorney, the aforementioned AG Barr, is spending his time and your money cooking up an October surprise to derail Biden. Trump has warned his Roy Cohn it better be good. United States Attorney John Durham continues to investigate Crossfire Hurricane, the FBI's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, for AG Barr to give Trump his expected October "gift." Trump wants the heads of high-ranking former FBI officials delivered to him in order for Barr to remain in his good graces.

Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, is also probing Crossfire Hurricane and the long discredited Ukrainian Burisma matter involving Biden and his son Hunter that was the centerpiece of Trump's impeachment. Johnson has openly stated his investigation is aimed at damaging the candidacy of Biden for president and helping Trump win re-election.

As expected, the incumbent Trump is using his power as president to obtain the outcome he wants in November, to remain in office no matter what or how. Trump will use madness and chaos as we move toward November 3 (and possibly after) to achieve his goal. Madness and chaos is Trump's natural comfort zone. He has used it to his advantage all his life. It has also become the comfort zone of the Republican party and they must be voted out of power. The American electorate has one more chance to save this country from a dystopian future. Vote and vote early. Do not assume Biden and Harris are a lock to win. Trump and his GOP cohorts will do anything to win so be ready for anything. Remember the Senate races. The Democrats must take control of the Senate. Tell the Republicans their party is over in no uncertain terms.

Susan SurfTone is a musician, former FBI agent, and regular contributor to The Advocate.