19 March—Residents of Torrington—at least those who take the Republican-American—must have been breathing a huge sigh of relief Saturday morning when they read the front-page headline over the fold that told them, “LUCK OF THE IRISH/Now cancer-free, Torrington declares Michael Driscoll ‘Lord Mayor’ during special St. Patrick’s Day ceremony.”

They silently congratulated Mike Driscoll, of course, as do we. But were they even aware that Torrington had been afflicted with a municipal malignancy or how far it had metastasized before it was diagnosed? In the interest of transparency, shouldn’t Mayor Elinor Carbone have kept her subjects au courant? At least by Saturday morning the often fatal urban carcinoma was in full remission. According to the Republican-American, anyway.

On the painful subject of cancer, then, remember when Donald Trump announced to the foolish faithful (or faithful foolish) at a Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) gang bang last year, “I am your retribution!”? Retribution for what doesn’t matter.

Well, America’s orange elephant (only in the sense of the GOP symbol, of course), mouthing off in Ohio last week, went several steps farther when he threatened, warned, or promised that the United States would never have another election if he didn’t get elected in November: “Now, if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the whole . . . that’s going to be the least of it. It’s going to be a bloodbath for the country.”

(Trump’s brilliant demagogic style is to casually repeat pregnant words and phrases in order to drive home his message to his simple-minded, gullible followers. It works. What else can you say?)

Strong words? Not for der Drecksack Führer. Trump’s tramps—even former sycophant Vice President Mike Pence who refuses to endorse him now (although for many of the wrong reasons)—insist their Führer (or президент, like Putrid) was only referring to the dire future of the American automobile industry should he not be elected POTUS 47 and be able to impose a 100 percent tariff on foreign-made cars.

Unless he’s delusional, Trump knows full well that will never happen. Unless he’s delusional? But the country is full of impressionable idiots who believe him. And worship him as a demigod or messiah. Gotta give the scumbag credit.

The truth, however, is that Trump fully intended to warn the country that unless he wins—legitimately or otherwise, it doesn’t matter to him—his moronic militia will actually foment a real bloodbath, another civil war. The 6 January Capitol incursion wasn’t even a skirmish.

Trump has been doing it all along, mind you. But as his campaign proceeds and he needs to assure his victory by hook or by crook, his subtle at first and then not so subtle allusions to mayhem evolve into assertions; whether they’re promises, warnings, or threats is up to you. In other words, Trump wants us to believe and expect that he’ll be back in the White House next year even if he loses the election this year. But the inference is that his army of imbeciles will see to his victory no matter what it takes.

Lots of dictators, perhaps even most, start out with good intentions before they’re tempted and corrupted by absolute power. But Donald Trump, a dictator without a doubt, held back (so far) only by our strong Constitution, started out—probably from his spoiled childhood—with the intention only of taking care of himself. No matter what the cost to others. What a guy!

In all events, a bully like Trump must not be allowed another term in the White House. Certainly another term for Joe Biden is nothing to look forward to. But another term for Donald Trump is something to be dreaded. And whoever should get elected, at least one house of Congress must be controlled by the other party. Otherwise America will be in deeper shit than it is now . . .