I spend a ton of time researching the mood of the nation, the arguments made by people leaning in all kinds of directions. Very little has ever struck me as more symbolic of where this nation stands – just how screwed we well and truly are – than this passage lifted from a Politico article by Rawstory, here:

In a revealing interview with Politico’s Tim Alberta, an elderly Iowa man who barely gets by driving for Uber three days a week said he wouldn’t mind if Donald Trump is made president for life and then admitted he is considering selling some of his personal property to make ends meet — including to pay for medicine.

There is a baseball line-up of Democrats still trying to win the nomination, and all of them have programs that, to varying degrees, increase the support for health care of all citizens, including this guy. This dude is barely living a life. Every Democrat is begging him to let them help him out, instead of Trump and the billionaires. Meds, SNAP, Disability, all shouting out. But he wants Trump as president for a life? He is saying that he doesn’t care that Trump is actually “worse” for him personally.

None of this surprises anyone who has had to deal with a cult.

Of particular note was an interview with Iowan Joseph Gay, who pointed out he probably wouldn’t still be a voter if not for Donald Trump.

That is why Trump is more important that his medications. Medications only help his health chemically, Trump is the essence of this man’s “life force.” He lives through Trump – a cultist.

Saying he voted for Democrats before former President Ronald Reagan came on the scene, the 68-year-old Gay remarked, “I think Trump is the best thing that has come along in America in a long, long time. And I think all the trouble they’re giving him, it’s just criminal. They said they were going to impeach him even before he took office. It’s just not right. He’s the only president I’ve ever seen keep his word, keep his promises.”

Kept his promises?

True, he did promise to be the world’s biggest asshole. That’s done, you got us on that one, man. But what about that big beautiful wall that Mexico didn’t pay for because it’s not there anyway? How about those medications? Weren’t you promised “more” for less money than Obamacare? Trump did promise to crack down on immigrants, blacks, the oppressed and Democrats generally, yeah – tough stuff, that promise did come through. But all that shit about life being better? I am not seeing it. More importantly, neither are you.

This is a person now within a cult. He is a believer. The propaganda is so thick that he’s living through Trump. Trump may be the only thing keeping him alive. I suppose, in that sense, he is getting a better deal than having his medications. What good do medications do when you’ve lost your reason for living in the first place?

And what was this man’s raison d’etre? It was cracking back on those asshole immigrants, minorities, etc. It was the only “promise” that mattered. I suppose we all knew that promise would be kept. I also suppose that’s why some of the “trouble” against Trump came up so early.

And now for the grand finale:

“You know, if it wasn’t for Trump, I might not even be a Republican anymore. The Republicans stopped caring about me a long time ago. I wouldn’t vote for Democrats either. Honestly, I would just stop voting altogether. I really wish Trump could serve three terms—or even longer. Let him serve as long as he wants.”

C’est la vie.

We’re screwed, unless we can find far more people that think the cult is insane, and ensure that their votes are counted. We have a good shot at doing the first. The second …

****

Peace, y’all

Jason

[email protected] and on Twitter @MiciakZoom