And no matter our philosophical, spiritual, sexual or political positions on the philosophical, spiritual, sexual or political issues of these times, there is one plain and simple truth that cannot be refuted, debated or denied by anyone.
The dude has white circles around his eyes.
Very seldom so blatantly obvious as to be worthy of a new Kim Carnes chart topper, but always, in one shade or another, to one degree or another, plain to see.
The conventional wisdom, when offered, tends to laser in on Trump's apparent lack of skill when it comes to self tanning.
The overwhelming temptation, at this point, of course, is to find some way to work "throwing a little shade on the Donald" into the conversation here, but, we run a classier shop than that around here.
Not to mention that it goes without saying America is about not judging people by the color of their skin.
Or colors, as the case may be.
I'm no credentialed make-up artist, nor dermatologist and I'm not one of those who ultra violet-ly tan their hide, Clyde, so I've got nothing to offer in rebuttal to the tacky tanning theory.
After watching and listening to Trump in campaign action, though, lo, these past months, there is another cause of that distinctive discoloration that occurs to me.
And I was reminded of that cause when watching the coverage of the protests and arrests in San Diego Friday outside the scheduled Trump rally.
San Diego (CNN)Police clad in riot gear and wielding batons began dispersing a crowd of Donald Trump supporters and protesters here Friday night after the presumptive GOP nominee held a rally.
After issuing orders to the crowd of roughly 1,000 to disperse, police began forcefully and aggressively pushing protesters, checking them with their batons. At least 35 people were arrested, police said.
Even as there was no room to move, police officers continued to push protesters and reporters, with some toppling over in the fray. Police pepper-sprayed several protesters.
In a message to the San Diego Police Department, Trump applauded the officers' response to the protesters.
"Fantastic job on handling the thugs who tried to disrupt our very peaceful and well attended rally," Trump tweeted. "Greatly appreciated."
Some protesters sitting in a public square refused to move as police officers in riot gear moved in, leading to several arrests.
The clashes began after Trump supporters flooded into the streets following the event at the San Diego Convention Center.
A few altercations broke out between supporters of the presumptive Republican nominee and protesters opposed to his campaign, particularly Trump's views on immigration.
Scores of police officers, clad in riot gear and clutching batons, separated the two groups. As protesters and supporters lingered in the streets, some individuals on both sides began throwing eggs, bottles and other objects at each other.
As the situation intensified at moments, with several volleys of bottles being tossed between the sides, police officers moved in, forcefully and at times aggressively pushing back Trump supporters, protesters and media caught in the scrum with their batons.
But while some violent altercations did break out, the two sides mostly shouted and chanted at each other.
Protesters, some of whom waved Mexican flags, shouted "F--- Trump" and immigration-focused slogans.
Trump supporters countered with chants of "USA, USA" and "Build that wall," prompting responses of "F--- your wall."
One man, wearing a "Free Hugs" shirt, repeatedly stepped between the two sides, seeking to prevent physical altercations.
First, kudos and a "hear, hear, good show, chap" to that good hearted lad in the "Free Hugs" shirt.
Well intended and certainly well played, even though given the tone of the Trump Show to date, wearing a "Free Hugs" T to a Donald rally is a little like wearing a Stephen Hawking T to a Hank Jr. concert.
Meanwhile, back to the protest.
Watching various and sundry news panel shows over the last few days/weeks, it occurs that one bubble keeps rising to the top of the fizz and fuss, but no one, yet, has proffered the proper pin to pop it.
A non-Trump supporter/advocate/spokesperson/zealot makes an observation about something rude, crude, hateful, spiteful, cheap, low blow, et al, ad nauseum, E Pluribus Unum things that their great orange hope has said or done and the applicable Trump supporter/advocate/spokesperson/zealot immediately offers rebuttal, refutation and/or rationalization, usually including some kind of pivot in the direction of Hillary, Bernie or Barack.
Something along the lines of "well, those who are supporting Mr. Trump are simply expressing their long simmering resentment of the same old same old politics of promises and lies, promises and lies, promises and lies...as practiced by, most notably......(wait for it).....Secretary Clinton....Senator Sanders....President Obama..."
The level of Trump love/obsession can usually be measured by whether or not the speaker uses the term "President Obama", "Barack Obama" or, often, with just a soupcon of sneer, "Obama".
Pert near eight years, second of two terms pretty much drawing to a close and the bile is still so high up in their throats that they can't bring themselves to refer to the guy as "President".
Nope. No Ahab like obsession (or do the scratch test and find definitive signs of racism) there, let's move along. Nothing to see.
Meanwhile, as to the protestors who are daring to show the insolence of expressing their resentment at the rude, crude, hateful, spiteful, cheap, low blow, et al, ad nauseum, E Pluribus Unum things that their great orange hope has said or done?
Agitators. Losers. Fools and "libtards" who are just too damn stupid to see Hillary for the lying, murdering, evil bitch she is or Bernie for the hippy dippy Socialist loony tune he is.
They're the reason the streets are filled with anger. They're the reason there are protests in the street.
They're the reason that Mr. Trump's reasonable, mature, thoughtful insightful followers can't just gather together in peace and harmony to show their support and hear more of the masterfully thought out specific details of all the plans that their candidate has made to make America great again.
Those damned "losers" did it again in San Diego.
And Donald very tweetly let the SDPD know that he was grateful for their assist.
Yeah, yeah, very peaceful, model citizens, darn those "thugs", yada, yada.
Let's get back to that bubble I mentioned a few minutes ago.
But, first, in order to prevent as much "pivoting" as possible from the Defenders of the Donald, let's try this.
For the sake of discussion, let's pretend that we all, all of us, each and every ding dang one of us, agree on the following:
All of the candidates have given us valid reasons to oppose/dislike/disagree with/reject and/or resent them.
So, let's don't talk content. None. Zip. Zero. Nada.
Let's talk style. Nothing more. Zip zero nada.
Love her, hate her, wish her well, wish her an ending like Jimmy Hoffa, Hillary's presentation style is basically garden variety, business as usual campaigning.
Love him, hate him, wish him well, wish him into the cornfield, Bernie's presentation style is basically garden variety, business as usual campaigning.
Love him, hate him, wish him well, wish him back into the reality show that is 99% show and 1% reality, Donald's presentation style is anything but basic, garden variety, business as usual campaigning.
Assuming what a majority of us would define, based on fairness, common sense and an historical tradition of uplift and enlightening, as inspirational, none of the three tentatives/presumptives are inspiring us.
But of the three, only one candidate has opted to replace inspiring with inciting.
Three guesses and the first two don't count.
Even those political pundits who loudly and proudly shout out their opposition to the guy and articulately warn of the dangers of actually electing him President admit that Donald Trump is, if he is absolutely nothing else, possessed of an uncommon talent at working people into such a frenzy that they would do whatever he asked of them.
Cue Don Quixote here.
The thing is, my fellow 'Muricans is that this ain't no impossible dream.
This is real deal, Katy bar the door, kick the tires and light the fires shit pot stirring.
A style successfully employed throughout history by a host of successful shit pot stirrers.
Leaders of lynch mobs.
World leaders from the school of conquest and nuclear warheads in their backpacks.
Self proclaimed saviors with a pair of cool shades and a vat full of Kool-Aid.
By the way, at this point, this whole history of people stirring emotions and getting a lot of other people lathered up enough to follow blindly starts to shed a little light on all those controversial comparisons of Trump to Hitler that got the faithful all hot and bothered a while back.
People say that Trump is actually just like Hitler.
But I'm not saying that.
I'm just saying that people say that.
And there it is.
The bubble. The thing. The tell. The part of the magic trick that you don't see as it's going down, but is absolutely critical to pulling off the illusion.
Let's call it "the wink".
The technique that Trump is using to so masterfully mesmerize those who are...well, mesmerized.
Stirring up a global sized cauldron of passion and anger and frustration and venom and vitriol and viciousness and bigotry and hatred....while seeming to never lay a hand on, or anywhere near, the big spoon stirring it.
And the really remarkable thing here is that this manic magic is, once you get a peek at the "how to" video, absolutely nothing more than a noisier, more grandiose updating of a stunt we used to pull on each other when we were ten years old.
Grab the other kid's arm, use it to smack them in the face and keep chanting "why are you hitting yourself ?...why are you hitting yourself?"
Trump's mastery of the technique also includes the illusion of validation from others.
"...I'm not saying that Megyn Kelly is a bimbo who was on the rag during the first debate...but people tell me that she is...and was..."
*wink*
"...I'm not saying that Carly Fiorina is ugly and nobody would vote for somebody with that face...but people tell me that she is and they wouldn't..."
*wink*
"...I don't have a clue as to what this economic policy I'm going to offer means...but there are people who know a lot about economics who tell me that it's a good plan....a terrific plan..."
*wink*
And then there's that zany little business about inciting people to hatred and/or violence.
Here's just one tiny tidbit of the eloquence and inspirational presentation of the Republican Party nominee for the office of President of the United States.
The protests, and accompanying anger and violence, in San Diego and, bet the black belt, kids, yet to come between now and, at the very least, November, are nothing more than the inevitable result of a irrefutable scientific fact.
Put a flame next to a flammable source and blazing fire will occur.
Through circumstance, fate, divine providence or just pure dumb damn luck, Donald Trump has been handed a global megaphone.
He, alone, decides how to use it.
He has chosen, thus far, to use it to incite, not inspire.
He has chosen to play to, and capitalize on, people's fear, anger, frustration and, in doing so, further energizes and inflames that fear, anger and frustration.
For those still a little fuzzy on the distinction between inspire and incite:
Inspire:
Incite:
As to that distinctive discoloration in Donald's own face?
Well, some of it is obviously poor tanning technique.
But, something tells me that some, if not a lot of it, is the result of Donald's eyes opening and shutting a lot more than the average in the course of a little gesture that some of us use when we want others to know that we're just screwing with them or that we've put something over on someone.
Keep in mind, I'm not saying that Donald Trump is winking at his legions as he disrespects and denigrates pretty much everything that indicates class act behavior.
But people are telling me that's exactly what he's doing.
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