Cartoon & Text by John Auchter
Earlier this week I was pulling into work when a replay of a Renee Montagne interview with the great Mel Brooks came up on Michigan Radio. I took the the opportunity to sit in the car and listen to the entire thing. It was good timing all around. Like always, he made me laugh out loud. But he also gave me some perspective.
Brooks has made a brilliant career out of finding the humor in the absurdity, the cruelty, the hypocrisy of life. As such, I could quote a thousand Mel Brooks lines that capture the essence of the 2016 campaign. But what came to mind as I got out of the car and walked to the office was one of his more obscure efforts.
“The Twelve Chairs” was Brooks’ second movie (after “The Producers” and before “Blazing Saddles”). It is primarily about relentless human greed, and it’s hilarious. One of the best parts is the theme song written specifically for the film. If you don’t have time to dig for the film, I strongly encourage you to listen to the song: https://youtu.be/l_TKXPPjhRk
It’s my theme for the impending Trump presidency. The title? “Hope for the Best, Expect the Worst.”
John Auchter draws cartoons. Lots and lots of them. You can find them at his incredibly popular website auchtoon.com. You can also find his stuff on Michigan Public Radio’s website under Opinion.
Thanks, John~Loved that movie. Sharing the music. It made me LOL when I needed it most!
Just hope the Electoral College can turn things around in favor of H.C.
No.
For context to this statement, know that this lifelong republican that voted for … give me a minute, I’m still wrapping my head around it….no, no, I’m ok…just give me a second… voted for Hillary Clinton
(ow!)
(ow!)
(still hurts)
I did it because I love my country more than I love being an R. I think the election of Donald Trump is a very bad thing, a historically bad thing.
But he WAS elected by the rules of this land, and I think more damage would be done by the electors essentially staging a coup.
I believe we can survive Donald Trump. I am certain we would not survive, at least not without being permanently crippled as a constitutional republic, the electors not confirming the candidate elected under the rules that were in place when the citizens of this country voted.
What point would there be in voting in the future if some plutocracy could alter the election result if they thought the system in place erred?
As much as tRump scares the hell out of me, I must agree with you. We all knew the rules of the game when it started. To have a small group change the rules in the middle of the game would be so wrong.
As you said, we agree.
In my mind, Trumps election is history with a small “h”, ala, Ventura’s election in Minnesota, William Henry Harrison’s death from pneumonia a month after taking office, or even, if you’ll indulge me, the sinking of the Spanish Armada. In other words, a clearly significant historical event, but only as a factor in history’s overall path, not an event that changed history itself.
On the other hand, the electors disregarding the constitutionally elected result of the 2016 election and choosing Hillary instead would be history with a capital “H”, most analogously linked to the Russian revolution of 1917, the Declaration of Independence of 1776, or Caesar’s crossing the Rubicon in 49 BC. In each of those events, the path of History itself irrevocably changed, and things were never the same again.
Only one of those History altering events turned out well. So far… And there are many others that didn’t. So, again, no, I’ll take my chances with this idiot if it means our integrity in our system remains intact.
Well said. As much as it hurts.
If Trump truly wants us dems to support him it would be nice to see some statement of contrition on the way republicans pre-judged President Obama
and vowed to make his Presidency a failure even before he took his first oath of office. Until we get that, Trump can stew in his own juices as far as I am concerned.
I liked what NFL Hall of Fame RB Jim Brown said. ” It isn’t as bad as I initially thought because with him shaking things up, it’s going to bring a lot of things out of the woodwork and I think eventually it will work for the better.” I have to agree with JB, we’ll make the best of the situation.
Immigration and trade are two subjects Trump brings up, possibly his bluster is only to focus attention on finding a solution? Building a wall and making Mexico pay for it may be metaphoric for both. Sort of Donald’s version of Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign policy: “speak softly, and carry a big stick.” transformed to “be loud and obnoxious and carry a bigger stick”.