Fiction takes a dive by Al Sikes

When Donald Trump appeared on the political scene in 2015, I recall wondering how far the NBC network program, The Apprentice, had enhanced his reputation. I certainly didn’t anticipate he would soon be called Mr. President. But then TV for many still had an incandescent power. The show was an amalgam of fiction and non-fiction, but the conclusion was that Trump got it right. Trump got it right.

And then Trump was President. The opposition Party, the Democrats,  were often Trump’s opposites. Rather than choosing the best candidate for the job—Trump’s fictional skill—they doubled down on the notion that they knew best and would spend, interrupt lives and reshape merit to suit their social/political construct. Unfortunately for them the overarching narrative of life in America didn’t seem to be improving as the programs promised, leaving the Trump fiction of competence, if not ascendant, at least superior in a political battle of inferiors.

I use the word inferiors because a search of 20th Century history fails to disclose less attractive choices on the ballot. I say that not to disparage Hillary Clinton or Kamala Harris, but to note that not only did they not have the benefit of being polished by TV producers but were often pushing an upside down version of the world—spending and regulating our way to nirvana.

History has recorded that American ingenuity and prosperity could build  vast logistics and transportation networks, launch a trip to the planets, while conquering tyranny. And it should be added, while caring for the sick and disabled. But, we have also proven that our assortment of governments were not going to make everything just right for everybody.

Trump’s opposition, frequently social engineers, also decided that gender was bendable, late term abortions were part of reproductive rights and that illegal immigrants should become a welcome class.

Trump has been extraordinarily lucky. As his casino businesses were failing, his TV image was improving. And TV, after all, knows. Plus even though he had no experience leading a government from the municipal level up, he was being portrayed as The Guy. In short, the world of make believe transformed our judgment about what was needed in the “nasty” world of politics and Trump became for many the answer. Making America great again was not a job for the weak and Trump was certainly not that.

But now Trump finds himself in harm’s way. Having decided loyalty is the main thing that counts he is choosing a problematic cast to achieve his TV narrative. Would the TV Trump have chosen sycophants to be the winners? In his first term honest to God competent officials protected him because they were sworn to protect America. Now we are on the threshold of having Pete Hegseth rather than General James Mattis head our military.  And our health institutions, if he is confirmed, will be overseen by the conspiracy theorist and dreamer Bobby Kennedy. And while many of the “I’m just glad to have a job” choices will be buffered by clearly competent people, the raw material for chaos will never be far from the front page. Oh, and add in Elon Musk, as the old adage goes, “politics will never be the same.” Musk is the ultimate disrupter and its hard for his detractors to just write him off as some far-right oddball. Indeed, far-right does not define the President-Elect’s agenda.

Politics and its companion, public service, is not a sport ESPN follows. We get psyched up each day to watch our teams while betting on them and listening to over caffeinated sports analysts tell us what is right or wrong. And much of sports debate is about the future. Who should we draft? Who should we trade for? Has Coach hit a ceiling? Should he be replaced? And on and on. Well Trump is it. He is in for four years. He can’t be traded for another President. The best the pessimists can do is root for the Constitution and the powers it places in the other branches—the Congress and the Courts and our own power, free speech.

But let me distill this set of circumstances down to something we can judge, just like on Monday we can look back on how our teams did over the weekend. Former Congressman Matt Gaetz will not be Attorney General. Advise and consent at work—all judgment has not been anesthetized by Trump’s lusts.

How about Pete Hegspeth for Defense? He should make a Gaetz-like exit. Senator Rubio for the State Department? He deserves a serious hearing as do a number of the President-Elect’s indicated nominees. And looking on the bright side, politics is too often uninteresting and in our distraction society many of these nomination hearings before the US Senate will offer up compulsive drama.

But, fiction needs to be understood as fiction. Donald Trump, by putting loyalty ahead of competence or integrity, is not all that good at selecting leaders. Full stop! Democracy does not convert the ridiculous to the sublime. Gaetz was a ridiculous choice regardless of Trump’s defeat of Kamala Harris. The rote reaction that Trump won and deserves all of his choices is infantile. Trump prevailed in a match of inferiors and the US should be protected.

Al Sikes is the former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission under George H.W. Bush. Al writes on themes from his book, Culture Leads Leaders Follow published by Koehler Books.