Almost everyone has seen the video of Walter Cronkite reacting to John Kennedy's assassination. At the time, everyone already knew that Kennedy had been shot in Dallas and feared for the worst. But Kennedy's death wasn't "official" until Walter Cronkite took off his glasses, turned to the camera and, straining to keep his voice steady, said: "President Kennedy is dead."

Last night, Rachel Maddow interviewed Bob Woodward on his book "Fear." After the show was over, she spent about two minutes chatting with Lawrence O'Donnell whose show follows hers. Their chatter is normal, but last night, she came out with a statement for the ages and one that may end up in the Smithonian.

She was referring to specific passages in Woodward's book. But, imo, she was referring to the incredible, unlikely, mind-boggling fact that Donald Trump is occupying the Oval Office.

She said: "It's why dogs aren't allowed to drive cars."

O'Donnell laughed, held up a copy of Woodward's book "Fear," and said it will be the subtitle on the second printing: "'Fear'" It's Why Dogs Aren't Allowed to Drive Cars"

IMO, Rachel's comment may be a giant coffin nail in Trump's pResidency. For all the millions of words that have been written about Trump, none have been more devastating than indirectly comparing him to a dog that shouldn't be driving a car.

It seems likely that some 50 or more years from now, some documentary will cover, on whatever media exists in the future, the historical tape of Cronkite declaring a president dead, -- a historic moment, -- and a clip of Rachel Maddow referring to Donald Trump with the quip: "It's why they don't let dogs drive cars."

Both statements refer to horrific moments: One, a tragic announcement of loss; The other, a simple yet brilliant statement of a deadly threat to American democracy.

Racism!

Disagree? Let's hear why.

The answer is so simple. All take power/ownership/control away from white Christian men.*

Imagine (if you can) that you're a white Christian man. You are SOMEONE. You are PRIVILEGED. You are in CONTROL.

It doesn't matter what you do for a living. You are a SUPERIOR human being.

That mindset. That self-image. That world view. That is what and why you are among some of the stupidest fucking people on this planet. It's who and what you are. It's why you love and voted for a cruel, evil, know-nothing, orange imbecile.

Listen up. America will soon be a "minority" country. What does that mean? It means that white Christians will no longer be the majority.

Why does that scare them?

Because of what they've done to every non-Christian white person for a few hundred years in this country.

I'd like to believe that the new, upcoming majority will be more tolerant, fair and accepting than those who are about to become a minority. But can only hope. Human nature is human nature.

*There are millions upon millions of white Christian men who are decent, loving, and caring of all humanity.

The answer is simple. It's called the Republican Hate Machine.

Hilary is hated because Republican voters have been told for years that she is to be hated.

Nancy Pelosi is hated because the Republican Hate Machine keeps repeating that she must be hated. Why must she be hated? Because it is repeated and repeated and repeated that she must be hated.

Now that Elizabeth Warren is becoming a possible candidate for president, she too must be hated. So the Republican Hate Machine spends time telling Republican voters to hate an incredibly great woman, (who Trump calls "Pocahontas." The man's a piece of pig shit.)

If the imbeciles who buy into the hatred are asked why they hate any of those named above, they can't tell you. Actually, they won't tell you that they hate them because they are all Democrats. And Democrats, especially their leaders, and especially women, are against the racism, bigotry and ignorance spewed out by the Republican Party 24/7/365.

This is why Hilary, Pelosi and Elizabeth Warren are so hated. They are hated by the know-nothings of the world who are told to hate them. And they're told over and over and over again.

The Republican Hate Machine generates propaganda full time. We have nothing to match it except the truth. In the short run, propaganda machines work. In the long run, the haters go down.

Yesterday, I went for my yearly checkup.

After the med stuff, my doctor asked my what I do in my spare time

I told him about exercise, reading, etc, etc. And then I mentioned I spend time online.

His reaction was "Social Media?"

I told him I never go to Facebook, Twitter, or any of the social sites.

He breathed a sigh of relief. Although an MD, he went on to give me a short lecture about social network sites and mental health.

It was a lecture I didn't need. My feelings/beliefs are the same as his.

So what's my point?

If you're on social network sites, get off. Stop telling the world about yourself, and stop listening to or reading about crap that may or may not be true.

Social media could have been a blessing and a curse. Turns out it's more of a curse that anyone could have imagined.

I know that I'm going to take a ton of crap for this post from many people for many reasons.

Nonetheless, please allow me to say this to you. Get off of social media. And stay off. Forever.

Conservatives have been playing the game of "by any and all means" politics for 40 or 50 years, while we've been playing with ourselves.

They have funded institutions such as the Heritage Foundation, the Federalist Society, and many other "think tanks" to establish their goals, lay out their plans for achieving them, and getting like-minded people into office, from local school boards, to city commissioners, to state officials, on up to the U.S. house and senate. They've succeeded brilliantly.

Control of local and federal courts has always been one of their objectives and, at that level, they are succeeding beyond their wildest dreams. Owning the Supreme Court has been their wet dream forever. Now they've got it.

We Democrats don't think this way. We've always relied on people "doing the right thing," and we've always believed that democracy would somehow, "magically" triumph over any evil that tried to attack it. We've had faith in the innate decency and goodness of human beings, while the enemies of democracy have spun their very effective webs to ensnare the minds of millions.

Well, here we are. We're on the right side of history, morality and humanity. So why are we being crushed? Because we underestimated the enemies of freedom.

They've got a 40 or 50 year head start. We've got a lot of catching up to do and not much time to do it.

If this year's congressional elections are stolen (yes, Republicans steal elections), we're going to need a Plan B pretty damn quick.

Sounds like a rumor to me.

Hope Donald enjoys all his meals there.

And everywhere else.

This afternoon, I saw a movie that was made in 1988, titled, “Mississippi Burning.”

It was about the KKK murder of three civil rights workers named Chaney, Schwerner and Goodwin. One black Christian and two white Jews who were murdered by the KKK in the summer of 1964 because they were trying to register voters in Mississippi.

The despicable KKK thugs were eventually brought to justice, (of sorts), but America has not lived happily ever after.

Lynden Johnson was the president back then, and, when he got the civil rights and voting rights bills through congress, he said that the South was lost to Democrats for a generation.

Well, it’s been far more than a generation and it’s been far more than the South. Today, it’s the entire Republican Party that is surviving and thriving, in many regions of the country, under the banner of racism and hatred.

And at this moment in history, the Oval Office is occupied by someone who is using the ignorance, hatred and racism of a minority of Americans, to expand and consolidate his own power, and to satisfy his lust for more wealth and his insatiable ego.

Forget that “slippery slope” meme. We’re well down that water slide and accelerating.

It seems that the only power we have left is the vote. But we don’t get to do that until four months from now. And by then, the highest court in the land may well be occupied by a majority of people who have no problem with the current destruction of American democracy.

So is there a point to this recital of history and where we are now?

Yes. The point is that a minority of people with no conscience, morality, or decency, now hold all the levers of power in America. It may already be too late to stop this juggernaut of fascism. But unless we somehow can stop it, or slow it down, it will devour American democracy, human decency and all of us who understand what’s happening.

This is more than a rant. It’s a plea for anyone who has a concept of how to battle this disease to step forward and speak up.

Is there a defensive action we haven’t thought of?

Is there anything that can be done to slow down this horror before we get to vote?

Is there a way to save what is left of the country we thought this was?

As a kid, I was afraid to go to the circus. I liked the high-wire and trapeze acts. I hated lion-tamers who snapped whips at large cats who spent their lives in cages. My heart went out to the magnificent elephants who had to perform stupid tricks in order to get fed.

But mostly, I was afraid of clowns. They terrified me, as they terrified millions of others.

Perhaps there is such a thing as precognition, (a paranormal feeling/instinct about the future). If so, perhaps those of us who were terrified by clowns, were exposed to a warp in the space-time continuum. -- A peek at the future. -- An intuitive awareness that clowns were, somehow, bringers of evil.

The grotesque Trump clown is now having his moment. It was like that moment in the circus when countless clowns spilled out of a small car. We wondered how so many of them could get in there. And now we’re wondering how so many incredible fools and clowns could have gotten into positions of power in the American government.

And some of them aren’t even in the Trump “administration.” They are clowns who work in a circus called “The Republican House of Representatives.” But they’re not throwing pies in the face. Instead, they’re trying to throw a Nobel Peace Prize at the clown-in-chief. They’re throwing tax cuts at their owners. They’re throwing up roadblocks to healthcare for all Americans. They’re spitting on immigrants who are seeking a better life – or just life itself, for their children and themselves.

And now, every day of our lives, the Trump clown draws our attention to his demented activities, -- to the meaningless "thoughts" that develop in his diseased mind and that he spews forth as words or tweets. It's a terrifying show and we are all a captive audience.

No need for a call to send in the clowns. They’re here.

Past time to send them out.

I don’t have Donald Trump’s (supposed) wealth.

I don’t have his fame (or infamy).

I don’t have his possessions.

I don’t have the freedom to do what I want to do, whenever I want to do it.

But there is nothing, absolutely nothing in the world that could make me want to exchange my life for his. (This would be true even if he were not under suspicion of, -- and under investigation for, -- being one of the most corrupt people on the planet.)

Think about it. This is a man who does not enjoy the everyday pleasures of life. He spent his life living in New York City, but do you think he ever went to:

A Broadway play (and stayed awake)?

Lincoln Center?

The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)?

A peaceful walk in Central Park?

The Statue of Liberty?

The 9/11 Memorial?

And before he was ever president, do you suppose he ever wanted to see:

The Lincoln Memorial?

The Smithsonian?

The Vietnam Memorial – The Wall?

The Library of Congress? (Or any library? Anywhere? Ever?)

Enjoying just sitting on the Washington Mall.

And aside from all the tourist attractions of both cities, do you think this is a man who ever sat around listening to his favorite music album? Does he like music? Is this a man who would hike? Or go bird watching? Or ride a bike? Or gaze in wonder at the Grand Canyon? Or even just enjoy watching kittens play?

Somehow, I don’t think so.

I don’t think he enjoys any of the normal pleasures the world has to offer. I believe that his pleasures are accumulating wealth. Bullying others. Being the center of attention – always. Being adored by everyone. Having total control.

I believe he wishes he were an all-powerful king of old, -- A Pharaoh, -- A Caesar, -- A loved and feared “God on Earth.”

From everything I can see of this man who is currently occupying and despoiling the Oval Office, he cares about nothing in the world except for his own immediate gratification. This is a man who, perhaps, lives in constant anxiety and/or fear that he will be “found out.” A man who is terrified that people will see through him. A man whom everyone will recognize to be empty, hollow, small.

He is a man who has a talent for destroying rather than creating. And he will leave the world a far worse place than he found it.

This is a man who no normal human being would want to be.

This is the horror of being Donald Trump.