Editorial: The Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back
Only now do Republican politicians remember that they are husbands and parents to girls
Outrage over their candidate has arrived late for Republicans, just one month before the election. The emergence of the video in which Donald Trump speaks about how he gropes women and forcibly kisses them whether they consent to it or not, seems to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Although the signs that Trump has a shameful and despicable personality have been present for a quite a while, most preferred to look the other way for the sake of political convenience. For a long time, the candidate has demonstrated attitudes and said outrageous words that were received with compliance – be it through encouragement, silence or the awkwardness of those who end up accepting anything.
The goal was to avoid contradicting the candidate who offends and insults Latinos, African-Americans, women, people with disabilities, immigrants and Muslims, in order to retain the followers attracted by his hateful message.
Only now do Republican politicians remember that they are husbands and parents to girls. It is worth wondering why they didn’t do so when Trump laughed at rival Carly Fiorina’s face during the primary, or when he said that the reason journalist Megan Kelly asked him a difficult question was because she was in her period. Many other recordings of the candidate talking at Howard Stern’s radio show were widely known, in which not even the candidate’s daughter was spared from Trump’s vulgar remarks.
When the insults were directed at immigrants, Mexicans, African-Americans and Muslims, it did not matter much because, regrettably, such mentality is part of the rhetoric of an increasingly dominant sector within the GOP. Resentment against immigrants and their demonization are a perverse routine in the House of Representatives.
Some Republicans have defended their ideals and categorically disavowed Trump, but they are the minority. The rest, those who for a long time have surrendered their principles to please the millionaire, are to blame for the Party’s current crisis. Their attitude must not be forgotten.
Followers, as repugnant as their ideas may be, at least show consistency in their continued support of Trump. The Republican Party unscrupulously used them all, thinking that they would later be able to control the situation.
Republicans did their part to create a cesspool, to which Trump also contributed, and accepted to sully themselves along with the candidate using all kinds of excuses. It is too late now to try to clean up by tearing their hearts out; the stains are deep enough that they brought them to this point.
