OPINION:
Rep. Ayanna Pressley said at a press conference this week that no way, no how would she ever consider President Donald Trump the rightful leader of the free world and that in her mind — from her lips — he would always be considered an unauthorized, illegitimate “occupant” of the White House.
She’s not just thumbing her nose at Trump. She’s thumbing her nose at the American people.
She’s thumbing her nose at the whole constitutional system that guides this country’s government.
And oh so childishly so. Like in a goofy broad kind of way. Like in a “you’re a stoopid-head, Mr. Trump” kind of way.
Like him or hate him, the fact is Trump is the duly elected president. Liberals can’t get past the idea that Hillary Clinton should have won because she had the popular vote. But in America, it’s the Electoral College that guides — and there’s a very good reason for that.
Framers knew that the direct election of a president could open the door for voter manipulation. Framers also knew that direct election would allow the larger states to swallow the voices of the smaller states. So framers established a system to protect the areas of the country with smaller populations — typically, the more rural areas.
That’s what the left hates.
The left hates that its liberal enclaves on the West Coast and on the East Coast can’t rule the typically more conservative voices in so-called “fly-over” areas of the country. That’s why the left is on a full-steam-ahead charge to abolish the Electoral College.
In comes Trump to office, underscoring to the left all it hates about the Electoral College.
And here we are, years into Trump’s presidency, and Democrats are still seething.
“I want to send a message of gratitude and thanks to the solidarity that we have received from every corner of our country, from our colleagues to our neighbors, we are grateful for your solidarity, your encouragement and your support in the face of the most recent xenophobic, bigoted remarks from the occupant of our White House,” Pressley said, Breitbart reported.
And in a tweet, “Meet the Press” quoted Pressley as saying, “I will always refer to [Trump] as ’the occupant’ as he is only occupying space. He does not embody the grace, the empathy, the compassion, the integrity that that office requires.”
OK.
So playing along: Pressley is simply “the occupant” of the good congressional seat from Massachusetts. Why? She does not embody the constitutional IQ, the humble servant attitude, the proper political credentials that the office requires.
But that would be childish.
So, too, is Pressley.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley.
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