Hillary Was Right

 Many years ago we were warned. Hillary Clinton used the term "deplorables" when she was speaking about followers of Donald Trump. To say that there was backlash for this remark would be akin to saying that Noah encountered a few sprinkles just before completing his boat. I confess there was a moment of regret on my part when I heard her, allowing for a world in which there were many and varied opinions and we should leave room for all points of view. Back in September 2016, the Democratic presidential nominee said, “You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right? The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic—you name it. And unfortunately there are people like that. And he has lifted them up.” At the time, I felt like I needed to make excuses for Hillary. And she didn't say "all" she said "half." I was still embarrassed. 

Turns out, I needn't have been. The past five years have been nothing but a wake up call for those of us who weren't watching and listening. The show this past week at the Conservative Political Action Conference, the complete lack of shame and the strained connection with reality was on full display. Featuring such acts as fist-raising Josh Hawley and Ted "Luxury" Cruz, the show was a blur of a reminder. Ted Cruz made a joke about being in Orlando, and how it was not quite as nice as Cancun. Get it? Because he fled his home state for a luxury resort while people were freezing to death. Everybody's favorite fist-pumping inciter, Josh "Hollerin'" Hawley actually said this in his speech: "We're proud to live in a country that liberated slaves."

Ladies and gentlemen, these were not the rabble outside the auditorium handing out pamphlets printed on their home computer. These were the featured speakers, elected officials who still have jobs in our government. Both of these men were busy on their phones during opening testimony about the Capitol riots, or dragged in their homework to keep them occupied during the impeachment trial. Thirteen members of Congress chose to vote by proxy on the COVID relief bill, not out of concerns about safety, but so they could speak at CPAC. Those were the Republicans. The four Democrats who voted by proxy were meeting with President Biden in Texas, they state they represent, to inspect the damage brought on by the recent winter storm. The same storm that sent Ted Cruz packing off to Cancun. 

All of this with an eye toward the first appearance of the former game show host and former "president" since he fled Washington DC just after the riot he helped incite. With his lies and bile, he brought together thousands who attempted to halt the peaceful transition of power in our country. Something that has not happened before in history. Not during wars or depressions or threats of terrorism or snowstorms. 

Deplorable? That may be a little kind.