‘The Devil went down to Georgia

He was lookin’ for a soul to steal 

He was in a bind ‘cause he was way behind

He was willing to make a deal....”

Showing admirable fortitude, President Trump held a rally in Valdosta, Georgia, in support of Republican Senate candidates David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in their early January, 2021runoff election against Democrats Warnock and Ossoff.  Trump walked a perilous high wire, without a safety net. 

Against the background of seemingly great election fraud, Trump had to exhort the raucous crowd to vote, using the same suspect voting apparatus that cheated him a month earlier. 

The speech had remnants of speeches past, but Trump’s affect was somber, serious and restrained.  Jokes were absent, name calling mostly, too.  He did give a shout-out to stalwart Fox supporters, even including Tucker Carlson.  It does appear that Fox is backpedaling, realizing belatedly they may have aided the assassination of their golden goose. 

As Trump rambled on, he sometimes mixed-up verb tenses, rifting between past, present and future actions when talking about Iran.  Moreover, his speech had overtones of summation -- alarming to those of us believing grand theft has occurred, and desirous of a successful upset. 

Similarly, the crowd was supportive but angry.  They really weren’t all that interested in what the two Senate candidates had to say, talking over the proceedings as Trump introduced and praised them.  But, Trump did his job; convincingly, he urged the crowd to vote as the only revenge for what was done to him, and presented visual evidence of their opponents‘ anti-American perfidy, along with the stunning abdication of Georgian Republican officials.  Notably, the confounding Georgian Governor, Kemp, was not in attendance. 

Interestingly, the eerily fitting lyrics, cited above, could reflect the current election malfeasance.  Were Georgian souls stolen?  Were deals made?  Were blackmail and/or threats afoot? Who knows?  But the stark facts, as in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, clearly prove election fraud and corruption.  The amount is irrelevant.  Reversal is the remedy. 

The US Supreme Court is one vessel from which reversal would emanate.  However, absent from Trump’s Saturday night speech were any references to the Supreme Court.  Properly, he exhorted Georgia’s Governor and legislature to act and appoint an elector different from the dictates of the stolen election.  The US Constitution sanctions such action.  Yes, it is messier than appealing to the Supreme Court, but the legislatures do have the Constitutional right to select electors or throw the election into Congress.  

Immediately post-election, these remedies appeared fantastical.  But as Trump’s lawyers have uncovered endless evidence of election fraud, and public support and anger has steadily grown, these may be the only feasible remedial approaches. 

 One would think the Republican Party will find the cojones to do the right thing.  If not, they and Fox News may not recover from the wrath of a public who has cried foul.  Also, if proper steps are taken, TV ratings will skyrocket and the song’s happy ending will occur:

“...The Devil bowed his head because he knew that he’d been beat

And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny’s feet

Johnny said, “Devil just come on back if you ever wanna try again

I done told you once —you son of a bi**h—I’m the best there’s ever been.”

The Devil Went Down To Georgia

Photo credit: YouTube screengrab