The reign of incompetence gives double dose in South Dakota

Partisan politics may produce the ultimate end of the United States. Lincoln noted that "A house divided against itself cannot stand."  He was referring specifically to a division between slave-holding and free states, but was confident that division would be resolved.  Of course, the division was ultimately resolved by the elimination of slavery.  The division that divides the nation today is as elemental, but much less subject to resolution.   It is a division between people of good will and those who harbor malice as a value.  Reconciliation between good will and ill will is a near impossibility:  the good cannot condone malice in any way.  

Malice has found a loud voice in Donald Trump, and he has defined those who support him.  If there is any redeeming quality of character in Trump, no one I know of has managed to name it.  Trump has uncovered a streak of malice in America that a change in presidents will not dispel.  It is a trait that has great appeal to some people who want it in their leaders.  They equate obstinate malice with strength.   They are people who assent to democracy as a means to provide opportunity to impose anti-democratic rule on the nation.  As a consequence, we have a president who utters unhinged and incoherent statements about fraud and deception that have no basis other than his unfit condition.  He lies constantly.  Trump appeals to those with severe defects of mind and character and gives them encouragement to cling to proven falsehoods as a basic freedom.   He has proven himself unfit to do anything rational and constructive.  He has six weeks left to scorch the nation's earth, after which we citizens can only hope that Joe Biden can reconstruct the nation.

As for South Dakota, Gov. vacuous floundering with her Trumpist cow girl act leaves the state competing for the most deaths per capita from covid-19 with her leave-the people-free-for-disease-and-death rant and nothing else.  She has no mind to be out of.

2020 has been a year of trial and tribulation, and the likes of Trump and Noem are what has made it so.  One can only wonder if this what their supporters actually wanted.  The evidence is that it is.