We are living through history. The events of the past year have been remarkable, if not totally unimaginable. Most of the actions we thought Trump would take — he took. But in true Trump form, he did so many other things that were so bizarre, so mind-bogglingly stupid that this week, as the year winds down, we’re left in a kind of stunned state of confusion.
Like, taking over the Kennedy Center? WTF?
He’s taken a million little actions that will be lost to the winds of time, but that would stand out in a normal timeline.
It’s grim, folks.
But there has been one silver lining in all of this: Trump’s destructive behavior has stoked a resistance that wouldn’t have needed to exist in normal times. And those who comprise the resistance today will be the ones who rebuild the world tomorrow.
Over the past two weeks, this column has focused on shining a light on the heroes in that resistance. You’ve voted for your favorites, and my abacus has heated up with the friction from tallying your votes.
And a Winner has emerged — but it’s a lot closer than the Loser of the Year competition (RFK, Jr. ran away with it).
Loser of the Year!
De Tocqueville said, “If men are to remain civilized, the art of associating together must grow and improve.” Calling the other side a bunch of Losers might, I admit, go against the spirit of artful association, as de Tocqueville intended.
The Winner competition was close, mostly because you all wrote-in a ton of candidates. In addition to the six official candidates, there were at least 20 write-ins. This is the kind of coalition that should give us hope. There are a lot of people doing good right now, and more and more will join the effort, particularly as we get into primary season in the coming months.
Don’t get me wrong. We’re entering what could be the most dangerous, tumultuous period in Trump’s dangerous, tumultuous second term. But the fact that so many people are stepping up in a way that is tangible, noticeable, and effective should give us a reason to fight on.
Without further ado, let’s go to our Winners.
