I AM WORRIED ABOUT YOU!

I am worried that some of you are so deep in your Trump-induced funk that when the con man loses re-election on November 3^rd, you will wake up the next morning convinced that his defeat was just a dream.

I know what you’ve been thinking. First, Trump outplayed Mueller. Then, Trump beat impeachment. Now, Trump is reaping revenge on everyone who dared to stand up against him and for the Constitution. Trump is on a roll and his poll numbers are as strong as ever. You say to yourself: “My god, this moron has won! He will get four more years to torture us.”

So, allow me to tell you what you are missing.

You continue to believe that this is a traditional contest between Democrats and Republicans. It is not.

This is a contest between the Angry Gang of Trump and the Coalition to Save the Nation, comprised of Democrats, Independents, and (yes!) anti-Trump Republicans.

Politics in America has become a giant turf war, and − like it or not − all of us are part of it.

On November 3^rd, Donald Trump will have a massive turnout of his people - mostly white, mostly male, and mostly non-college educated. You have gotten to know them. You’ve been watching them sneer at you since 2016. If they wake up with the flu, they will roll out of bed, onto the floor, and crawl to the polls. We are powerless to stop them.

Fortunately, we don’t have to.

Because, unlike the confused, low turnout election of 2016, you and every other intelligent, frightened to death, clear thinking Coalition voter − Democrat, Independent, or anti-Trump Republican − will be equally unstoppable.

This time around, only the oddest members of our species will be strutting to the polls to cast their ballot for a third-party candidate or to make a statement by writing-in the name of their dog.

Please get it through your heads that the 2016 presidential election is now a museum piece. That election dynamic no longer exists. On that fateful day of the American Experiment, 139 million of us showed up to vote. That was less than 56% of eligible voters.

Turnout predictions for the upcoming presidential election are as high as 156 million. That would be 66% of eligible voters, making it the heaviest turnout percentage since 1908.

This freshman class of voters will be younger, browner, better educated, and more frightened about their future than any history. Trump’s sliver of new voters will most likely resemble the cast of Duck Dynasty.

In the run-up to the 2018 midterm elections, Democrats campaigned on saving Obamacare. Republicans campaigned on saving the nation from “caravans of immigrants bringing crime and disease.” The landslide win for Democrats did nothing to persuade the once Grand Old Party to listen to voters.

Today, Republicans are still trying to take away health care, while continuing to deny that they’re doing it. Do they think we’re all stupid? Do they think voters have miraculously stopped getting sick and have stopped going bankrupt from catastrophic illnesses?

Do Republican candidates understand that Black urban voters will be turning out in Obama numbers and college-educated women in the suburbs will be swinging Democrat, continuing the voter trend of 2018 and not the ancient history of 2016?

Those clueless Republicans will see clearly on November 3^rd that allowing themselves to be swallowed up by the Trump-reality machine bought them a well deserved ticket to nowhere. The disgraced post-Trump Republican Party will have plenty of time for soul searching and rebuilding. Maybe they can take contemplative retreats to the woods of Maine and sit around the campfire with the unemployed Susan Collins.

As for the rest of us, I will not tell you that clearing away the Trump wreckage will be quick and easy. It will require exceptional presidential leadership. But to those of you who worry that the damage done to our democracy by Trump, Barr, McConnell, Graham and the rest of his accomplices is permanent, I would say this:

We went to the moon because a president told us we could. If walking on that moon didn’t tell us who we are, nothing will.

Seriously folks, get a grip!

Bruce Coltin

Surviving Trump Two Minutes at a Time

TO EFFECTIVELY SURVIVE TRUMP, LET REALITY BE YOUR GUIDE

Be afraid! he tells you. Impeachment in the House will win ME four more years as president.

Acquittal by the Senate will guarantee ME re-election.

Starting World War III will make ME unbeatable.

Way too many of you are buying this nonsense. You are intelligent and rational, so why do you fall for it? You fall for it, because you are frightened to death that he can make good on those threats.

Seriously, you need to slap yourselves.

If you wish to remain sane from now until election day 2020, you should begin practicing some form of mental self-defense. Since we have just crossed into a new year and entered the fourth quarter of Trump’s war on decency, intelligence, and democracy, I urge you to prepare for his fast and furious assaults by developing your mental survival map.

In his heart, Donald Trump believes that the 2016 electoral map is exactly the way he left it on the night of the election, and he desperately needs you to believe it too. But as we have all learned, there is reality and then there is Trump-reality. And, in reality (of the non-Trump kind), lessons have been learned, minds have changed, new voters continue to register, and the political pendulum is doing what pendulums do.

So, if you are still seeing the “map according to Trump,” it is only because he spends  most of his non-golfing hours scaring you into believing that he is the greatest of all magicians, who pulled an elephant out of the hat in 2016 and will do it again in November.

When we focus on the facts, we can see that he was not a magician, just a lucky con man -- which is not to say that he is a man without skills. This idiot savant’s genius is selling hate, and each time we glimpse an arena full of MAGAs screaming for more, it is only natural to feel a chill going up your spine, and if you allow yourself to be blinded by that fear and to remain blinded by that fear, you will not see the reality of the next election.

So, my friends, how do you break the con man’s spell?

I suggest you do what I do, which is to create your very own mental survival map. It doesn’t have to resemble an actual map. It just has to serve as a daily reminder of where we are on the road to reclaiming the White House. If you don’t have the time for this project, you are welcome to use my map, which I designed along the lines of a self-guided museum tour.

If you have two minutes, I will be happy to show you around.


MY SELF-GUIDED TOUR OF WHY TRUMP LOSES IN NOVEMBER

Starting Point and Exhibit #1: The Confusion Intrusion

The starting point for this tour begins with a simple explanation for the outcome of the 2016 election. Russia launched missiles of confusion that landed squarely on vulnerable Blue states.

Trump won the election by squeaking out victories in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin – three states that went for Gore over Bush, Kerry over Bush, Obama over McCain and Obama over Romney. Russian agents and far-right websites spread bazaar lies about Clinton. Remember how she was running a child sex ring out the basement of a Washington D.C. pizzeria?

The confusion barrage from Russia, WikiLeaks, and Comey fogged the election day air.

Clinton countered with an underwhelming campaign strategy.

Pollsters and pundits disarmed us with false clarity by assuring us that Hillary would survive the battering and win the White House.

Exhibit #2: The Scattering That Led to The Shattering

Voters told us what they thought before the election and after the election.

The system is corrupt. There’s no difference between the candidates. Why not just stay home on election day? It will show them how little I care.

The system is corrupt. There’s no difference between the candidates. Why not vote third party to make a statement and show them that, for some of us, principles matter?

The system is corrupt. Bernie got screwed. Why not write-in Bernie or the name of my dog? It will make me feel better.

Hillary will win anyway, so why not cast a vote for the con man, just to send her a message and have her enter the White House with a little less swagger?

No doubt all that self-expression felt gratifying, but there was one big problem – actually, one huge problem.

White, non-college men told us with perfect clarity: I voted for Donald Trump. That badass will fight for me! That badass will make your lives miserable.

Exhibit #3: Yes, This March Had Legs

On January 21, 2017, the day after Trump’s inauguration, nearly a half million people participated in the Women’s March on Washington and another 3 to 4.5 million took part in at least 100 cities and towns across the U.S. It was the largest single day march in U.S. history.

I watched it on tv. I listened as reporters waded into the crowds and conducted interviews, most of which started with: Why are you here? There was no single answer. They were there for their own personal reasons. One common scene: I am here because of my mother, says a woman, nodding toward the older women by her side, and I am here to show this to my daughter, pointing to the girl by her other side.

This march was a declaration of values, of clarity, and of resolve.

Commentators were quick to point out that, while this “feel good” demonstration was certainly impressive, it would have little meaning if it did not yield practical results.

Did it yield practical results? It would not be Exhibit #3 on my tour, if the answer was not a resounding YES.

 Exhibit #4: Kids With Clout

After their schoolmates were slaughtered, the newly minted activists from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, led by intelligent, eloquent organizers like Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg, and Cameron Kasky, made it clear to the world that:

Deranged individuals, with access to weapons of war, who turn schools into scenes of mass murder, are aided and abetted by the politicians who’ve been bought by the NRA.

And…

They were mad as hell and they weren’t going to take it anymore. The usual thoughts and prayers, coming from the mouths of Republican lawmakers were not acceptable.

Students across the country organized, marched, spoke from the gut, and (Oh yes!) registered new voters.

 Exhibit #5: The Blue Tsunami

Ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, Republican incumbents, in the age of Trump, began retiring – you know, to spend more time with their families.

Pollsters and pundits began predicting that Democrats would win control of the House of Representatives. Predictions of a Blue Wave began to spread. Trumpism would be dealt a decisive defeat. But as election day grew close, excitement cooled. There would likely be a Democratic win, but it would be more of a Blue Trickle. Trump would rush in an and drag Republican candidates, in close races, to victory.

He sent out his orders that every race, in every district, would be about turning back “invading caravans,” pouring over the Mexican border to bring crime and disease to all of America. Republican candidates dutifully carried the message of fear to their voters.

It turned out that more voters went to the polls concerned about the loss of their current health care that Republicans had vowed to “repeal and replace. Voters noticed that Republican energy and strategy was all about repeal with virtually no interest or action on replacement.

On election day, commentators confirmed the prediction of a Blue trickle. Democrats would take the House, but by a small margin. They were wrong.

For the rest of that week, and into the next, results of close races continued to come in, ending with an historic 40 seat Democratic victory.

A record 36 women won House seats. The Women’s March did have legs.

A record number of young voters turned out. March for Our Lives did rally young voters.

Congress continued a trend of becoming more racially diverse – on the Democratic side, not on the Republican side.

The Blue Tsunami was not an accident. It was a result of the gift of clarity, provided by Trump and his band sycophants.

And the pendulum continues to swing Blue.

Every blood thirsty rally, every assault on health care and the environment, every farmer and manufacturer hurt by Trump tariffs, every lie, every childish insult, every crime committed in broad daylight, every road leading to Putin, every child in a cage, and all conduct unbecoming a president of the United States continues to clarify the American mind.

Now, I encourage you to come out of hiding, ignore the smoke screen, and just follow the map.

November 3, 2020? We’ve got this.


Bruce Coltin
Surviving Trump Two Minutes at a Time

UP TO HIS ASS IN DIRTY MONEY

We lead with our strengths – all of us. When you take on a challenge, you enlist your go-to strengths. You don’t have to think about which strengths to enlist because your hard-wired, survival motivated reptile brain does it for you.

Muhammad Ali’s long, powerful left jab kept his opponents at a distance where they could inflict the least amount of damage, while he waited for his opportunity to strike like a cobra. When age took its toll, robbing him of his famous foot speed, the left jab needed to be more impenetrable than ever.

His survival depended on it, and well past his prime, his core weapon kept him in the ring and allowed him to continue saying: “I am the greatest!”

We can all see in “high def” that whatever skills the businessman−turned reality tv star—turned candidate may have once possessed, they have eroded. This aging fighter appears to be down to only one trusted weapon − the Big Insult.

The Big Insult: Low-Energy Jeb, Lyin’ Ted, and Little Marco proved to be a devastating punch when landed squarely on the chins of Republican rivals. They not only landed, they stuck. He successfully branded them with simplistic, easy to grasp, bumper sticker messages, paving the way for his championship-winning Big Insult – Crooked Hillary.

But for Trump, those were the good old days. He had nothing to lose. Hillary wins the election and he wins the opportunity to build his crown jewel, Trump Tower Moscow, and take his newly expanded fan base to his next lucrative tv venture.

Now his days are dark. Impeachment is closing in. Despite the protection of his loyal, corrupt attorney general, the Southern District of New York is closing in. The Manhattan D.A., Cyrus Vance is relentlessly closing in. Last week the courts began ruling against him.

With his very survival at stake, he is a desperate man, and it shows. He has taken the Big Insult to a new level – a much lower level.

His latest Big Insult bumper sticker messages:

“Democrats are running a BULLSHIT IMPEACHMENT.”

“Biden understood how to KISS BARACK OBAMA’S ASS.”

If you happen to be a remaining Trump supporter, these messages are meant for you. He wants to excite you as only he can. He wants to remind you that when it comes to offending normal Americans, nobody does it better – the influence on your children and grandchildren be damned!

So, I have a recommendation for the presidential candidates.

When the question is asked: Why did we abandon the Kurds and help restore ISIS to please the despot in Turkey?

Simply answer: Because Trump is up to his ass in dirty money.

When the question is asked: Why are we making it easier for our enemy leader of Russia to reclaim Ukraine?

Just answer: Because Trump is up to his ass in dirty money.

And when the question is asked: Why are we sending our men and women to defend Saudi Arabia?

Just answer: Because Trump is up to his ass in dirty money.

Dear Joe, Bernie, Liz, Kamala, Pete, Beto, Amy, Cory, Julian, Andrew, Tulsi, and Tom, I strongly urge you to drop the delicate, long winded approach and adopt this very Trumpish bumper sticker message that will successfully brand him as the Criminal President.

Of course, each of you should do it your way, in your voice – your own personal version of the Ali jab.

Nancy Pelosi will thank you for the support, and the American people will thank for your courage and clarity.

One of you will win the prize, and by virtue of your election, will begin the process of truly Making America Great Again. Being delicate won’t get you there.

Bruce Coltin

Ex-Marketing Guy

Surviving Trump Two Minutes at a Time

ENJOYING EVERY MOMENT OF "TRUMP: THE FINAL SEASON"

It is wrong to enjoy the suffering of others. I admit that.

But I, for one, feel comfortable making the occasional exception and I hope you do too. The Destroyer of American Democracy and his sidekicks, who have intentionally darkened our days for the past three years are currently in full panic mode and if you don’t admit to finding that satisfying, you are failing our central mission of surviving Trump.

You can tell me all you want that you have no interest in seeing Barr, Pence, Pompeo, and Giuliani in orange jumpsuits, but I will not believe you. “Ukrainegate” is glowing on Trump’s henchmen like the red dye that explodes in the money bag when the bank robbers are making their getaway.

Have you caught any of their stuttering, contradictory, self-incriminating attempts to explain themselves? It can be hard keeping a story straight when their boss keeps changing the story. Comical! Just comical!

We were warned by pundits from both parties that impeachment by the Democratic House would result in four more years of Donald Trump. We were told that impeachment would play into Trump’s hands, casting him as the underdog, being persecuted by the angry, radical left.

Impeachment would solidify the Trump base and alienate independent voters. Democrats, intent on winning the White House, keeping the House of Representatives, and possibly taking the Senate, had no real alternative than to be patient and work strategically to win in 2020.

This conventional wisdom was so two-weeks ago!

Madam Speaker had ordered her troops to hold their fire until she gave the order. For that, she was attacked from inside her ranks as being cowardly, or incompetent, or corrupt. But she knew what they did not. She knew that getting too far ahead of public opinion would end in certain failure.

And now, thanks to the frighteningly unhinged, unpresidential behavior (yes, even more unhinged and more unpresidential than we were used to) of Donald Trump, public opinion has gone from a murmur to a scream faster than Republicans learned how to spell Benghazi.

Prior to Madam Speaker’s announcement that made the impeachment inquiry (not actual impeachment) official, only 40% of the American public were for the impeachment inquiry, while 51% were opposed.

After she made it official, 51% voiced their support for an impeachment inquiry, while 44% opposed. 

Less than two weeks ago, 37% supported actual impeachment and removal from office, while 57% were opposed.

But the latest numbers tell a stunningly different story. Right now, 46% support actual impeachment and removal from office, while 45% oppose.

Have you spotted the trend?

Next week will bring more whistleblower news, more releases of phone and text message conversations, more subpoenas, more witness testimonies, more venomous tweets, more proof of crimes and coverups, and of course more attacks on the Constitution by the President of the United States, and by his deranged personal attorney, his corrupt attorney general, his spineless secretary of state, and his lying vice president.

And what will next week’s poll numbers tell us about the growing popularity of impeachment? I think they will tell us that the Trump Show’s ratings are plummeting fast.

He will suffer the indignity of impeachment by the House, forever branding his presidency, inflicting merciless suffering on his fragile ego until his final days on earth.

We can’t bet that, regardless of the damning evidence that surfaces, Senate Republicans will come out of hiding and do the right thing, but believe me − they too will glow with the red dye of complicity long after the Trump Show is cancelled on November 3, 2020.

I will enjoy watching their clumsy, futile grabbing for redemption.  

Bruce Coltin

Surviving Trump Two Minutes at a Time

WELCOME TO REPUDIATION NATION! (FUELED BY TRUMP)

He believes he can repeat the perverse miracle of 2016. In fact, he is counting on it, because he has no other strategy. He has always been a one-trick pony.

He thinks he won the presidency because he was smarter than everyone else. In fact, he won it because he had an unpopular opponent, help from Russia, the spectacular blunder of James Comey, and the off-the-charts enthusiasm of angry white, blue collar men.

There were those in his inner circle who might tell him the truth – that the world has moved on and he has not. As far as we can tell, they have all been fired. Delivering the painful truth to Donald Trump is a well-understood political death wish.

No more McMaster. No more Mattis. No more Kelly. No more Tillerson. No more Gary Cohn, who failed to convince his boss that tariffs and trade wars are bad for farmers, bad for manufacturers, and bad for consumers.

Now there is no one left to say:

Mr. President, this might be considered unpresidential.

Mr. President, this appears to be bad strategy.

Mr. President, with all due respect, this is stupid.

And I think it is a very safe bet that there is nobody left inside the presidential bubble to say:

Mr. President, you are losing.

In mid-June, Trump’s internal pollsters gave him the news that he was losing to Joe Biden by double digits in his three most important states – Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, where he beat Hillary Clinton by razor thin margins, giving him the Electoral College votes that were supposed to be hers.

And to make it worse, those poll results were leaked to the press. Trump then did what Trump does. He angrily threw sand from his sandbox. He denied that the poll results existed, then he called them fake polls, then he said he never trusted polls anyway. And then of course, he fired several of the pollsters.

He now has what he always wanted – the unfettered freedom to be himself, surrounded only by people who nod approval or remain silent.

So Trump gets to have his tweet storms and his rallies, delighting his base with his favorite hits: Obama was a failure, Hillary was a crook, immigrants are dangerous, Democrats are un-American, outspoken congresswomen of color are treasonous, and our economy is the best it has ever been.

We can see with our own eyes that his base eats it up and begs for more. We can absolutely rely on the fact that the Trump base will show up at the polls in 2020 and vote for him again, if he keeps them fed with white racist battle cries, while celebrating them as the real Americans.

Meanwhile, all of us are subjected to a daily barrage of assaults designed to wear us down, make us sick, and paralyze us with fear – to the absolute delight of the Donald Trump Fan Club.

And there is no one left to tell him that membership in his fan club is already maxed out, and that Repudiation Nation (that’s us!) grows larger and more energized with every racist tweet, every grotesque rally, every attack on environmental protection, every mass murder inspired by a thinly disguised hate message, and now every mention of the word: recession.

We should not be intimidated by his pornographic lounge act.

We should all take a deep breath and remind ourselves that Repudiation Nation showed its clout in the 2018 midterms, by flipping a whopping 41 seats in the House of Representatives. That big Blue Wave was led by high black voter turnout in the cities and high white (mainly women) voter turnout in the suburbs – both of which were lacking in 2016.

In 2020, that combination will win everywhere in the U.S., except for the deep red states, where Republicans greatly outnumber Democrats. But, in blue and purple states, when Democratic enthusiasm is high, that combination wins − even when Republican enthusiasm is just as high!

So, I am happy to tell you (yet again) that Donald Trump will not win re-election.

But there is really no reason for you to believe me.

Months before the 2016 election, a little-known political analyst, Rachel Bitecofer did what no major pollster or analyst had come close to doing. She predicted the 41-seat flip in the House, and she did it by predicting the exact districts that would be flipped. 

Her predictions were based on a model that she developed.

You may remember that as the 2018 midterms grew closer, analysts began replacing predictions of a Blue Wave to more of a blue trickle. Perhaps Democrats would win the House, but it would be by a small majority. Democratic optimism began evaporating. But Rachel did not budge from her wave prediction.

So, I think we should listen to what her model tells her about the 2020 election. Although the election is still over a year away, with the all-important primaries yet to take place, Rachel Bitecofer has already made her prediction – not about who will be the nominee, but about which party will win the election.

Let me say that again. She is predicting the outcome of the presidential election without knowing which Democratic challenger will be facing off against Donald Trump.

According to her model − the same model that predicted the 2018 midterm election with pinpoint accuracy − the Democratic candidate will win the election with at least 278 Electoral College votes. Trump will win at least 197, and there are 4 toss-up states.

But the critically important industrial states, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin are not in her toss-up category. They are part of the 278. Trump still thinks he can win them, but he can’t. 

The Donald Trump Fan Club will be loud and confident up until the very last critical votes are counted, but Repudiation Nation will put an end to Godzilla.

Don’t be fooled by the con man’s bluster, which will remain loud, relentless, and unnerving. 

Just breathe, live, and keep committing random acts of sanity.

You’ve already taken two minutes out of your day to read this post, so why not take another few minutes to let Rachel Bitecofer tell you in her own words why you should sleep better.

It worked for me.


Bruce Coltin
Surviving Trump Two Minutes at a Time

WHERE HAVE YOU GONE BARACK OBAMA?

Where have you gone Barack Obama?

A nation turns its fearful eyes to you, woo, woo, woo.

During his acceptance speech in 2008, Barack Obama reached out to the supporters of John McCain, and said this: "I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your president, too."

Oh, those were the days!

Barack Obama will not be the Democratic nominee in 2020, and I don’t know who will be, but until he or she pulls the sword from the stone, we have Madam Speaker. And, she is on a mission.

As the interim leader of the Democratic Party, she has chosen to go for the gold, which happens to be winning back the White House and the Senate and increasing her majority in the House. If played correctly, this is within reach. She can taste it, and more importantly, she knows how to do it.

Madam Speaker knew from the beginning that she would be fighting a holy war, and to win, she would need a clear and simple strategy. Thankfully, the uncensored, unchecked Donald Trump has ramped up his spouting of clear and simple fear mongering.

You have to admit that (unless you become too nauseated to watch) there is nothing like viewing a few highlights from a Trump rally to bang home the reality that you can fill a stadium with humans, while keeping it empty of humanity.

I want more Trump rallies. Seriously, I do.

I want their exquisite ugliness displayed, recorded, and weaponized so that every Democrat on the 2020 ballot, from top to bottom, from presidential nominee to  mayoral candidate, can say to their opponent: If you have not condemned Trump, then this collection of rabid “Lock her up! Send her home” lowlifes is your vision of America.

In 2016,138 million of us voted. But the story of the 2016 presidential election is about those who chose to stay home. Every voter group underperformed, except for one – the mostly white, mostly male, mostly older, and completely angry segment of society that gave us Trump and his Charlottesville regime.

But it was not millions or even hundreds of thousands of stay-at-homers that tipped the election to Trump. It was a mere 77,000 votes in three states – Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin - that Hillary and most political pundits believed were solidly in the Clinton column.

Collectively, less than 1% of voters in these three states handed Donald Trump 46 Electoral College votes, giving him 306 Electoral College votes to Clinton’s 232. Had those 46 votes gone to Clinton, she would have won the electoral college 278 to 260.

So how do Democrats recapture those 46 Electoral College votes needed to flip and then fumigate the White House? First by nominating a candidate who resonates with black voters in Philadelphia, Detroit, and Milwaukee and with white college educated women in the neighboring suburbs.

When that Democratic candidate finally emerges from the pack, she or he will be selling America-for-all, while Donald Trump will continue selling fear, hatred, and lies with every ounce of his being. 

Fortunately for all of us, the Democrat will not be venturing into the battlground states alone.

Barack Obama, the greatest campaigner of the modern age, and the man living inside Donald Trump’s deteriorating brain will reintroduce himself to the American public.

We will see him and hear him when the time is right and where it matters most, and he will implore every single one of us, with that familiar combination of power and elegance, to:

Make America

America Again!

In the meantime, my fellow Trump survivors, do not panic! The noise will continue and will grow even louder and more menacing. And as it does, Madam Speaker will quietly and firmly remind her army: Do not fire until you see the whites of their eyes!


Bruce Coltin
Surviving Trump Two Minutes at a Time

WATCHING THE TRUMP-REPUBLICAN SLOW-MOTION CAR CRASH

From the moment he got his hands on the car keys, he has been taking us on a terrifying ride. All around me, I see people who are frightened to death that the ride will go on for five and a half more years, careening out of control, mowing down the monuments and institutions built and maintained by good and great men and women he couldn’t be bothered to read about.

As we helplessly watch from the sidelines, we wonder how much wreckage will be discovered when the rescue team and the cleanup crew are finally sent in. It will be a while before we know the full extent of the damage.

There are those who believe that each day of reckless unpredictability, at the hands of a madman, confirms their belief that the world has spun irretrievably out of control. Intelligent bystanders are understandably distraught. I get it.

We are all suffering from Trump-induced: What will he do next? syndrome. Trump taunts us with his assurance that he will remain in the White House short of actually shooting someone on Fifth Avenue.

Being exempt from all rules and laws is central to his reality.

But reality is not like real estate. Trump does not own it, even if he thinks he does. It is reality that the electorate today is not what it was on election day 2016 and will steadily continue its demographic shift beyond election day 2020.

At eye level, this sea change is barely visible, so Trump can’t or won’t see it, and there is certainly no hint of it at Mar-a-Lago. The browning of America is happening every day, as we move closer to becoming a majority-minority country by 2045.

Had Black voters turned out in Obama numbers, Trump would not be president. Black voters were highly motivated to turn out at the polls and elect the first Black president, and they were highly motivated to turn out in record numbers to defeat the despicable Roy Moore in deep red Alabama. They will be equally motivated to show up, in record numbers, and cast votes against the man who is maniacally dedicated to erasing the Obama presidency.

For Trump’s presidency, Charlottesville is an indelible stain. The President of the United States stood before the cameras and essentially announced to white supremacists: Don’t worry guys. I’ve got your back. Donald Trump will not just be running against the Democratic candidate. He will be pressed to run away from David Duke, the KKK, and the tiki torch bigots, but he will not find the will to disavow the racist thugs who view him as their savior.

It is surprising to some that the electorate has gotten younger − surprising due to the reality that young people do not exercise their right to vote.

But this group, which used to remain silent on election day, dramatically broke their silence in the 2018 midterms, contributing to the Democrats’ landslide victory. Who knew that growing up with the fear of being shot to death in their school room would turn into political action, which I think of as the Parkland Affect − articulate, fed-up, young leaders on a mission, traveling the country and wielding the power of social media to register voters and hold NRA-fueled politicians accountable.

In the most recent survey, taken by the Pew Research Center, those born between 1981 and 1996 identified with or leaned toward Democrats by a 27-point margin, 59% to 32%. They could not be making it any clearer that the reality of gun violence, climate change, and destruction of the environment − which appear to be invisible to the Trump-Republican business club − are bad for their generation.

Many white college-educated women woke up to the 2016 election results with shock, horror, and remorse − especially the ones who voiced their dissatisfaction with Hillary by sitting out the election or by showing up and casting a protest vote, knowing that Hillary would win anyway.  

Today, as the Pew survey tells us, 56% of all women voters identify or lean Democratic, while only 37% identify or lean Republican. That 56% is up 4 percentage points since 2015. Republicans’ current all-out attack on Planned Parenthood and reproductive rights will turbo charge that trend and further guarantee the voter enthusiasm missing in 2016.

The same survey found that 48% of men identify with or lean Republican, while 44% identify or lean Democratic. That number hasn’t budged since 2014. The exclusive club, known as the Republican Party, continues to re-enforce its brand as old, white, and male, leaving it perfectly positioned for the presidential campaign of 1952.

But Trump does have an unshakably loyal base of supporters, and the most unshakable and most powerful segment of that base are white evangelical Christians. But here’s the problem: according to the Public Religion Institute, evangelical Christians have dropped from about 21% of the population in 2008 to 15% this year, with “younger and better-educated members becoming the most likely to leave the faith.”  

What is the obvious reality? Young people will vote Democratic unless the Party stops listening to them. If the Party truly gives them a seat at the table − a table they will eventually own − the small tent Republican Party will soon be able to downsize to a much smaller tent.

Meanwhile, the stonewalling of House subpoenas will run out of gas in the courts, Robert Mueller will testify publicly, and all the other investigations into every corner of the Trump criminal enterprise will continue to reveal the unvarnished truth to every open American mind.

And this, my friends, is how the joy ride ends in 2020. No, he will not go quietly. He will of course be the victim of conspiratorial forces led by angry Hillary lovers, operating within a rigged system. He will troll the next president. He may sue everyone. He may threaten a comeback. Fox News will keep alive his alternative reality.

And as the sun comes up, we will begin the process of sweeping the broken glass from the streets and sidewalks, scrubbing off the graffiti, and putting the stop signs back where they belong.

And we will breathe, just breathe.