“Ain’t Nothing Gonna Happen.”

I have of late avoided the subject of Donald Trump specifically and the current state of politics generally on this blog.

 

My state of mind in this arena can be summed up this quote:  “Ain’t nothing gonna happen.”

 

About a month ago, Saturday Night Live presented a sketch centering around a political panel discussion show where the host and 2 of the panelists are in a tizzy of excitement over the impeachment inquiry and the constant stream of revelations of Trump’s multiple impeachable offenses. Keenan Thompson’s character has this to say: “Ain’t nothing gonna happen.”

 

The other panelists are incredulous over this attitude, citing the overwhelming list of damning corroboration of Trump’s misdeeds.  Thompson hold firm in his opinion: “Ain’t nothing gonna happen.”

 

This prompts a flashback to an earlier edition of the show where the host and 2 of the panelists are in a tizzy of excitement over the Mueller report and the numerous examples of Trump’s obstruction of justice. Then, as now, Thompson’s character has only this to say: “Ain’t nothing gonna happen.”

 

There’s another flashback, this time to 2016 where the host and 2 of the panelists are in a tizzy of excitement over the recording of Trump saying he likes to grab women by the p***y and how surely this would mean the end of any chance of Trump being elected. Even in 2016, Thompson’s character can only observe: “Ain’t nothing gonna happen.”

 

The sketch became more memorable for the technical glitch near the end when Aidy Bryant breaks. To facilitate the flashbacks, the cast was changing bits and pieces of their wardrobe with ties, jackets, eyeglasses, sweaters and more being put on or taken off. There a bit near the end where a wardrobe person winds up on camera in a moment of panic and when the sketch resumes, Aidy has lost it in a fit of giggles.

 

But the basic message of the sketch stays with me.

 

Every time my wife Andrea breathlessly informs me of some new damn thing or another that should represent a final nail in Donald Trump’s political coffin, I can only reply, “Ain’t nothing gonna happen.”

 

We have a whistleblower report that says Donald Trump dangled military aid to Ukraine to coerce Ukraine’s president to open investigations into Trump’s political rivals.

We have a transcript from the White House that shows he did that.

We have witnesses testifying to Congress he did that.

Hell, we have Trump on camera urging foreign governments to investigate his political rivals.

 

Does any of this matter? 


For any of this to matter, there has to be a clear eyed and objective assessment of the facts of the case. It shouldn't come down to whether one is Democrat or Republican. Did Donald Trump withhold funds approved as military aid to an ally to further his own person political vendetta?


Time and time and time again, the available evidence keeps piling up that Donald Trump did exactly that which is NOT in keeping with his duties as defined by the constitution. 


But Republicans in Congress continue to put fealty to Trump ahead of their duties to the Constitution and to the country they are supposed to serve.


Let the evidence pile up. As long as half of the politicians in Washington are in lock step with their loyalty to Donald Trump over all other considerations, well, you know what's going to happen.

 

“Ain’t nothing gonna happen.”