It’s not  the whispering voice of Shoeless Joe Jackson whifting through Iowa cornfields this time.  It’s the unabashed invitation from Shameless Don Trump, and his message is “If you beleive me, I am saved.”  Well, crapo.  That doesn’t work.  Whoever heard Trump whisper? That’s more of a Joe Biden thing. There is something eerie going on though.  More logically, it has to do with the Des Moine Register.  Recently reported information by that paper bolsters my above invented quote, and comes across  a lot quieter- because reading a newspaper is usually muted,  if read at all anymore.

In case you missed it, (and honestly people, you really should pay more attention to your local newspaper than the shit you gravitate to on social media) this very prestigious newspaper provided polling information that, to me anyway, is kind of astonishing.  Taking into account all the anti-democratic, vitriolic comments Trump has spewed recently, here is a synopsis of what the reporting found:

One forth of those polled affirmed that Trump’s quest for vengence makes it more likely they will vote for him.  14% were more inclined to support Trump based on his lies alleging fraud in the 2020 election, believing terminating parts of the constitution is justified.  50% said Trump’s plans for “sweeping raids, giant camps, and mass deportations” made him a more atractive candidate and a solid 43% were more likely to vote for Trump based on his comments that  “the radical thugs that live like vermin” in the country need to be rooted out. Pretty much the same percentage are fine with Trump’s comments about immigrants poisening our blood.

Regarding that last insult, no doubt we need comprehensive immigration reform.  Our southern border is a hot mess.  But we have been living with intermittent border chaos through six presidential administrations.  It’s jaw dropping to hear members of congress criticizing any president for immigration policy failures when the long term fix is up to them.  We need more robust border control, and we definately need immigrants to do the shit no one else wants to do and supplement our tax base, something that is becoming increaseing more critical as our population ages.  And consider this.  When a Trump supporter says something like “He tells it like it is,” they have landed right into Trump’s web of deceit.  His scare tactics, fear of  the “other,” are a huge part of his political magnetism.  My own mother fell into that trap. Fear begets hate.  Freaked out liberals and a few conservatives keep trying to mulify our hateful divisiveness by saying “this is not who we are.”  But the Des Moine Register, with its whispering ways, is telling us it is exaclty who we are. Trump’s political ascendancy didn’t create the current acerbity and angst.  Prejudice, racism and senseless hatred are a sad legacy of this country.  However, since the civil rights movement and  legislation of the 1960’s, I always had the feeling that we were slowly but certainly making progress towards equality and social acceptance.  Then Trump happened and the undercurrent of incivility burst through its fragile containment.

Trump knows he has to win the presidency again, or hope some Republican does who will pardon him.  Otherwise he will very likely become a convicted criminal, and possibly even go to jail.  He is getting more despirate by the day, but his repetitive lies that wail loudly in the wind are somehow working for him. The Des Moines Register made that clear.

I am not sure how or even if we want to reestablish “who we are” as a country, but I know to make it possible basic facts have to be accepted as truth.  Our media and politicians from both parties have to have the courage to tell the truth.  And it wouldn’t hurt to use the Trumpian playbook.  Repeat the truth over and over, and not with any kind of whispering voice, but screaming like a banshee.