Dems face Four Horsemen of the American Apocalypse

Trump, an unfit, bullying, insecure, narcissist, rage filled, lying con man became president in 2016 in the unlikeliest US presidential win ever. Historians and pundits will be debating that outcome for years, pondering reasons that include Hillary, DNC, Russians, Wiki Leaks, Electoral College, vote fraud, misogyny, apathy, among others. Though a non-theist, I look to the Bible for insight. The Book of Revelations tells us about Death, Famine, War, Conquest: the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I see a 21st century version in the 62,984,825 Trump voters and their enabler Donald J. Trump.

First Horseman is Fear, be it that of Muslims, refugees, socialism; even a black man becoming president, whom we were told, wasn't even a true, naive born American. Riding up second is Hate, the outlet for all that Fear that lurks within us all just waiting for a malevolent, charismatic figure to exploit. Alongside Fear and Hate, comes Ignorance, the lack of real knowledge that keeps the fearful and hateful in line for a corrupt leader to accomplish nefarious ends. Trailing the pack, should all else fail, is Denial, the Horseman who looks at evil but refuses to see; refuses to act.

The modern day Four Horsemen are present at times in us all. But never in American history has a major presidential aspirant based his entire quest on unleashing them to govern, not all 327 million of us, but merely the 63 million who saddled up for the ride to a degraded, cruel, perverted version of the noble American experiment.

This represents a daunting challenge for whomever of the 16 remaining Democratic candidates becomes the Standard Bearer in Milwaukee next July….how to get enough of those 63 million riders of Fear, Hate, Ignorance and Denial to dismount from following the Four Horsemen of the American Apocalypse over the cliff to a courser, poorer, meaner nation.