An Alternate 2020

 

Everyone is recovering from the events at the Capital on Wednesday; from what was essentially an armed insurrection against our own government by Trumpers. On the political Left, this is yet another bridge too far - as if somehow Trumpism hasn't been passing bridges that were too far over the past five years. On the political Right, Trumpers seem to justify this by pointing to the George Floyd protests and the rallies held by BLM, as if any rioting and looting for any other reason could have somehow given their rioting and looting a - free pass? To commit an outright coup? Yeah, that's apparently their actual argument.

Remember when right-wingers were demanding ten-year sentences for anyone who assaulted a Federal building in Portland?

Now, any blunt assault I make on this blog against the utter depravity of this will bounce right off of Trumpers. I know that from experience. So instead I will use my favorite genre to make my case. I will use the art of science fiction to show Trumpers what they could have had - if only they had let go of Trump.

Alternate history is a fun genre within sci-fi and fantasy (and I will debate whether it is sci-fi or fantasy some other day). It shows effectively what could have been - and by extension, what still might be. So let's find a time machine. And it needn't be anything so snazzy as a Tardis or a shiny DeLorian. After all, we're only going back one year. maybe a simple device - like Mr. Peabody's Wayback Machine.

Let's jump in our Wayback Machine to January of 2020. 

Trump has just been impeached by the House and is about to face Impeachment by the Senate. Remember that one? Oh, it seems so much longer ago than only one year, doesn't it? But this time, let's tweak the timeline a little bit. This time, let's say that only a few more Senators who recognized that this was the off-ramp for the insanity of Trumpism. Mitt Romney is joined by Lisa Murkowsky of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Corey Gardner of Colorado to break with Mitch McConnell, and vote Trump out of office with a 51 to 49 Senatorial vote. History is made.

**Note: I screwed this up in my initial posting. The senate must pass an impeachment vote with a 2/3rds majority. In my imaginary scenario, Romney and the others must persuade 16 other Republicans to vote for impeachment. Unlikely at the time, not so much in retrospect.

As Mike Pence is sworn in as president, Trump goes off on a characteristic tirade. He begins to hold rallies all over America claiming that the presidency was stolen from him, and that it was a conspiracy by the Deep State to remove him from office. Fans rally to his cause. Pence selects Congressman Burgess Owens, a black Republican from Utah, and the brightest rising star in the GOP, to be his new VP.

An immediate effect is felt on the Democratic side. The imperative of removing Trump no longer plays a major role in the primary race. Most of the minor candidates drop out, or don't bother launching a campaign in the first place. Attempts are made to stain Pence as Trump's enabler, but they largely fail. Perhaps Joe Biden drops out before the North Carolina primary, perhaps not. Good campaigns are waged by Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, Beto O'Rourke, Amy Klobuchar, and Corey Booker, but no one can beat the huge fan base of Bernie Sanders, or the North Carolina firewall of Joe Biden. One of them likely goes on to become the 2020 candidate. Probably Sanders.

Meanwhile, the Coronavirus hits. Unlike Trump, Mike Pence takes the virus threat more seriously. He neither denies the virus nor calls it a hoax. He implements travel restrictions on China, then extends them to all other countries - particularly Europe. He begs churches to voluntarily restrict assembly, reminding them that "God knows your hearts." As an Evangelical leader, the churches agree. Anthony Fauci is named the head of the Coronavirus Task Force. The virus takes its toll, but nowhere near the level it had done under Trump.

But Trump eventually has to figure out what he's going to do for a living outside of being president. Lawsuits brought against him by New York State are threatening him, and he needs to do something for money besides holding rallies. By May, Trump launches TNN - the Trump News Network. The upstart conservative networks, OANN and Newsmax, are immediately crushed out of existence. Even Fox News suffers a ratings loss. Jerry Falwell, Jr. and Franklin Graham are frequent guests.

May 25th, 2020: George Floyd is murdered in the street by Officer Derek Chauvin. Protests ensue. But this time, something is missing. Trump supporters are not hidden within the ranks of the protesters to goad the rioters. Mike Pence is able to urge all Americans towards Peace and Unity - something Trump could not bring himself to do. Protests occur nationwide - but without as much rioting or looting. The temperature is much lower this time. Portland does not become the hotbed we saw it become in our own timeline. Nevertheless, the Bernie Sanders campaign is moved to adopt a more "law and order" approach to his campaign. Just like Biden, he is forced to select Kamala Harris as his running mate.

Trump, now armed with a network platform, begins to campaign strongly AGAINST the Coronavirus. People forget this about Trump, but he was once a CLASSIC germophobe! He washed his hands constantly, he would use a handkerchief to press the bottom button on elevators, and if someone was coughing in the same room as him he would order that person out! Freed of the burdens of the Oval Office, he does not feel that he MUST dismiss the virus in order to save the economy! He now sees the virus as a Chinese invader! He urges people to wear masks! He networks to aid financing for companies developing the vaccine! He actually FIGHTS Covid!

The economy still tanks, though not as badly. People suffer, though not as much. Pence works WITH Democrats to provide aid to people swiftly. No gamesmanship is involved with stimulus checks, or at least, there is much less of it. Pence takes a hit politically, but most people generally think that he's doing the best with an impossible situation.

The election of November 2020 arrives, and it is close. However, Sanders has lost the moderate center. Thanks in large part to Fox News and the Trump Network, Bernie is cast as a radical extremist. The black vote is not mobilized against Pence the way it was against Trump. Turnout is juuuust a bit lower for Democrats. The end results look very similar to those of 2016. Pence takes Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia, giving the GOP another 4 years, possibly 8.

Dear Trumpers: That's the outcome you could have had! Doesn't it sound better than what you have now? With the Capital literally sacked and vandalized? With Trump facing yet another impeachment only 13 days out from Biden being sworn in? Oh, to be sure, this is all speculative, but even Democrats acknowledge that a Pence vs. Biden election, or even a Pence vs. Sanders election, would likely have resulted in a Mike Pence victory! Instead, you stubbornly insisted on Trump. Ignored his obstruction. Ignored his un-presidential conduct. The result? Trump LOST!

Don't you really, REALLY, wish it had been the other way?

A monkey can be easily captured by placing something inside a hole in the monkey's presence. The curious monkey will then approach the  hole and reach into it to grab the item and find out what it is. But then, the monkey can't escape because his clenched hand is now too big to pull out of the hole! The trapper can then easily approach and grab the monkey! If the monkey were smart, he would simply let go of the item and escape! But the monkey is so determined not to let go that he gets caught!

Trumpers simply refuse to let go of Trump in exactly the same way! Like the poor monkey, they are too stupid to let go, and escape to a better outcome!

Trumpers, it's finally time to let go.

Eric

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