Ralph, Rush, Rupert, Roger . . . GRRRR! November 23, 2020November 22, 2020 But first . . . And speaking of heartless women . . . . . . I somehow don’t see Hillary Clinton or Laura Bush or Michelle Obama or Jill Biden saying, “Who gives a f–k about Christmas stuff?” Michelle on Instagram, if you missed it: This week, I’ve been reflecting a lot on where I was four years ago. Hillary Clinton had just been dealt a tough loss by a far closer margin than the one we’ve seen this year. I was hurt and disappointed—but the votes had been counted and Donald Trump had won. The American people had spoken. And one of the great responsibilities of the presidency is to listen when they do. So my husband and I instructed our staffs to do what George and Laura Bush had done for us: run a respectful, seamless transition of power—one of the hallmarks of American democracy. We invited the folks from the president-elect’s team into our offices and prepared detailed memos for them, offering what we’d learned over the past eight years. I have to be honest and say that none of this was easy for me. Donald Trump had spread racist lies about my husband that had put my family in danger. That wasn’t something I was ready to forgive. But I knew that, for the sake of our country, I had to find the strength and maturity to put my anger aside. So I welcomed Melania Trump into the White House and talked with her about my experience, answering every question she had—from the heightened scrutiny that comes with being First Lady to what it’s like to raise kids in the White House. I knew in my heart it was the right thing to do—because our democracy is so much bigger than anybody’s ego. Our love of country requires us to respect the results of an election even when we don’t like them or wish it had gone differently—the presidency doesn’t belong to any one individual or any one party. To pretend that it does, to play along with these groundless conspiracy theories—whether for personal or political gain—is to put our country’s health and security in danger. This isn’t a game. So I want to urge all Americans, especially our nation’s leaders, regardless of party, to honor the electoral process and do your part to encourage a smooth transition of power, just as sitting presidents have done throughout our history. And now: If Ralph Nader is the villain on the left who gave us George W. Bush instead of Al Gore . . . . . . and thus the multi-trillion-dollar war in Iraq and a right-leaning Supreme Court . . . that gave us Citizens United and gutted the Voting Rights Act . . . giving us, thereby, Trump, who gave us three more rightwing Justices and added trillions to the trillions Bush had already added to the National Debt to give the rich more tax relief . . . . . . then the villains on the right have been Rush and Rupert and Roger (Ailes, not Stone — but him, too). The difference? Nader’s motive was not to gain wealth or power for himself but to shift it toward everyday Americans. To me, that is a big difference. Here is Al Franken on Rush Limbaugh. What a malign force; ultimately more destructive, I would argue, than even Joe McCarthy. Democrats, independents and Republicans . . . . . . which is to say Eisenhower Republicans, Reagan Republicans, Bush Republicans, Romney Republicans, McCain Republicans — even Goldwater Republicans . . . . . . need a 365-day 24/7 war room, because Q-ANON, et al, are at this non-stop, just as the ISIS recruiters were and are. It’s what well-meaning-but-misguided cult members do. They don’t think they’re in a cult; they think they’re in a glorious, righteous cause.