The Right-Cheek Ass Clown for January, 2021

It says a lot about a month when it's only half over and we've already announced two Ass Clown awards - the 2020 Ass Clown of the Year (Mitch McConnell), an Ass Clown Special Award (Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, and the GOP Sedition Caucus) - before we even get to the regular biweekly presentation. Today we make it three as we announce

The Right-Cheek Ass Clown for January, 2021

It's always been difficult to select a single individual, set of individuals, or group to receive the award, but in the superturbocharged social and political environment of today the job has become ridiculously difficult. Nevertheless, however difficult and dirty the job, it still has to be done, and so - for the last time in his administration, so damaging to the nation and the world - I present the award - for the twelfth time - to

The Soon-to-Be-Former President

I still cannot even bring myself to write the man's name, preferring to call him Der Furor or "The Soon-to-Be-Former-President" (inasmuch as J.K. Rowling has already applied "He Who Must Not Be Named" to Lord Voldemort). 

The depths of disgrace and depravity to which this man has sunk and the scale of the damage he has inflicted on the nation and the world defy belief. His loud, insistent, and evidence-free claims that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen" from him so radicalized a large segment of the American population that it led directly to the storming and vandalization of the US Capitol by a howling mob on January 6th, 2021. He has the "distinction" of being the only American president to be impeached twice - in 2020 for "Abuse of Power" and "Obstruction of Congress," and in 2021 for "Incitement of Insurrection." He has crowed about his "accomplishments," which include (an incomplete list):

- A tax cut that is permanent for businesses and the wealthy, but which goes away for most ordinary taxpayers starting in 2025;

- A wall along the border with Mexico - which he repeatedly claimed Mexico would pay for - to protect the nation from vast armies of illegal migrants flooding into the country in enormous caravans. Most of the construction has upgraded or repaired existing barriers, and little new construction has taken place. Huge swaths of land in Texas, much of it privately held, has been confiscated for the construction and great damage has been done to the landscape and ecology. Numerous reports demonstrate that the wall is far from unbreachable;

- Insulting countries and world leaders, praising our enemies and authoritarian rulers, and denigrating the alliances without which America stands alone in the world; and,

- Resorting to threats and bluster in an attempt to force state officials to falsify the results of the election he lost.

- Ignoring science and basic decency in hopelessly mismanaging the response to a deadly pandemic that, as I write this, has killed almost 385,000 Americans.

Der Furor leaves in his wake a nation diminished, divided, and reduced to an international laughingstock. He has squandered any moral authority the United States can claim. He has, with his constant drumbeat of lies, caused a significant minority of Americans to doubt the authority and reliability of the government that has reliably served for nearly 250 years. While it's clear that our government has problems which must be addressed, inciting an insurrection against it neither the Constitutional nor the American way, no matter how many Republicans and other far-right agitators piously invoke the "spirit of 1776." As a recent commentator pointed out,

"Whenever I see a middle-aged white man who lives in a nice house with a wife and kids, driving a $50,000 pickup truck loaded with guns, ammo, and tactical gear, using paid vacation days so he can help overthrow the government in the middle of the work week, I think to myself, "Now there goes a victim of tyranny and oppression."

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, the first routine Ass Clown award of 2021 is presented to the Soon-to-Be-Former President of the United States, who also has the dubious honor of being the only American president to be impeached twice and the distinction of the largest number of Ass Clown awards presented to a single individual (12).

Let us hope that the new administration will be wiser, and that those deluded by Der Furor's relentless gaslighting will finally come to their senses.

But do not hold your breath for the latter outcome.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow, when Cartoon Saturday returns.

Bilbo

P.S. - Some history and a question: Some of you have noted that the ongoing level of insanity argues in favor of announcing more Ass Clown awards. When I first created the awards, back in 2011, I presented them on an irregular, as-needed basis. I later began presenting them weekly, before settling on the biweekly schedule in 2014. The "Right-Cheek" and "Left-Cheek" designations began in 2015, and I added the "On-Crack" designation (suggested by my friend and regular reader John) to account for months with three Fridays falling on the appropriate schedule. My question is this: should I go back, at least temporarily, to a weekly schedule? I'm afraid that presenting the awards too often will dilute the impact of each one, but I'm sympathetic to the need for oversaturating the field. What's your opinion? The choices are: 

(A) Keep the regular schedule, with special awards presented as needed; or,

(B) Go to a weekly schedule, with the extra awards presented on alternate Wednesdays.

Let me know what you think, by leaving a comment, sending me an e-mail, or sending a message or comment on Facebook, if we're connected there. Thanks. I'll let you know the decision soon.

Bilbo