Home of the Brave

I recently saw Bill Clinton speak at a conference. The whole place was waiting for him to give us some insider info on why we didn’t need to worry so much about the upcoming election. Instead, he joked about his age and how thin his blood is. That led to a request that if he ends up in jail, Trump picks one in an area with a warm climate. However this election turns out, I’m confident that Bill Clinton’s joke will remain just that. But there’s no doubt that speaking out about Trumpism has its risks. That’s why, in this age of so much cowardice from the enablers to those who chose to stay silent during this election, I want to spend this election day with a note of gratitude for those who spoke up. I can’t say many good things about Donald Trump, but I’ll give him this: Donald Trump is a values clarifier. He’s a living, breathing, pontificating reminder of which values you cherish and what you’re willing to stand up for. We’ve spent countless hours analyzing the character of Donald Trump. That’s a settled issue. The real character being tested right now is ours. And many people have passed that test, regardless of the risk to their personal brands, their bottom lines, or the relentless hate and verbal abuse they know they’re guaranteed to get from the other side. This includes the never-Trump politicians who are members of the GOP (and were even members of the Trump cabinet) who had the guts to put country over party. It includes business leaders like Reid Hoffman and Mark Cuban who know that stability and rule of law are required for business to thrive, and who also know going against Trump could cost them. And it includes celebrities and other public figures, especially those with massive crossover audiences who they risk alienating and angering. At this point, it’s relatively easy for someone like me to keep telling the truth about Trump. I’m only internet famous (at best) and most of those who respond with hate and threats have long ago unsubscribed. But that’s not the case for someone like Jimmy Kimmel, who is regularly threatened by Trump and his supporters. It’s not true for people like Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift who play to audiences that include plenty of people who will vote for Trump. In an ordinary time, making your political opinions known wouldn’t be risky and it certainly wouldn’t represent a heroic act. But in an ordinary time, one of the candidates for president doesn’t tell his followers, “I hate Taylor Swift” and fantasize about seeing his political opponents on the wrong end of a firing squad. I’ll be honest. When I lie in bed awake worrying about America, I mostly get sad and angry about the cowardice we’ve seen from politicians and public figures. But today I want put that negativity aside and focus on the positive aspect of the story. Someone told me you could lead with joy and come out on top.

+ If you missed it yesterday, I gave my final prediction/non-prediction: It’s All Greek to Me.