Vote for Trump, make your opinions known after this insane campaign

OPINION:

As if you needed one more reason to vote for Donald Trump, consider Peanut the squirrel and his friend Fred, the innocent raccoon.

Peanut and Fred were orphaned as babies and adopted by a man in upstate New York. They were raised up and became internet sensations for their cute videos from around the house munching nuts, wearing cowboy hats and drinking from cans of beer.

Two weeks ago, New York wildlife officials raided the home of Mark Longo and seized Peanut and Fred.

Mr. Longo and his wife said they were treated like drug dealers as a dozen agents rifled through their home and abducted Peanut and Fred. And yes, the officers had a search warrant signed by a sitting New York judge.

It was as shocking as when the Clinton administration sent government agents armed with machine guns to raid a house in Miami and seize Elian Gonzalez from the loving arms of his relatives. And it turned out as deadly as when the same administration launched the raid at Ruby Ridge.

After ripping Peanut and Fred from the only home they ever knew — from the arms of their loving human family — New York wildlife agents “euthanized” the happy orphaned pets.

The raid of Peanut and Fred’s home was the Ruby Ridge of furries.

This is what your government — run by Democrats — has become, from the feds in Washington to wildlife officials in New York state. Meanwhile, crime, lawlessness and violence run rampant in New York and other major Democratic-run cities. Democratic politicians happily house illegal aliens from around the world — at taxpayer expense — in hotels and give them welfare benefits, all paid for by innocent, law-abiding taxpayers.

Perhaps if Mr. Lango had declared his home a “sanctuary” house things might have ended differently for Peanut and Fred.

Then again, probably not. Democratic politicians ferociously guard their power to dismiss or wield laws to their benefit. If you pose a threat to their power, they will put you in jail.

Just when you thought this campaign could not reach a higher peak of insanity.

A yearslong conspiracy to cover for a senile president. Democrats across all of government pursuing, indicting and arresting the leading Republican candidate for the presidency. Mug shots. FBI raids.

Then the conspiracy to hide the senile president gets exposed on live national television. A coup launched to replace the senile president with someone who never earned a single vote for president.

Two assassination attempts after Democratic politicians refuse to protect their political opponent.

All of it so wild that John Grisham could not have thunk it up for one of his thriller novels.

Then comes a political realignment of longtime partisans the likes of which we have never seen in modern American politics.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney — the most vilified, warmongering Republican in 50 years — is now supporting Democrat Kamala Harris for president. His daughter — a lifelong Republican — is out campaigning for her.

Meanwhile, the son of Robert F. Kennedy is just one of a number of Democratic stars who have quit the party to support Mr. Trump. 

And Elon Musk, who has been a folk hero to the left for inventing, engineering and building the most successful electric vehicle in the world, is now one of Mr. Trump’s most enthusiastic supporters.

Today, drivers of his electric Teslas — once the virtue kings of the road — slink around in seething embarrassment as Trump voters in red hats wave at them as they pass by.

Crazy, crazy, crazy.

So it is altogether fitting that as this campaign reaches peak insanity, Peanut and Fred become martyrs. They are the furry faces of government overreach.

Just like how nobody seemed to care about the tens of thousands of Haitian illegal immigrants dumped in Springfield, Ohio — until, that is, Donald Trump claimed in the debate that they were eating the dogs and cats in that city.

For those who have not already voted, Tuesday is your day to avenge the deaths of Peanut and Fred. 

And remember: First they came for the squirrels. Then they came for the raccoons. And then they came for …

• Charles Hurt is the opinion editor at The Washington Times.