I never liked Bob Dole. I never agreed with his politics. But I used to have a begrudging respect for the guy. His body was wrecked by Nazis in Italy during the war, and he never let that stop him from pursuing a full and purposeful life. Sometimes he could be a little bitter about it, but I never faulted him for that. I actually think he’s got a much better sense of humor than people give him credit for. He’s 98 years old now, and I’m ordinarily willing to offer anyone that age a giant benefit of the doubt if they start acting funny. That’s pretty close to the upper limit of how long a human brain can do its job.
But Dole is virtually alone among former leaders of the Republican Party in sticking with Trump through thick and thin. He still calls himself a Trumper, even after the insurrection, although he says he’s feeling “Trumped out.” I can’t excuse this.
To me, it’s like he took a gigantic smelly dump all over his entire life, career and legacy, including his sacrifices, his service, and all his accomplishments. When Dole dies, we’ll read about his long political career but we’ll also read that he backed Trump until the end, and that’s what really matters.
Because in supporting Trump he’s shown that he won’t defend this country when it’s under threat. He did it as a young man and that’s why I respected him and forgave him many of his trespasses, but it’s all for naught because with the benefit of age he gained no courage and even less wisdom.
I no longer respect him. I hold him in utter contempt. Every other Republican clan came around eventually to the realization that the party has drifted too far out of reality. The Eisenhower kids saw enough with George W. Bush and endorsed Obama. Nancy Reagan and the Bush clan saw enough with Trump. The same is true of John McCain and his family, and Mitt Romney. Liz Cheney is bucking with her party as we speak, and will serve on the January 6 committee.
I’m a Democrat. I have fought against these people my entire adult life, but I recognize and value their dissent. Dole is in a different category. He’s alone and it’s glaring.
He’s disgraced himself and it’s too late for redemption.
He can’t get his hand on it???
One would think that after 98 years on this earth, some small smidgen of wisdom would take root in his brain. But he’s completely clueless.
He’s contemptible in that he doesn’t seek redemption, because he doesn’t believe he has been wrong. His lack of any ability to self reflect is damning. He stood by Nixon all during Watergate, all the way to the end. And to still be embracing Trump at this juncture pretty much nullifies anything substantive and beneficial he might possibly have done during his long life. Yes, he’s a disgrace. Yet almost no one will say this out loud. In death, he will be revered as some pillar of a lost and golden time in our politics, no matter how totally mythical such a viewpoint might be. We in this country are very practiced at glossing over the thread of human awfulness that runs through our history, and continues to this very day. Bob Dole is just the latest example of our purposeful national blindness.
Of all the things that the US had done “wrong” my my lifetime – and I’m 72! – the worst was electing Trump. That millions of Americans actually voted for that vain, ignorant, stupid man leads me to distrust American democracy in a profound way.
So I too will never understand why Bob Dole sees any value in Trump.
I still remember how he ran for Vice President as an attack dog for Gerald Ford. Very formulaic and low class. My sense is he’s a good soldier, always doing what he thinks he’s supposed to do for whatever team he’s on. Glad he was on our side during WWII because he would have been a fearless and courageous Nazi.
I don’t view that statement as particularly damning. We all have blind spots. We’re all deeply flawed. That’s just a part of being human. I wish he thought differently and tried to help those in need during his long and storied career. But I won’t stand in judgment of someone who clearly has some semblance of values. I figure we’ll all be asked to account for our choices when we get to the other side. I’d never vote for the guy. Not for president; not for dog catcher.
I recall watching Bob Dole during his run for president in 1996. I recall that while I listened to him, I thought to myself: “Doesn’t the GOP have any ideas other than more tax cuts?”
21 years have gone by and the answer should be obvious.
The way Bob Dole dumped his first wife and child told me a lot about this man. His first wife was an occupational therapist and helped him feel like a normal person again. I’m not surprised Dole is sticking with Trump. He’s a typical Republican politician where party comes before country. IOW, he comes first.