A Metaphor for Trump's Future, "The South will Rise Again."


Some years ago my wife and I spent time in Savannah, Georgia. Today Savannah has about 150,000 people. It is the oldest city in Georgia. While today about 50% of its population is black and 35% white one can see a time in its history when it was run by white people. In an old city park is a weathered plaque which says, paraphrasing, "Here is were heroic rebel forces stood and fought better equipped but morally deficient Northern forces. We honor forever the young rebels who fought here."

 A message has lived on since the South was defeated in the Civil War. It is, "We was robbed. But THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN." This myth the South will rise again, and I suppose reinstate the slavery that God approved, has lived on most of my life. Maybe today it is finally drifting into disbelief. That the Democrats won Georgia is evidence times have changed.

The success of "We was robbed, the South will rise again" is the perfect metaphor for what President Trump is attempting to build for himself. His version is, "I was robbed of my reelection. There were crooked things going when the votes were counted. If I could have gotten into court I would have won the election." The South will rise again myth did well for those who used it to their advantage. Trump will do well with his version. Both myths fit the needs of millions of people.

Refusing to concede is a smart way to nurse this grievance. Already a successful fund drive is under way to start the "We was robbed" organization. The fund raising plea says money is needed to fund the legal challenges. Fine print in the official filing papers says, however, none of expected small donations will go to this purpose. Those donations will all go to the unsuccessful campaign fund and the Republican National Committee. A cynical pundit like myself would predict lots of that money will find its way to the Trump family pockets.

The good thing is we will get to watch what the old South did for all those years.


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