THE AMERICAN POSEIDON ADVENTURE

Stephen Colbert’s last show was such a nuanced display of integrity, intelligence, mature comedy, and honest satire. As Bruce Springsteen said, “This is the first show ever canceled because a president couldn’t take a joke and … the owners of CBS are simply kissing the fat ass.”

Colbert did not get emotional or “act out.” He was the epitome of a professional, but more importantly, of someone who believed in his mission and had no regrets about the course he chose. That was reflected in the finale, when Paul McCartney and the entire cast sang “Hello, Goodbye.” What an apropos ending to punctuate what Colbert’s tenure ultimately represented.

The “HELLO” was the show’s regular content, reporting the news through the lens of what it felt like. He portrayed President Biden as an everyday “Joe,” wearing sunglasses, driving a sports car, a decent guy who thought he was so cool. And Colbert did it well. President Biden did not dispatch the FCC or weaponize merger threats to silence Colbert. He took it like an American who may at times have disagreed, sometimes angrily, but who believed it was Colbert’s right to poke fun at the leader from the perspective of people living with the policies and feeling their effects.

Colbert got under Trump’s skin because his portrayal exposed Trump’s true character almost perfectly: a self-aggrandizing, self-serving, dishonest grifter who thinks he is God’s gift to the world and to women, while deep down knowing he is a loser. That insecurity fuels the crassness and ugliness of his behavior. Colbert regularly did his schtick with a bloated Trump figure twirling on top, verbally vomiting nonsense. Unfortunately for America, Trump “can’t handle the truth.” Aware, at some level, of his own moral and intellectual emptiness, and lacking the qualities of real leadership, he lashes out like the self-indulgent authoritarian brat he has always been. He screams, cries, and takes his toys home.

Sadly, because so many Americans were duped by Trump’s thin patina of leadership and their own poor judgment, the toys Trump is now playing with are really ours. The powers of the presidency have become playthings in his sandbox. Trump behaves as though he owns both the toys and the sandbox itself. Those powers are now used primarily to satiate his own appetite for fun, fame, revenge, and fortune, while the rest of us sit along the rails of the sandbox, sometimes laughing at the absurdity, sometimes crying for our country, and sometimes seething with anger as he weakens and damages the very institutions (toys) that belong to all Americans.

Trump’s behavior is not what the American sandbox is supposed to be. It resembles more the antics of an authoritarian cesspool.

The “GOODBYE” represents what comes next. Colbert may have temporarily been sent to Trump’s gulag, but he will return, because Trump has not yet replaced all of America’s sand with sludge. There is still enough sand left to stand on. And while our toys may be covered in grime and sleaze, there remains an antidote: voting.

I was heartened yesterday to see some Republicans finally stand up to the latest abuse of American ideals. Maybe there is hope for the Republican Party. I do not know about that. But I do believe there is hope for America and for what this country can still stand for: a place where there is no king, where no one is above the law, and where government helps those who genuinely need support while the rest of us contribute to making that possible.

We all need to vote.

VOTE!!!

RESIST!!! & EDUCATE!!!