The Dunce Confederacy’s Hoax Addiction

Tacámbaro de Codallos

Jerez de García Salinas Rep. John Garamendi, (D-Calif.) lost his shit over the Trump administration’s refusal to embrace reality this weekend, and he and his colleagues have got to learn to get theirs together too.

Garamendi took acute umbrage at the latest Trumptardian conspiracy theory, this one posited by Donny Jr. The chip off the old blockhead vented on Fox that Dems hope the coronavirus “comes here and kills millions” and ends his dad’s “streak of winning.”

JG just couldn’t help himself, telling eager cameras the Diaper Don “should not be near me when he says that. There would be a serious altercation. That is just totally outrageous. That is totally outrageous.” He later added: “Don Jr. better not get any place close to me. It would not be a healthy situation.”Image result for Rep. John Garamendi, (D-Calif.)

While it’s hard not to cheer anyone who gives Trump a what for, this is not the path. This is where you need to demonstrate you are the cooler head, the empirical side, the believer in science in the crusade back to facts. Threatening fisticuffs is their way. Not ours.

It’s especially tough now, as this time will be known as the Hoaxian era, where our leaders and half the country believed spies lurked within the Deep State of our own government to spread conspiracy. Where political slackwits challenged scientists over everything from solar eclipses  to evolution. Global warming is a hoax. Russian collusion is a hoax. Coronavirus is apparently a hoax, too.Image result for trump looking at eclipse

Unfortunately, Rep. Garamendi, there’s nothing seismic you can do about our declining collective wisdom. But you can nudge us in the right direction withing something more cutting than a threaten to kick his ass.

The Trumps love Twitter. How about a simple tweet directed Frito Corleone’s way?

@DonaldJTrumpJr, that is completely untrue that we want the coronavirus “come here and kill millions.” One will do.

Never Forget, Jackass.

The Republican elephant made its first appearance in this 1874 cartoon by Thomas Nast. A fox in the bottom right corner represents the Democratic party.

Hawk-eyed HB correspondent Earl Troglin spotted the hilarious video below a day ago. And it got me thinking about politics, of all things. Maybe that shrill den from the Democratic debate is still ringing in my ears.

Regardless, I couldn’t help but think that the creatures in the video make an odd symbol for the Republican Party. Have Republicans ever been this funny, let alone enjoyed life so much? All humans, for that matter?

But back to the symbols. I know WHY the GOP is represented by an elephant. A Harper’s  cartoonist, Thomas Nast, penned the image as a mockery of them, not a plaudit for them, during the 1860s. Same for Democrats, who were represented by the donkey. This political cartoon by Thomas Nast, taken from a 1879 edition of Harper's Weekly, was an early use of the elephant and the donkey to sybolize the Republican and Democratic parties.

The mystery is why both parties would agree to adopt the symbols. Perhaps  Nast was simply too popular with the public to even attempt re-branding. Nast also drew the iconic images of Santa and Uncle Sam.

Though the word was born in Europe in the mid 16th century, modern urban myth held that the word “nasty” came from the name Nast, so popular was he. He would become known as the nation’s first political cartoonist. But why would his primary targets not only accept the labels, but embrace them? How times have changed. Ish. Now we have one of Nast’s creations running the show. Image result for nast political cartoons

I get Democrats’ grudgingly accepting donkey status. We are asses, of myriad suffixes: Jack_, Dumb_, Arrogant_, you name it.

But elephant? The cult of Trump can’t remember that slavery ended in 1865, or that women got the right to vote in 1920. And have you ever seen footage of Trump laughing? Why are there no right-leaning versions of SNL, late shows, or Bill Maher on the air? Perhaps it’s tough to be funny when you’re not allowed to criticize The Great Leader. Or god. Image result for bill maher

But enough with the windbagging. You’re here for elephants!