Late GOP Opposition to Trump: A Tale of Hypocrisy and PR Lessons from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
I’m certain that you all know that the proverb, “Better late than never” is believed to have been first used in print by Geoffrey Chaucer, in his The Canterbury Tales, written in 1386, give or take a decade or so. Right? I’m also sure that you know it was used in The Yeoman's Prologue and Tale. Right?
If Mr. Chaucer was around today, he might have included the proverb in a yarn titled, “ Better Late Than Never: The Sorry Saga of Hypocritical Republicans Opposing Donald Trump Who Are Attempting To Save Face Because They Supported Him For Years.”
His story might have been constructed as the feeble attempt of a playwright to write a hit Broadway comedy or intelligent television sit-com. Both about as funny as undergoing a root canal procedure or watching the lame attempts at humor on Saturday Night Live.
It would consist of two main characters named Mike Pence, AKA as “The vice president,” and Bill Barr, AKA “The attorney general.”
After more than four years of supporting a deranged character named Donald Trump, “AKA “The missing from the TV debates former president,” who told way more than 1000 lies in a few minutes and acted in a manner that led to a violent attack on the Capitol in order to prevent the peaceful transfer of power to an off-stage character, known as Joe Biden, and divided the country in a manner not seen since the Civil War, the Pence and Barr characters attempted to save face by denouncing their former deranged leader.
Of course, there were a number of minor characters, AKA “The TV hopefuls,” who participated in the lame TV debates. In additikon to Pence,
they included Ron Descants, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy and Chris Christie, the only one of those presidential hopefuls who had the courage to attack “The missing from the TV debates former president,” but he, like the other hopefuls, didn’t oppose “The missing from the TV debates former president” while he was in office, despite his autocratic impulses, insults directed at anyone who disagreed with him, threatening revenge on those who opposed him and praise of dictators who are enemies of the U.S.
If Chaucer was writing today, the final chapter of “Better Late Than Never” would be written to be performed on a revolving stage, in which “The missing from the TV debates former President” was a defendant in four criminal trials, with “The TV hopefuls” saying, “So long, It’s been good to know you while you were president, but not so good today, but we still love you and if you get nominated we hope to be your vice presidential running mate."
Also in the planning stage is an updated version of Shakespeare’s King Lear, to be titled “The tragedy of the Republican Speakers of the House.” It will be a four character production with actors portraying Kevin McCarthy, who is ousted from his Speaker’s post because he is distrusted by almost everyone, Paul Ryan and John Boehner, two former Speakers, who resigned their positions out of frustration, and a character based on Donald Trump, who becomes destitute and insane as his real estate empire dwindles and he faces jail time because of his deceitful, illegal behavior.
While the script is still not complete, the final scene has Trump saying, “Where’s my Roy Cohn?” And the last line before the curtain goes down has Trump quoting directly from Shakespeare’s King Lear saying, “I fear I am not in my perfect mind,” with an off-stage Greek chorus singing, “You’re right. You are not in perfect mind.”
The Important PR Lessons
Never mislead a journalist; doing so will never be forgotten. Former Vice President Pence and former Attorney General Barr have attempted to separate themselves from the criminally-indicted former President Trump. Nevertheless their past history of staunchly supporting Trump still often becomes part of a news article.
The dumping of McCarthy as House Speaker is similar to the “what have you done for me today” philosophy at many agencies. So remember, in the final analysis you’re nothing but an employee number.
