GONE HOLLYWOOD — The Weekly Opine

You wouldn’t think Republicans would model one image of Hollywood. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

The irony

There’s an old saying that goes like this; “He went Hollywood on us,” or “She’s gone Hollywood.” According to the Urban Dictionary, to say someone has gone Hollywood is to describe them as being “very superficial, narcissistic and/or egomaniacal.”

Ironically, despite GOPer’s disdain for Hollywood, a place MAGAs claim is full of “woke-ness,” the Republican Party is dominated by politicians and supporters who are indeed superficial, narcissistic and/or egomaniacal.

Examples of GOP narcissism (and nihilism) flow like water rushing over the great cliffs at Niagara. The question is, are we witnessing the destruction of the Republican Party, American democracy, or both?

Careful what you ask for

As much as I’d like to offer balanced opines the behavior of Republicans, including MAGA extremists who’ve taken control of the party and spineless “traditional” conservatives afraid to speak out against the ruin of their party, leaves me limited opportunities to comment on the relative benign faults of Democrats. (For example, it’s not a good use of my time to write about the not-supported-by-facts, meritless attempt to impeach President Biden.)

With unfettered corruption and lying, Republicans such as Trump, Mitch McConnell and Mike Pence cannot be trusted. (Photos credit AP News, WBUR, The Insider)

Republicans who espouse authoritarianism may get their wish. A democracy reduced to one party becomes, by default, authoritarian. In the case of America, if the Republican Party unwittingly succeeds with their suicidal actions, Democrats will effectively become an autocracy because, for democracy to function, it takes (at least) two political parties to tango. As much as I root for Democrats (cheerleading caused by Republican’s corruption), I prefer a two-party system that supports democracy.

Even if the GOP survives its dalliance with MAGA jackals the party will, at least temporarily, be a shell of its former self, barely more than a rotting carcass.

From top down

While working in corporate, I took pride being able to recognize talent. Making the right decisions regarding talent, be it individual (e.g., company employee, summer intern) or organizational (e.g., ad agency, promotional tie-in partner) is paramount and fundamental to developing a winning team. The Republican Party has become a failure at judging talent.

Namely, the leader of the Republican Party is two times impeached and four times indicted (totaling 91 felonies). Trump, a verified criminal, faces hundreds of years in prison, if convicted on all felony counts. He’s already been found liable of sexual assault and, due to rampant criminal behavior, his once vaunted Trump Organization is on the brink of extinction. Yet, Trump is the Republican front-runner.

Crazy runs wide and deep among GOP politicians. (L-R) Jim Jordan, Ron DeSantis and Kari Lake fit right in. (Photos credit the BBC, Reuters, ABC News)

Republican’s House Speaker nominee, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), begged for a pardon in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. Jordan feared criminal indictment for his participation in planning the deadly riot. Still a believer the election was rigged (it wasn’t), Jordan is a thug and absolute failure as a legislator. Furthermore, he has been credibly alleged to have known about, and covered up, an Ohio State University trainer sexually abusing wrestlers when Jordan was an assistant coach.

Over in the Senate, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is a chicken wearing men’s clothes. Rather than signing off his emails with He/Him/His, McConnell should use Chicken/Coward/Wimp. When he was Senate Majority Leader, McConnell twice refused to indict Trump and remove him from the presidency, after the House correctly impeached Trump with overwhelming evidence. Rather than handle his business McConnell, clearly fearful of Trump, coyly deferred to the legal system. Had McConnell acted appropriately Trump would no longer be Big Man on Campus in the GOP.

Scan the Republican roster of “talent” and you’ll find an embarrassing collection of misfits and treasonous fools unmatched in this country since the days of Reconstruction following the Civil War.

The clowns have been sent in. A wholly untalented group of younger GOPers includes Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz and George Santos. (Photos credit AP News, The New Yorker, MSNBC)

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is a bully whose actions reveal a racist, staunch believer in authoritarianism. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), laughably mentioned as a potential vice president, is an ignorant conspiracy theorist continuously hoodwinked by blatant falsehoods courtesy of QAnon. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), somehow perceived as a rising star, aims for the governor’s house. Gaetz has been credibly accused of having sex with underage teen girls. Ex-Arizona Governor Kari Lake, now running for the Senate, to this day still swims upstream as she incompetently (and without proof) rails that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump.

And then there is George Santos, who doesn’t deserve “Rep.” before, or “(R-NY)” after his name. The fact the Republican Party allowed this prodigious liar and practitioner of malfeasance to be seated in Congress says all you need to know about the GOP; desperate, unhinged and “gone Hollywood.”

Even Republicans positioning themselves as the alternative to Trumpism are weak and, in fact, support Trumpism. The prime example is fake-Christian Mike Pence. The former-VP, recently clearing his throat to mildly speak out against some of Trump’s lies, for too long played along with a man so transparently despicable that a true Christian would have rejected Trump way back in 2015.

Apparently, the pickings are worse-than-slim on the Republican side. Current “leaders” reflect the Republican Party’s (and their electorate’s) inability to evaluate talent.

Sadly, Republicans are Grand, Old and dangerously Pathetic.