Weekend at Thurmond’s
By 
Once upon a time there was a U.S. senator named Strom Thurmond (D/R-SC). Strom was a huge racist and he was a senator for a very long time. So long that in his final days his aides sat beside him in chambers and told him how to vote. It was ghoulish in the extreme.
And yes, I remember Reagan. Anyone who remembers Reagan knows he never looked or acted anywhere near as unwell as Thurmond did in his final days in Senate. Even when he was lying in state.
Why am I bringing up a horrible racist who became so decrepit while in office that he had to be toted around and worked like a ventriloquist’s dummy to maintain the GOP’s grip on power?
It started with some great commentary on Grabby Gabby’s dementia test.
Because I’m a nerd who thinks about such things, I had questions. First, what test was Generalissimo Littlepaws yapping about? Then, why would his medical team administer an assessment designed to “detect cognitive impairment in its earliest stage.” Much less twice a year? Then I wondered if the second test had happened. His physician doesn’t mention a cognitive evaluation in his report on the October exam.
So I reached a very pessimistic conclusion: Trump’s medical team isn’t testing or monitoring his cognitive state. His physician might be humoring him by administering the test and telling him he got a smiley face and a gold star; but he’s not using the results to create a plan of care. More importantly, from this admin’s point of view, the president’s cognitive state is irrelevant.
Major news outlets twist language into interesting new shapes to make him sound normal. Reporters concoct translations of his ravings like he’s a sibyl. If one day someone has to guide his hand to sign a bill or executive order, his lackeys will shout about Biden and autopens. With certain very rare exceptions Republicans in Congress will continue to support him because thanks to their efforts GOP = Trump and they’re stuck with him.
While he’s alive the party will prop him up. On an actual scaffold if necessary.
