Bill Clinton/Donald Trump

"The past is never dead. It's not even past."

          William Faulkner

Democrats had a problem dealing with the Clinton/Lewinsky mess.

Republicans have a problem dealing with Trump's effort to overthrow the 2020 election.

The problems are different.

I mention Clinton/Lewinsky to remind Democrats not to fool themselves. Bill Clinton dallied with a star-struck young woman and then lied about it. "Move on," most Democrats said. Republicans impeached him, saying this was a high crime. Democrats said it wasn't OK, but it wasn't a high crime. Politically engaged people have an instinct to stand behind their party leader. The leader represents a set of policy ideas and a coalition of people. If the leader falters, so does everything else.  

Most Republican voters support Trump. They deny or minimize some of what Trump did openly and in public. Most officeholders and partisans want to "move on," saying they want to "look forward," not backward. Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, and the other rivals to Trump take that approach. This is a kind of "safe harbor" of thought and talk for Republicans. Don't look back. 

Clinton, 1998

I make a distinction between Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. Lying about improper sex play with an employee does not endanger the republic, whereas a multi-faceted effort to overturn an election most certainly does endanger it. But that is not the distinction I am making. More important is that Bill Clinton was deeply ashamed. He recognized what he did to be morally and legally wrong. Democrats -- and Americans -- could "move on" because Clinton was not trying to define his behavior as good or legitimate. Quite the opposite.

Donald Trump is repeating the Big Lie, still claiming he won by a landslide. He validates political violence to stay in power. He praises people who were videotaped and convicted of crimes on January 6. He defends taking classified documents, then sharing them with country club guests, hiding them, and lying to the courts about hiding them. He condemns Mike Pence.

Saluting January 6 rioters

The announcer at the rally in Ohio this week introduced Trump saying "Please rise for the horribly and unfairly treated January 6 hostages." They played a recording made by the prisoners. Trump began with these words:

Well, thank you very much and you see the spirit from the hostages, and that’s what they are is hostages. They’ve been treated terribly and very unfairly and you know that and everybody knows that, and we’re going to be working on that sooner. The first day we get into office, we’re going to save our country and we’re going to work with the people to treat those unbelievable patriots, and they were unbelievable patriots and are. You see the spirit just cheering? They’re cheering while they’re doing that and they did that in prison and it’s a disgrace in my opinion.

Unlike Bill Clinton, Trump is not ashamed. He calls January 6 rioters "unbelievable patriots."

This week Mike Pence announced he would not support Donald Trump's re-election. It may seem obvious that Pence would oppose someone who inspired a mob chanting "hang Mike Pence" to break into the Capitol to find him, then sat passively watching them do it on TV. In fact, Pence did an act of political courage. A majority of Republican voters prefer Trump and condemn Pence for "betraying" him. Pence obeyed the rules. He obeyed the Constitution. That was his betrayal. 

October, 2023. Pence presented himself as an alternative to Trump.

The split between Trump and Pence lays down a clear marker. Trump endorses political violence to retain office. This isn't merely "implied" in a speech that became famous for his prediction of a "bloodbath" if he isn't elected. The bloodbath imagery was in fact part of the overall validation of extra-judicial, extra-constitutional behavior, but his opening words are overt and denoted. He says the people who invaded the Capitol are the good guys. The people who stopped them, arrested them, prosecuted them, the juries that found them guilty, and the prisons that now hold them -- those people, the people representing law, justice system, and the peaceful transfer of power -- they are the villains.

Republicans who support and endorse Trump are not saying the past is past and Trump is different now, so we can move on. This is Trump and this is now.

There it is. That is the choice for Republicans. They are saying today's Trump OK.

[Note: To get daily delivery of this blog to your email go to: https://petersage.substack.com  Subscribe. Don't pay. The blog is free and always will be.]