I didn't watch Trump's speech to Congress last night, being preoccupied with drinking beer and recapturing first place in the local bar's Team Trivia contest (after a seven-week undefeated streak, the team failed to place last week). I figured I'd have time to digest the speech today, and I was somewhat surprised to hear pundits characterizing it as a 'pivot'.
Meanwhile, the real Trump has kept on his same old bigoted course- he is creating an agency to 'address' crimes committed by immigrants, though immigrants actually are less likely to be criminals than the native-born. In the aftermath of the shooting of two Indian engineers working in Kansas (and a heroic 'good Samaritan'), Trump stated his obligation 'to serve, protect, and defend the citizens of the United States', with no mention of his obligation to protect residents or visitors to these shores.
On the WTF?scale, Trump made an issue about 'ninety-four million Americans are out of the labor force', not taking into account that the vast majority of these individuals are children or retirees. He also continued his vendetta against Chicago.
Meanwhile, even though many media outlets are falling over themselves to laud Trumo for not shitting on the carpet, the man himself is hinting that his political opponents might be behind the attacks on Jewish Community Centers and cemeteries. The guy can behave himself for a whopping hour and ten minutes, but that doesn't mean that his attitudes and priorities have changed.
The bigotry and nationalism are breathtaking and important, but I think people are really starting to focus on his authoritarianism. A truly lawless president is giving everyone but the most partisan hacks pause as they consider what it might mean and where it might lead...
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