Is Trump "Hitler"?

Every politician gets compared, by people who don't like him or her, to Adolf Hitler, Chancellor of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945.

Donald Trump, more than most. Even his own current Vice Presidential nominee, J.D. Vance, once called him "America's Hitler."

But that's not fair. Only Hitler was really Hitler, right?

Well:

* Hitler appealed to bigotry, both racial and religious. So has Trump.

* Hitler treated his country as miserable, with the need to make it great again. So has Trump.

* Hitler finished first in an election, even though he didn’t get a majority of the popular vote. So did Trump.

* Hitler wanted things in popular culture that he didn’t like, as we would say today, "canceled." So does Trump.

* Hitler called people in the media that criticized him "the enemy" and said they were lying, when he knew damn well that they were telling the truth. So does Trump.

* Hitler valued personal loyalty, loyalty to him, above all. So has Trump.

* Hitler took the greatest offense at people who were once loyal to him turning coat. So has Trump.

* Hitler let big business do whatever they wanted, so long as they were loyal to him. So has Trump.

* Hitler established concentration camps for people he deemed inferior and/or criminals. So did Trump. In Hitler's case, they weren't only limited to along his country's border. In Trump's case, they weren't slave labor camps, and didn't become death camps -- at least not intentionally.

* Hitler thought he knew more than his generals did. He didn't. The same is true of Trump.

* Hitler wasn't much of a sports fan, but he understood how sports success could be used for propaganda purposes. The same is true for Trump: He used to go to Yankee games, but he went there for business networking. Now, he can't show his face in the new Yankee Stadium, because he'd get the hell booed out of him.

* Hitler had a thing for much-younger blondes. So does Trump.

* Hitler lied. About everything. So does Trump.

* Hitler usually wore boots to make himself look taller. Trump wears lifts on his shoes.

* Hitler was addicted to cocaine and methamphetamines. Trump is believed to be addicted to both cocaine and Adderall.

* According to his surviving medal records, among the reasons Hitler took drugs was to cure flatulence. Trump has been accused of severe flatulence while sitting in court.

* Hitler was at his happiest when he was cheered by adoring crowds during his lie-filled, bigotry-filled speeches. So is Trump.

* Hitler was impersonated and mocked, in his own time, by Charlie Chaplin, who, though a genius, was a sex fiend who liked 'em young. Trump has been impersonated and mocked, in his own time, by Alec Baldwin, who doesn’t even have genius status.

* Hitler survived an assassination attempt. So has Trump -- or so he would like us to believe.

* Hitler has been featured in three episodes of the Internet series Epic Rap Battles of History. So has Trump. (A fourth has now happened.)

* And when his reign came to an end, Hitler's country needed serious rebuilding. The same was true of Trump.

There is, of course, a huge difference: When Hitler's reign came to an end, he was dead. When Trump's reign came to an end, he was still alive, and began to build a new regime, with a chance of achieving it.

One more big difference: Hitler refused to be captured by the Russians in the end, while Trump allowed himself to be captured by the Russians in the beginning.

*

So: Is Trump "Hitler"? No. Is he bad enough? Yes.

So you can't sit this one out. You have to vote. And you can't vote third-party, just because you think the Democrats are "corporatist" or you believe the bald-faced lie that it is Israel that is committing "genocide" in Gaza, when it is Hamas whose own stated reason for existence is genocide.

You're not going to get your perfect candidate for President. You have either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump. Harris would be a great candidate against anybody. Trump is absolutely unacceptable against anybody.

You can't say, "I disagree with her on this one issue, therefore I can't vote for her."

That kind of thinking prevented Hubert Humphrey from winning in 1968, and we got Richard Nixon.

It prevented Jimmy Carter from winning in 1980, and we got Ronald Reagan.

It prevented Al Gore from winning in 2000, and we got George W. Bush.

It prevented Hillary Clinton from winning in 2016, and we got Donald Trump.

Every time that kind of thinking takes hold, the people thinking it end up getting the President who is the least like the one they really wanted.

This time, there is no other option: A vote for anyone other than Harris, including a vote for no one at all, is a vote for Trump, which is a vote for absolute Fascism.

Harris is not perfect. But she is a good person, with good ideas. Benjamin Netanyahu is evil. So is Hamas. They cancel each other out. Throw the issue out. It does not matter in this election, not one damned bit. The only issue that matters is preventing Fascism. Which means stopping Trump.

I cannot make it any clearer than that. Vote for Harris this time, and you can vote for whoever you want next time -- because there will be a next time. If Trump wins this time, there won't be a next time for a long time to come, if at all.

Donald Trump tells people, "You've been through tough times. It's not your fault. See those people over there? It's their fault! Vote for me, and I will punish them for you!"

Four years ago, Joe Biden told people, "You've been through tough times. So have I. I understand. Together, we can make the times better."

Now, Kamala Harris can tell people, "Joe was right. Together, we made the times better. But we have more to do. Together, we can do it!"

It will be a tough fight. As the lady says, "And when we fight, we win!"