Love Note to Leonard Pitts Jr.

Leonard Pitts Jr, a columnist for the Miami Herald, is one of those leftist writers who either nails his target, or belly flops into the pool (making a great splash, but not leaving anything of substance behind).

Fortunately, his latest editorial is a hit: "Paul Ryan’s deal with the devil" basically reveals Ryan's moronic endorsement for what it is.

First, Pitts starts with a perfect historical example:

In 1933, Franz Von Papen was hungry for revenge. 

Having been ousted as chancellor of Germany through political subterfuge, he wanted payback against the former ally who had succeeded him. So he struck a new alliance, this one with Adolf Hitler, leader of a rising popular movement called the Nazis, and maneuvered to have him appointed chancellor. Von Papen didn’t think much of his partner. Like most political observers, he considered Hitler a noisy buffoon. Von Papen was certain he could control him once in power.

Then he names his premise:

House Speaker Paul Ryan seems to have made a similar calculation last week in endorsing another noisy buffoon, Donald Trump.

Pitts goes on to refer to other Republicans, including some who avoided the "Trumptation" (I reserve copyright on that word!). But then he continues with the former #NeverTrumps who turned Trumpsters:

...other big names have shown all the spinal fortitude of Gumby. This includes New York Rep. Peter King (who once called Trump a “feckless pretender”), Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (who said he was less qualified for the presidency than “a speck of dirt”), Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (who described him as “the most vulgar person” to ever run for president) and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, (who proclaimed him “ a madman who must be stopped”). 

It is not unheard of for a politician to hang a philosophical U-turn on a candidate once the primaries are decided. But it is unheard of — perhaps even unprecedented — for so many to do so having criticized the candidate in such harsh and personal terms. Paul now thinks a man less qualified than dirt should run the country? Jindal now wants to give a “madman” access to the nuclear codes? 

That’s not a U-turn. That’s a U-turn in an 18-wheeler with bad brakes doing 90.

Ka-ching! And Pitts nails the landing! The crowd goes nuts!

After covering a lot of the recent history with Ryan's endorsement which was quickly followed by his equally spineless condemnation (my opinion, not Pitts' opinion) of Trump's racist allegations against the Mexican-descended judge overhearing the Trump University case, Pitts brings this essay home:

The lesson here is that leadership requires sound judgment, the ability to see what is right in front of you and understand it for what it is. Von Papen did not. He saw only a noisy buffoon he thought he could control. Ryan should take note. 

Because, as it turned out, von Papen was wrong.

All in all, it is a wonderfully-written essay. Kudos to Pitts!