Being There

So, here we are, more than halfway through the first game show host presidency. Each day brings a new surprise of the most ridiculous kind. Our ship of state has become a carnival ride, complete with tilts and whirls, freaks and clowns. And with each new day of embarrassment comes that Talking Heads question: "Well, how did we get here?"
It's not as if we couldn't have seen this coming. The political mainstream thought a Trump candidacy would crash and burn shortly after that ride down the escalator so many moons ago. Not so. He went on to step on toes and call names as he became front-runner and then presumptive nominee. This man who had as many business failures as many of his competitors had years in office proceeded to take the nation by storm, stirring up fear and rancor among a following that seemed energized by his twisted version of patriotism. And the biggest joke of all, after decrying unfairness of the electoral college system, it was that very same machine that gave him the office when he lost the popular vote. Each time he takes the podium or tweets his rants, he acts as if he were there by a mandate from the people.
Meanwhile, in the Ukraine, a comedian has won that country's highest office in a landslide. Volodymyr Zelenskiy unseated incumbent Petro Poroshenko of a country torn by war and searching for a national identity. Zelenskiy's prior experience included playing the Servant of the People, a fictional president elected with no political experience, just a viral video that showed him ranting against the current conditions in his country. No concrete word on how he intends to Make Ukraine Great Again, but he does seem to face a little more adversity than his counterpart rattling around the White House. Which makes me imagine the first state visit between the two of them. 
"So, how'd you get the job?"
"I had a TV show."
"Really? Me too."
All of which makes me hopeful about this current trend. By this measure, shouldn't we expect Julia Louis-Dreyfus to be a contender in 2020? Emmy winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus.