It has been quite a while since I have written extensively about Donald Trump, but I have come to the conclusion it is time to do so again. I know there are some people who regularly read Listen Up who like Trump, largely, I am guessing, because to them, along with many other people in the United States, anybody is better than Joe Biden and the left-of-center policies they believe he espouses.
I can understand that. As many of our readers will know, I tend to lean toward the right. But we part company when it comes to Donald Trump as the reasonable alternative.
People who support Donald Trump because they do not like Joe Biden are one thing. But what I don’t understand are the millions of people who support Donald Trump come hell or high water, regardless of his character, his indiscretions, or his threat to democracy and the Constitution of the United States.
These are people who don’t give a hoot about Joe Biden. They venerate Donald Trump. They don’t believe any of the 91 criminal charges he is facing are real and if he becomes a convicted felon for any of them, they don’t care. Despite hard evidence and numerous court decisions, they believe in their core that Donald Trump won the last election. Many of them, especially extreme right-wing evangelists see him as the “Orange Jesus”.
Donald Trump said recently that his people, his significant base, would walk on glass for him, and the frightening part is that many of them would. It may be one of the few truths that have come out of his mouth.
As well, there can be little doubt that the folks who engaged in the January 6th assault on Capitol Hill did so because they believed Trump wanted them to be there. It was blind loyalty. Nothing else mattered. If all of that doesn’t add up to a classic definition of a cult, I don’t know what does.
But cults are dangerous, and if large enough can become effective.
The formal electoral process for the next President of the United States begins on Monday when voters in the Iowa caucus vote for the person they want on the presidential ballot. In relation to the Republican Primary, the Des Moines Register has had a stunning record of accuracy in polling related to primary results in Iowa. Their poll on the Republican caucuses in that state, released yesterday, predicted that Trump will garner 48 per cent of the vote with Nicki Haley coming in a distant second at 20 per cent.
The New Hampshire Primaries will be held next on January 23. It will be a tighter race for Donald Trump there and Nicki Haley could win it.
The reality is, however, that over the longer haul, barring some sort of miracle, Donald Trump’s cult-like base, aided by those who simply can’t stand Joe Biden, will ensure that he will be the Republican nominee for President of the United States. Whether he can win that election and become president or not, is still subject to a number of unknown factors. But the notion that he would even have a shot at it, is still frightening.
This is a man who has said he will take revenge on those who have opposed him if he becomes president again. He believes he can be a dictator, at least for a day, and he is a man who believes that as president he would be immune from prosecution for any criminal act.
Let’s unpack that one. In a recent Appeals Court hearing, one of the judges asked Trump’s attorney if a sitting president could direct elite military forces to kill one of his political opponents and be immune from prosecution. The attorney said that he could if he had the support of Congress.
Donald Trump has made it crystal clear that he believes when he was president he had complete immunity from any criminal prosecution, with or without the consent of Congress, and will again if he once again becomes president. If that is not the essence of a dictatorship, for far longer than a day, again, I don’t know what is.
So, should we worry if Donald Trump becomes President of the United States again? Here is what three Republicans think.
Ty Cobb, a lawyer, formerly a member of the Trump Administration legal team, and a frequent media commentator has recently said this about Donald Trump. “The former President poses the greatest threat to democracy we have ever seen.”
Adam Kinzinger, a former Republican member of Congress calls Trump, “a weak, tiny, small, scared clown. Why be scared of him? Trump is boring and a perpetual victim … Donald Trump should never again be President of the United States.”
George Conway is an interesting guy. He is a lawyer and a Conservative activist. He was considered by Donald Trump for the position of Solicitor General of the United States. He is the Founder of the Lincoln Project, a Conservative political action committee. To put it mildly, he is not a fan of Donald Trump.
As an aside, Kellyanne Conway, who was a senior member of the Trump White House and is still a staunch supporter, is, or was, (they may be divorced now) the wife of George Conway. How I would have loved to be a fly on the wall during their dinner conversations!
George Conway says this about Donald Trump. “He (Trump) is a sociopath. One of the things that needs to happen this year is we need to start talking about Trump’s mental state. This is not a well man.”
The issue to me is not whether Joe Biden should remain as President of the United States, but rather whether Trump should ever be president again.
As I mentioned earlier, whether or not Trump can again become President of the United States will be subject to a number of unknown factors over the next ten months. I suppose there is a statistical chance that either he, or Joe Biden, or even both, will not be on the presidential ballot at the end of the day. But that is most unlikely. Both candidates want to take on each other and not someone else.
As unlikely as it is, however, I must say that the dream presidential ticket for me would be to see Nicki Haley taking on Michelle Obama!! (Sorry guys!).
No, to me the most likely scenario would be a third candidate for president. There already exists a “No Name” Party that is looking for a viable candidate. As well, two high-profile Republicans have made noises that could lead to a third name on the ballot to deflect votes from Trump.
Liz Cheney and Chris Christie have both said unequivocally that they will do everything they can to keep Trump out of the White House. That could well be code for a third presidential candidate to peel votes away from Trump.
To me, the bottom line is that I echo the sentiments of Christie and Cheney. There are a number of credible Republicans who could do a good job as President of the United States. But Trump is not one of them and he should never get near the White House again.
If he does, there will be chaos in the United States and in many parts of the world including Canada where we are anything but immune from what happens with our closest neighbour.
Even with the slightest evidence that he is unhinged, we should all be concerned.
Hugh Mackenzie
Publisher
Hugh Mackenzie has held elected office as a trustee on the Muskoka Board of Education, a Huntsville councillor, a District councillor, and mayor of Huntsville. He has also served as chairman of the District of Muskoka and as chief of staff to former premier of Ontario, Frank Miller.
Hugh has also served on a number of provincial, federal and local boards, including chair of the Ontario Health Disciplines Board, vice-chair of the Ontario Family Health Network, vice-chair of the Ontario Election Finance Commission, and board member of Roy Thomson Hall, the National Theatre School of Canada, and the Anglican Church of Canada. Locally, he has served as president of the Huntsville Rotary Club, chair of Huntsville District Memorial Hospital, chair of the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, president of Huntsville Festival of the Arts, and board member of Community Living Huntsville.
In business, Hugh Mackenzie has a background in radio and newspaper publishing. He was also a founding partner and CEO of Enterprise Canada, a national public affairs and strategic communications firm established in 1986.
Currently, Hugh is president of C3 Digital Media Inc., the parent company of Doppler Online, and he enjoys writing commentary for Huntsville Doppler.
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I agree with you totally, Kate Taylor. It seems that many in the Western nations have closed their eyes and ears to the threat that globalists pose to our sovereign nations. Ronald Reagan said that, “If fascism ever comes to America, it will come in the guise of socialism…”
The Soviet Union’s Lenin said that the real goal of socialism is communism. Once the communist totalitarian Soviet Union was imposed on Russia, it became indistinguishable from fascism. Both fascism and communism use: 1) an elaborate bureaucracy to tell the people what they can and cannot do, under threat of imprisonment (or worse). 2) They torture and kill millions, in the pursuit of their ideology. No dissent is permitted. When asked about the jailing of Russian dissident journalists, Lenin’s reply was, “Why would I permit criticism…?”
Kate Taylor, my goodness, DT has hit all the right notes with you; his swindle/gas lighting is remarkable.
I have an adopted cousin (adopted by my uncle and aunt when he was 8 years old), who was clinically diagnosed with a narcissitic personality disorder, when he was serving prison time for grand theft auto. He used to brag that he could sell fire extinguishers to the devil, so great were his persuasive powers.
He stole from family and friend alike while in his teens, bragged that he was really the son of a famous Canadian female folk singer and writer. He set up his school-aged son to beg for money at the bedside of his dying father/grandfather.
Have a look at the diagnosis description of a person who is malignantly narcissitic, lying, bragging, lack of empathy, paranoid, and delusional – DT fits the bill!
Please be willing to be open to DT’s mental health issues and fitness for office. He is also not very bright. He is wily enough to gaslight others, to sell himself as a sacrificial lamb. He is no lamb. He is no saviour.
I am grateful his false image is being exposed, e.g. successful business man.
Thank you Doug Beiers, Debbie Stanley, Bob Slater, Randal Ricketts for your insightful, informed comments in support of Donald Trump who proved his patriotism and love of country during his first term in office, whose high achievements for America had set a bright future for the American people, the best in many years probably since Ronald Reagan held office. The negativity and pure venom unjustly expressed for President Trump in this commentary and comments is so sad and alarming given the siege America and all of the free democratic, sovereign world is currently threatened by from our Globalist enemies as represented by the WEF, the UN and their planted political soldiers in power in those countries. Trudeau is one of them. These Globalist enemies threaten the very existence of our democratic societies and this is largely unrecognized by uninformed, complacent citizens. President Trump has the commitment, power, love of country,and understading of what we are facing to save not just American but all of the free world. The Doppler response indicates that people have a very long way to go in learning these true political facts.
Mr. Mackenzie, thanks for writing. Some of us can see the sickness in DT’s sociopathology, the deep hole of need he exhibits for all to see. I suggest the failure of the education system in some places in the USA, and the conditioning during decades of television fantasy.
He has increased the US debt, took a time-out during the pandemic (when fewer lives could have been lost), and is the best and biggest Grifter in American history.
I think our only hope is that “con man” morphs into convicted and sentenced man.
I hope he gets the therapy he needs in prison.
WOW! A lot of the folks here need their daily dose of TDS pills! Hopefully the medical suppliers don’t run out! You can just see and hear the hatred here for a USA political person! One thing to remember .. ALL you Trump haters .. American citizens will determine who is next .. thanks God! It sure looks like a lot of ‘you people’ would support another ‘JFK’ event as your last resort to get your way! Cool down and let the 2024 USA democratic process work .. and accept the 2024 results!
Murray, I am down here in so cal for the winter – it is literally no different than up there; high prices (gas is literally a dollar more per gallon here than 15 mins away in Arizona). The people are the exact same, the weather is just nicer. Canada is a frozen wasteland that has a few nice months in the summer, the only reason it exists is its natural resources. EV cars have terrible ranges and catch fire – wont be long until one lights off in an underground parking garage in Toronto and takes down the whole building (structural integrity). What you have in Canada is a band of radical activists currently running it while paying consultants 17 billion to make a few decisions above their IQ – its why the country is a mess. Trump stops this. Trudeau is getting anihilated next election, and Pierre Poilievre will get along swimmingly with Trump. (Pssst..Trump is actually a nice guy that loves Canada)
Sadly ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ is alive and well. Kudos to: Randal Ricketts, debbie stanley, Randal Ricketts for being independent thinkers and researchers. I am not going to preach for Trump (except his – “I just want to stop the killing” resonates) but his outspoken non-filtered blasts are a breath of fresh air to me. In the US I also like RFKjr, Tulsi, Ramaswamy is interesting, plus a couple others that offer hope IMO. Canada is lacking leadership potential currently. Candidates I resonate with are still too far down the ladder to expect them to obtain leadership roles for some time to come.
I expect A LOT of street violence in the US this year with the millions of illegal/undocumented invaders crashing the wide open southern US border, this will spillover into Canada. My understanding is most are military age men of dubious backgrounds who are expected to join up with Antifa, Black Lives Matter etc ‘on call’ to rage against the expected Trump win in November. Eyes open, heads down this year. They will do anything and everything to try and make sure there is no election at all rather than a Trump victory.
In Canada Alberta offers a breath of fresh air in standing up against massive Federal overreach. Congratulations Alberta!
In Ontario I really don’t know what to think about the Doug Ford government but Google/search
“Ontario Launching New Long-Term Care Home Investigations Unit” https://www.bing.com/search?FORM=SLBRDF&PC=SL10&q=%22Ontario+Launching+New+Long-Term+Care+Home+Investigations+Unit%22
and progress regarding reinstating Ontario Northland Passenger Rail Service is a good sign (to include heated/lighted wait areas), so I take exception to Tom Spivak’s comment “Doug Ford idolizes Trump and his methods largely mimic Trump’s” Another voice that almost compares Trump to Satan itself. For once I applaud how our tax dollars are being spent. At least on these two projects.
Good luck to us all.
Like you Hugh, I tend to lean right and have voted conservative for some time. Since the Orange Jesus came on the scene though, he has embarrassed all of us. I suppose Canadians have always had an interest in US politics due to the proximity and long standing close relationships but since 2016, that interest has gone parabolic, bordering on obsession. The comb-over clown now has a maga following in Canada hanging on his every word. It is the very definition of a cult.
If it wasn’t so dangerous, it would be funny. Biden is 100% correct when he says democracy is under threat. One only needs to step back and look at the world leaders Trump admires…Putin, Xi, the thug in North Korea etc. it’s human nature to want to understand phenomena that seemingly don’t make any sense…how on earth could he con so many people into following him…and they even pay his legal bills for gods sake! For answers, I suggest anyone who cares, check out a limited series on Netflix called “How To Become A Tyrant”. The doc describes a playbook that is followed by all the subjects it covers…Hitler, Stalin, Amin, Sadaam, Ghadaffi etc. The ex President implements all of their tactics and we are watching it in real time.
One of the commentators here is a perfect example of how misinformation and propaganda has been lapped up by his followers. They claim Biden is “the biggest crook ever” and wondering how he became “so wealthy “. That is straight off a Trump truth social post…Biden is not wealthy, he has a net worth of around $10 million. Most of that is his real estate which he’s owned for years, same as most of us. Trump on the other hand is worth 2.5 billion , thanks to his father , and yet he still evades taxes and solicits his followers for money after each court appearance. God help us all if he wins.
After Trump’s win in Iowa, with more votes than DeSantis and Haley combined, it’s almost certain he wins the Republican nomination. There is no way the US Supreme court blocks him from running, so it’s looking like a Biden-Trump rematch in November. Given the lackluster performance and physical/mental decline of President Biden, a second Trump presidency is looking likely. That would have significant implications for Canada, impacting our export businesses (especially energy), immigration, monetary and foreign policy, military spending, and much more.
Attempts by Liberals & Trudeau to paint Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives as extremist and ‘Trump-like’ is absurd, dangerous, and will backfire. We will need a leader and government that can effectively work with another Trump administration, what ever it brings.
The impeached him twice
Indicted him 4 times
Raided his house with the FBI and buried him with lawsuits
The deep state did everything it could to stop him, but President Trump just won the Iowa caucus
MAGA is BACK🔥
Nothing can be worse for our country than trump being reelected. Trump isn’t a conservative. He’s a narcissistic madman desperate to stay out of jail for his many crimes. Anyone that says things were better during his administration has no idea about geopolitics. They probably no more about WWE wrestling than anything else.
As a Canadian Citizen living in the US , I can honestly say that as far as effectivness, Trump far outweighs any president since Regan, He managed to get more done in one term than most have accomplished in a lifetime. As a human I personally don’t care for his tactics and mannerisms but he is a highly intelligent and effective businessman. Joe Biden is one of the biggest crooks ever in politics, where does his money come from, he owns no business, hasn’t written a book, no speaking engagements, so how does someone so long in public office become so wealthy?? The current border situation is a catastrophe.
What I don’t understand is why is the world so obsessed with Trump?? It beats all I have ever seen, he is no threat to anyone and if people quit giving him the attention they do and instead focus on his accomplishments in office the facts can’t be disputed
Well I dare say this National Post article today gave me some pause. I knew the wheels were coming off the Trudeau train, but this badly? Donnie is more popular? Yikes! And also… Lol
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/trump-more-popular-among-canadians-than-trudeau
One hopes that another Republican candidate will run with enough support to run Trump out of contention. Otherwise is there a collective insanity in all Republican supporters?
I totally agree with Mr. Mackenzie regarding Trump. He certainly is a threat to democracy and feels he is immune to any laws and rules that apply to him. He has made it known he would be a dictator for 1 day to go after those that oppose him and his way of thinking. He looks up to people like Putin, Kim JenUn and other authoritarian leaders. He would pull out of NATO and would only support his own country while leaders in Russia, North Korea and China are prepared to invade parts of Europe, Asia and Ukraine. If he is elected our world as we know will change drastically.
It’s hard to believe that Trump’s supporters do not see that Trump wants to be be a dictator and only interested in his own world and not for any good of the people of the USA.
Only time will tell if the people of the United States realize what they have allowed to happen to Democracy!!!! That’s the way I see it. Sad but True!!!!
I couldn’t agree more Hugh. Elections are always about “compared to whom”. Like all of us, Joe Biden is not perfect, but first and foremost, he is a very decent human being. Democracy is craved by all those who don’t have it. Biden cares deeply about democracy, and he cares more about America and the world than about himself. He is an infinitely better role model for young Americans than Trump.
Meanwhile, Trump has a lifetime of selfishly creating more problems than he ever solved. And now he and his supporters are causing a futile fight over the deck chairs on the Titanic. If we don’t soon get a handle on climate change, nothing else will matter. In 2023, global average temperatures were by far the highest on record. Oceans, 70% of the earth’s surface, absorbed 2.5 times the annual global consumption of energy of all kinds. And that produced an unprecedented level of erratic extreme weather events in all parts of the world, including the loss of 25 million acres of valuable forest in Canada, and droughts in Alberta and other important food growing areas that are driving up food prices everywhere. But Trump says he will drill, drill, drill. Dah. That alone should disqualify him from office.
Ya what a conundrum truly!
I feel bad for Americans headng towards an election (tho at this point im feelng similar in Canada, maybe not quite to the same degree).
Ther really is NO good choice anymore.
Likewise for myslf, for the frst time in my voting life Im at a loss to find a party who mirrors my values or a party who will work for ME.
I want a cap on incomes for the mega wealthy, a minimum livng wage for workers, i want REAL affordabl housing for our citizens, no more immigrants until EVERYONE whos here NOW has a place to live, gay (LGBTQ2S) rights 100% but not “woke” rights (whch are becomng rights for peopl who simply need therapy), gun rights shld be reinstated since criminals dont use registered guns and guns are a tool that can be used responsibly, farmers need our full support and we shld be importing as littl as possibl and stop relying on exports, we need to fully look at the reality of wht “green” energy is comprised of (most of it requires toxic processing thts poisoning 3rd world workers and we dont kno how to recycle old solar panels or wind turbines properly yet), EV’s hav massive dangers with their battery technology and they dont wrk good in northern climates (we’r nowhere near ready to switch to thm yet) and need more research befor implementing changes tht dont actually fulfill the claims (if u follow it all bck u start to realize tht green isnt actually very green for everyone, only for us in the west while everyone else deals with our waste), we’r paying more thn enough in taxes to cover free healthcare for all if politicians were stopped frm pocketing so much of it and giving us a pitence of services, evn thos running this twn are makng way too mch $ compared to the regular wrkers…whn will thos in power start working FOR THE PEOPLE instead of for thmslves to get rich?!…. theres no party who I can belong to anymore, theres so few reasonabl options tht arent shaped by short term, short sighted greed 🙁
Feelng very disappointed thes days
The only House trump will occupy in Jan,2025 will be”The Big House”.
You both need to worry more about the state of affairs in the province of Ontario.
Doug Ford idolizes Trump and his methods largely mimic Trump’s.
His absolute power and breaking of promises to voters remind you of anyone?
Trump becoming president again should frighten everyone. History repeats itself. We’re all learning first hand how Hitler did it. Trump is using the same playbook.
I wish November 2024 comes quickly and that we’ll soon be celebrating the obliteration of the Republican Party and Trump. Hope they lose so badly there isn’t a chance they can say the election was stolen!
Everything was better under Trump and that is a proven fact so these dog whistle articles are a lost cause.
Trump 2024
Hugh,
Your observations do not surprise me .
I abhore the idea that Biden could become president again and just as much that Kamala Harris could ever grasp the levers of power.
My alarm that either of these could happen leaves me to confront the apparent alternative. I certainly believe that Trump is an undesirable choice for president
for all of the reasons (and no doubt more) that we all know.
However the Democrats seem to offer nothing palatable as an alternative.
It is such an important issue to the USA and Canada and the world that either of the potential outcomes makes one despair.
God help us all.