I know a person who thrives on a well-ingrained sense of victimhood. After his parents divorced, his father remarried; his stepmother supposedly disliked him. She and his father had two sons whom his father liked and, and so he opined, nurtured more than he. Each has had a successful career. This person has struggled. He is now married to his third wife.
He takes no responsibility for his upsets. He is an unapologetic narcissist. He constantly complains. A relationship with him does not improve in time. His life and its trials do not differ from others’ upbringings. He has chosen the negative, woe-is-me route of life. I have known many who will themselves to adopt the positive and lead fruitful journeys despite dysfunctional childhoods.
Not this guy.
The master of victimhood is our former president. As everyone knows, he holds himself unaccountable for his 2020 election loss and his legal morass. He confronts any responsibility for illegal actions with his favorite term: “witch hunt.” And childish insults for his critics.
And his fervent followers and weak-kneed Republican enablers support his pathetic, grievance-ridden narrative.
Some Spy readers will think: “Here he goes again condemning a flawed but effective president.” I question his effectiveness. Our allies distrusted him. Close advisers questioned his judgment. One characterized him as a moron.
Should he win a second term, our democracy will face incalculable damage at the sleazy hands of a despot determined to undermine the U.S. Constitution. Canada will endure its own border immigration crisis, as Americans, fearful of living in a country ruled by a dangerous narcissist, will flock to our neighbor to the north.
We will suffer through another four years of chaos and corruption. Democratic processes matter not. Civility is an elite concept. Appropriate presidential conduct is unnecessary. An amoral wave of behavior in the Oval Office will engulf our country.
Am I concerned that this deranged person might win? Absolutely.
He has an undeniable appeal to people who consider him a friend of the alienated and angry. His disciples view his political opponents as oblivious to everyday problems.
They do not trust the government; nor does the former chief executive. They hate the East Coast elites. So does he. They despise the media. So does he. They believe in illegal insurrections. So does he.
The beginning of the year is a time for optimism and hope. As it should be.
I dearly wish I could envision a reality that does not include a self-appointed victim and victimizer. Unfortunately, I cannot. I wish to see lightness, instead of darkness. Reality hounds me.
I am fretful. I am fearful.
I urge readers who share my obsessive worry—Democrats, Independents and mainstream Republicans–to participate fully in the 2024 election. Donate to the Democratic candidate, whether it is Joe Biden or someone else. Place a sign in front of your house. Join phone banks. Protect our fragile democracy.
And vote—do not stay home.
This column provides a platform for my beliefs and observations. I would be sadly remiss were I to ignore the danger posed by a person who cares
little, if at all about a cause above himself.
He is an inveterate liar. The truth is foreign and distasteful to him.
While I do not plan for this column, celebrating its tenth anniversary in July 2024, to become a political polemic, I must declare my love of country and concern about its future. We know what we would get should the former president be re-elected. He will be equally irresponsible.
Fear and intimidation are foolish ways to manage people. To be reluctant to criticize the narcissistic former president for fear of a bombastic personal attack is ridiculous.
Who cares if he mocks the critic? I believe it to be a badge of honor.
Columnist Howard Freedlander retired in 2011 as Deputy State Treasurer of the State of Maryland. Previously, he was the executive officer of the Maryland National Guard. He also served as community editor for Chesapeake Publishing, lastly at the Queen Anne’s Record-Observer. After 44 years in Easton, Howard and his wife, Liz, moved in November 2020 to Annapolis, where they live with Toby, a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel who has no regal bearing, just a mellow, enticing disposition.
Christine says
My thoughts exactly, and very well expressed. I am dreading the upcoming election and so wish the courts would speed up the process of putting this amoral tyrant in jail to prevent him from being re-elected by his adoring fan club. Thank you, Howard.
darrell parsons says
It’s important to keep saying. Thank you!
Willard T Engelskirchen says
I agree with all of this. Unfortunately, many people do not seem to understand what is at stake. The US is still the land of opportunity. I don’t see how that squares with the grievance of some of our politicians.
Jerry McConnell says
You’ve neglected to mention the most obvious response to help mitigate the effects of the Orange Dunce’s destructive behavior: when patriotic Americans encounter one of his ignorant, vocal supporters, they ( and perhaps a friend ) should pummel the Orange-loving right wing extremist until they are silenced….or they are unconscious. Life’s too short to have to deal any longer with people who take their guidance from a numbskull who wants to substitute his destructive autocratic ideology for our democracy.
Yes, it’s probably time to start carrying shillelaghs and be prepared to use them.
Dan Watson says
Oh my, No. Jerry, tell us you didn’t really mean it. The shillelagh is a colorful ancestral reference, and maybe expresses the level of frustration. But many–very many–on both sides of this will take you literally. Do NOT go there.
The American experiment–a real Democracy–has had a 250 year run, quite a success in the record book. But let no one think it’s forever. DJT is the great threat the Founders foresaw, and they did all they could to protect us…knowing it might not be enough. Like you, I fear their careful crafting of checks and balances were still not enough….but please, do not even hint at violence. It would seal our fate.
DW
John Fischer says
Yet another progressive writer wasting his time wailing about Mr. Trump rather than pondering the astonishing leftward plummet of the Democrat Party as a primary reason for his “popularity.”
One does not have to be a “deplorable” to despise the left’s indifference to crime and public safety, their backing of the compulsive cultural revolution or their reveling in reverse racism.
Neither does one have to live in a fly-over state to deplore how the left has taken so much of the progress made on gay integration and women’s athletics and thrown it away on transqueer nonsense. (A tip of the hat to Andrew Sullivan here.)
And it’s not just white Americans who are disgusted with the left’s drive to place rights over responsibility and equity over merit in their self righteous desire to serve as nannies to black Americans, belittling the entire race in the process.
Most Americans recognize the dreadful Mr. Trump for what he is. That he is apparently a viable candidate for President of our country is condemnation of the woke left and their Democrat enablers, loud and clear.
Eric Ploeg says
Well said, thank you but you forgot to mention two more significant issues.
You left out how our “border czar” and her boss seem blind to a terrible crisis which has been growing daily for two years. December saw a record number of crossings of unvetted people from around the world overwhelming our system and being released throughout the U.S.
Also, let me remind you of the 2 new deadly wars which we’re fueling. The U.S. sure could be more forceful towards a peaceful solution. Could it be that they’re too busy determining who will get the $ billions of U.S. aid for rebuilding?
Why are there people ignoring the obvious and pretending we’re in such a happy place?
Donald Singleton says
Such ignorance. What is taken to be the “left” in this country is barely left of center in any well organized, well run European country. This nonsensical rail could only be loved by a greed head authoritarian.
Robert Kopec says
I wholly agree.
He is unfit for any elected office.
Meg Pease-Fye says
I am so disappointed that Mr Freedlander made no mention of selecting the “none of the above” option by voting 3rd party! We need better than a two-party system and if now is not the time, then when would it be?
I’m disappointed that America will once again chose 2 80-year old white guys (yes, I am white but a 50-something female), neither of which represents ME nor my interests. The behavior of both Trump and Biden is shameful (although both may have tried to make things better but both are too short-sighted to see the impacts on our economy, society, and world stage).
Please – we need to encourage doing better rather than holding our noses to vote “for” someone we know will make things worse.
Cynthia Pyron says
Beautifully written! I agree with you and fear what evil plans he has to steal the election. Please send it to multiple newspapers all over the country. I am truly afraid of him and also fear in anger he might push the red nuclear button. My Texas relatives worship him therefore we do not talk politics. I don’t understand their thinking. Thank you for writing what you did.
Richard Marks says
Howard,
Thanks for your usually well written, thoughtful column sounding the alarm. While I agree with most of the content, I feel the need to correct some assertions.
You write:
They do not trust the government; nor does the former chief executive.
On the contrary, DT does trust the government and our system and the media has been his friend. Our system and the media have been his best friends. He has made effective use, or should I say abuse, of the both better than most his entire life. Our democracy has allowed him to wiggle out of paying bills by filing lawsuits, declare bankruptcies, hire illegal immigrants and evade taxes. Only now, as he has begun to run out of options to twist and bend the laws to suit his personal gain and the noose is tightening does he turn on the system and cry like a narcissistic baby. What a loser. What a terrible role model for our kids. What a disgrace to our country.
I have suggested to my friends in Canada they may need to start building their wall.
William Keppen says
What Howard speaks of is so obvious nobody can say, I didn’t see that. They surely saw it, and they love him for it, just watch a minute or two of one of his rallies, if you can stomach it.