Dear Dave,
I hope you didn’t miss it! Heather Somers, Republican candidate for the State Senate, has taken and failed your Trump test. You remember. Here’s what you wrote:
“I would suggest calling this the Trump test, one I intend to try on every state Republican candidate I encounter this election season.
It’s pretty simple: A pledge to renounce, like Shays has, is a pass.
Everything else — like still thinking about it — is a fail.”
I know you’ve been working hard to run those Republicans to ground to administer the test, though I have to say you haven’t made much progress, but it looks like someone else at the Day has done your work for you:
Republican Somers conceded she’s not thrilled about either Democrat Hillary Clinton or the GOP’s Donald Trump.
But when asked whom she will vote for on Nov. 8, the former mayor of the Town of Groton said while she doesn’t like things that Trump has said, she is more put off by things that Clinton has done.
“Therefore I will support my party’s nominee,” she said, to applause from those there to support her.
It’s a fair summary of what she said, but, you really should watch the video. It’s right there on your website. Her consultants must have stayed up late thinking up those lines, and you can just tell Heather herself spent time rehearsing to make them come out just right. It’s a word salad so artfully arranged that it takes several seconds to realize that it’s complete nonsense. But you’re not fooled, are you? Are you?
No, there’s no doubt about it. Heather failed the test with flying colors.
Anyway, I know you journalists sometimes have a bit of a lazy streak, which is why you love getting fed stories by the Republicans. It’s so much easier than doing the work yourself. So, in case you’re having trouble bestirring yourself to call bullshit on Heather, I thought I’d give you a few points you can work with.
We lawyers have a phrase about distinctions without a difference. Distinguishing between what someone has said, and what someone has done, in this particular context, is just such a distinction, right? We both know, don’t we, that words are deeds, especially when those words are used to whip up hatred. Remember what Justice Holmes said about falsely shouting “fire” in a crowded theater? That’s what Trump has been doing, and you can go ahead and use that analogy. I’m giving it to you for free. We know, don’t we, that there has never been a major party candidate, at least in the 20th or 21st Century, who has been as toxic as Trump. The damage Trump has already done by what he has said is far greater than any damage Hillary has done, at least if we confine ourselves to facts, and not fevered right wing conspiracy theories. And we won’t go there, will we?
Now, what Heather may be trying to say, is that while Trump may be saying that he wants to do objectionable things, that’s no proof that he will actually do those things, because he’s a politician, and you can’t believe any politician will do as he or she promises. But what does that tell us about whatever Heather happens to be saying? Good point, right?
I know you’re too good a journalist and would never judge a person guilty due to reports of “clouds” or “shadows” or “concerns raised” when a close examination of the facts shows that there’s no proof of wrongdoing or even probable cause to believe there was any wrongdoing. So, you must be wondering what Heather finds so objectionable in what Hillary, a reliably centrist politician, has “done”. Maybe it was killing Vince Foster, but while the jury will always still be out on that one, it remains the case that, as with all the other “scandals”, there’s not a shred of evidence against her.
And then, there’s the matter of what Trump has actually done, in addition to what he’s said, for which Heather apparently feels he gets a pass. Like bribing attorneys general (pay to play, anyone?) or running a scam university. Or discriminating against blacks in his real estate ventures. Or stiffing his contractors. Or screwing unions. (Oh, I forgot, you think that’s a good thing) Really, you’d have a tough time finding anything Hillary has done that measures up to any of those things, never mind the other cons in which he’s engaged.
I hope this has been helpful. All us Democrats are looking forward to your column taking Heather to task for failing the Trump test. I know it will be hard for you to say something negative about Heather, because you’ve been so deep in the tank for her that it will be hard climbing out, so that’s why I’m helping you out. I know it’s hard, but you can do it. I’m sure you don’t regret that Trump Test column, and you’ll stick to your principles. I believe in you.
Your friend,
Ctblue
For the benefit of any readers from outside of New London County, Dave Collins is a columnist with the New London Day. He is not paid to shill for the Republican Party. He does it for free. I would have done this (well, it might have been phrased a bit differently) by way of a Letter to the Editor, but by the time it got published, the election would be over.
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