A Thanksgiving of Uncertainty and Reflection
Pre-Thanksgiving, I drove two hours to a hospital to see a family member hanging on to life. In our one-sided conversation, only a joke about the San Francisco 49ers elicited a smile, to the backbeat of his oxygen machine. Another friend was on a Las Vegas vacation when he was rushed to a hospital. His brother was on his way to be there and called me to update. “He may need two operations,” the brother said.
As people close to me battle for their lives, the one thing I know they aren’t thinking about is cost. They have the Cadillac plan: Medicare, the best health insurance available. And even then, all we’re left with is prayer.
When the week started, President Trump was supposed to unveil a plan to offset the Obamacare price increases the GOP didn’t extend and force tens of millions of Americans to lose insurance. But Trump isn’t suggesting the real health care plan that would make a difference to American’s lives: Medicare for all. Anything short of that is just a Trumpian fantasy.
No More Turkey Pardons
It’s Thanksgiving week, and Donald Trump is desperate. The King of Distractions is running out of ways to keep us from saying “Epstein.” Pardoning some turkeys isn’t going to cut it this year. Especially since the worse week of his presidency has exposed Trump himself as the turkey. Or at least the lame duck that he is.
No time for games now. “Mr. Maybe Third Term,” “President for Life like Xi,” or “Mr. Let me Try Autocracy while I have a little power and get away with it” has suddenly felt a sense of his own political mortality.
Epstein? The president’s journey from “release the files” during the campaign, to “ah, no,” to you can have “whatever you are legally entitled to… I DON’T CARE,” left him with all Republicans abandoning him, except for one. They realized how badly duped they’ve been by President Gaslight. And then there’s that nasty breakup with the soon-to-be retired congresswoman he called “Marjorie Traitor Brown,” because green turns brown when there’s rot, CFDT34 said (Convicted Felon Donald Trump, 34 counts).
That doesn’t make Greene a person of color, by the way. MTG is no hero but compared to Trump she’s seen the light. Of the camera. She realizes she would have more fun in Trump’s old world in the media, specifically, reality TV. My guess is she’d rather be on “Dancing with the Stars,” or a MTG version of “The Apprentice.” Or prognosticating MAGA’s rise and fall on cable news. Anything would be better for her than the real hardball of government and politics.
The president nursed his wounds last week by seeking comfort with MBS, the Saudi Crown Prince, the man Trump’s own intelligence officials say ordered the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The president was in full sales/supplicant mode to the dictator at the mention of investments that could lead to trillions. It was a sickening sell-out.
So Thank Goodness for Zohran Mamdani
Trump’s Mamdanization
The South Asian immigrant to America, born in Africa, was Trump’s savior last week. Just when you thought Trump was at the end of his rope, he agreed to meet last Friday with Mamdani, whom he called a “communist” the day before.
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But instead of fireworks, Trump was a different man. A man of peace? Trump liked Mamdani. Trump is rooting for him. He sees Mamdani’s runaway victory in the New York Mayoral race as something worthy of himself. It was, as they say, “game recognizing game.”
When a reporter asked Mamdani about his calling Trump a Fascist, Trump told Mamdani just to acknowledge it, it’s “easier.” That’s how loose and comfortable Trump was. You calling me a fascist? Sure, I’m a fascist.
After meetings with MBS, Trump was just being himself, doing what he has to do. Because right now, Trump wants what Mamdani’s got. The heat. The juice. A stranglehold on the issue of the day, affordability.
That’s something billionaires don’t usually bother with. Unless they are cutting and slashing costs on the public in order to increase profits for themselves and pain for others. But with Americans enraged over the cost of living, inflation, tariffs on consumers as a form of increase sales taxes, Trump is trying to figure out how to be more than a faux populist.
He’s glommed onto Mamdani magic like an addict in need of whatever the new mayor-elect’s having. That’s how historic that Oval Office meeting was last Friday.
Just by being, Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City, stood up to the bully. Remember that Oval Office ambush of Zelensky last February? This was nothing like that. There was no malice. Just love?
Mamdani’s electoral win established “affordability” as the common ground that could bring people (voters) together. Donald Trump needs voters and said the “A” word, but has no clue what the word really means.
Discount Spray Tans?
Trump did admit he could change. He has to. His approval ratings are so low, it’s a wonder how he powers through. Now he’s talking health care like he means it. He’s badmouthing health insurance companies and their profits. Just remember this is the guy who wants to kill Obamacare. This is the guy who is going for Medicare next.
As I said, if he wanted to help America, he’d say the phrase that would make him sound like Bernie Sanders—“Medicare for All.” But last Friday is a positive for all. By standing up to a sitdown Trump, Mamdani not only established himself as the new generation leader of the nation’s largest city, and possibly the Democratic party. Mamdani, the naturalized American born in Africa to South Asian parents, also became the face of the demographic trend we’ve been talking about since 1989—the anticipation of the day when minorities would soon be the majority in this country.
Mamdani’s now clearly the face of a browner, more diverse New America, the very thing that ignited the racist counter movement of the anti-woke, anti-diversity, regressive American MAGA cult. That’s a form of white identity politics that has failed Trump. And now, they’ve both found some common ground moving from race to class. They are the “New Affordablists.”
That’s plenty to be thankful for in this era where the worst president in our lifetime wakes up every morning, does something no president has ever done, and makes us all wonder “Can he do that?” Not if it’s unlawful, unconstitutional, and un-American.
The Mamdanization of Trump is reason for both hope and thanks.
America’s Thanksgiving
If the last few Thanksgivings have been politics-free zones, it seems OK this year to talk about the important things. A new Gallup poll from last week suggests that a vast majority of Americans favor compromise and believe in America’s democratic values. We are on the same team, after all.
In the cross tabs, Asian Americans were at the top of believers in democracy. But were also among the most critical of how dysfunctional our democracy is today.
This year, let’s let the table talk be less about the Turkey/Tofurkey debate, and more about how we have reason to believe we can end the greater divides that exist in our country. After all, Mamdani and Trump met and didn’t bite off each other’s head. At least, not yet.
Thanksgiving table talk, civil once again? The Mamdani/Trump meetup could be a guide. Ease into it slowly with a discussion on Trump’s probable BMI and why he should go vegan. As a last resort, take out your phone, declare your love for the First Amendment and show a few clips from the latest season of “South Park.”
Still, for me, the holiday meal and table talk will just be a distraction, not the main event. The status of my two aforementioned friends is still not certain. Thoughts of them will weigh heavily on the day we all realize we have so much for which to be thankful.
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