The origin of the phrase “denial is not a river in Egypt” is unclear, but no matter: There’s plenty of denial to go around these days. Ardent Donald Trump backers cannot accept that their guy lost reelection in 2020. Old-establishment Republicans and Never Trumpers in the GOP believe in their bones (if not brains) that his nomination next year can be stopped by something other than a health event. Democrats refuse to believe that the public has taken a dim view of President Biden and much of his agenda, even as his poll numbers have transitioned from troubling to truly grisly and an improving economy has not created even a trace of political buoyancy that they were certain would occur. A river or a state of mind?
With Christmas now just a week away, we are heading into the intermission that occurs going into every presidential election year. The denouement begins on Jan. 2, just two weeks before the Iowa caucuses and three weeks before the New Hampshire primary. It is a time of reflection and self-examination.
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