The New RINO - Republican in Nastiness Only

The New RINO - Republican in Nastiness Only 

by Avraham Azrieli

(This essay was originally published on 5/6/2016.)

Avraham Azrieli is the author of ten published books, most recently “Deborah Rising” (HarperCollins 2016) a novel portraying the dramatic rise of the first woman to lead a nation in human history. www.AzrieliBooks.com

Donald Trump’s past support for Democrats, current progressive views and troubled marital history would have disqualified him among GOP voters of yesteryear. But with an unexpected string of victories, he slew the old RINO (Republican In Name Only) and brought to life a new RINO – Republican in Nastiness Only – which the majority of GOP voters have embraced. Left behind are Trump’s sixteen rivals for the nomination and scores of fair-minded conservative voters, who suddenly find themselves politically homeless.

The litany of Trump’s vitriol has grown rich and diverse, but its foundations rest firmly in the scapegoating of minorities as undesirable in the America he’ll make great again. One minority group might be enough, but just to be safe, he’s attacking two: Latinos ("They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.”) and Muslims (“They hate us.” “I call for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.”).

The long process by which the two major parties choose their respective presidential candidates has always been theatrical and combative, but the 2016 cycle is distinguished by Trump’s unprecedented malevolence. Most early observers expected him to fizzle out, doomed by his crude self-promotion, habitual flip-flopping on facts and policies, and un-American bid to kick over the melting pot. Instead, Trump dominated televised debates, humiliated his opponents and won primaries by blaming Latinos, Muslims and the Chinese for America’s problems and making patently empty promises, such as to deport twelve million immigrants, force Mexico to build a huge wall across the southern border, convince international corporations to ‘bring back’ millions of unskilled jobs from undeveloped countries, and make Americans rich. Trump has unabashedly directed his sale pitch at the most uninformed, gullible and xenophobic voters (“The day I realized it can be smart to be shallow was, for me, a deep experience.” “I love the poorly educated!”). 

Beside Trump’s winning formula as a new RINO, he demonstrates personality traits typical of oppressive leaders. He seems to believe his self-aggrandization, expects blind loyalty from his followers, menaces his critics, threatens violence if he doesn’t get his way, despises journalists ("among the most dishonest people ever created by God."), and promises to suppress the press.

Trump surrogates hint that he is merely "projecting an image" to win the primaries, whereas his true ‘good guy’ persona will emerge for the general elections. This double insult to his GOP voters implies they are mean-spirited and stupid. Moreover, if the thorny curtain magically shifts to reveal a new Trump, brimming with kindness, tolerance, and thoughtfulness, the resulting political storm would be huge—though its ruinous aftermath may allow the work needed to make the party of Lincoln great again.

Wishful thinking aside, unless Trump is an Oscar-worthy actor, his campaign reflects who he really is: wealthy from cradle to gray hair (presumably), brash owner of a large business enterprise, unchallenged king of his gilded castle, he’s spent a lifetime uttering whatever came to his mind with nary a pushback. He is unfiltered, unrefined and unconcerned about whether we like it or not. And many voters like it a lot—the nastier the better.

History continues to produce democratically elected leaders who morph into tyrannical dictators, fueled by their populist dishonesty, grandiose narcissism and instinctive nastiness. The U.S. constitutional structure has withstood past presidential failures and misdeeds, but the three branches of government have never been so far out of balance: Congress suffers abysmal approval ratings and the Supreme Court is decried as politicized and paralyzed, whereas the president as head of the executive branch controls a colossal bureaucracy, commands the mighty armed forces, and operates an octopusian domestic security apparatus.

Is it unfathomable for an American president to adopt the shrewd methods of Putin, Erdoğan, and Chávez, trampling the legislative and judicial branches in order to implement his grand, God-given designs? Is it farfetched to worry about the future use of available homeland security measures (eavesdropping, renditions, extra-judicial detentions, and enhanced interrogation technics) against scores of unpatriotic Americans who dare to oppose President Trump’s efforts to make America great again?

* Avraham Azrieli is the author of ten published books, most recently “Deborah Rising” (HarperCollins 2016) a novel portraying the dramatic rise of the first woman to lead a nation in human history. www.AzrieliBooks.com