The President as Shill

Shown above is coinage of the Roman Emperor Marcus Didius Severus Julianus, who reigned for all of nine weeks in 193 C.E.  That was long enough, apparently, for coins to be minted.

That may be all that transpired during his rule.  He's famous, or rather infamous, because he was the winner in an "auction" the Praetorian Guard held to determine who would be the successor to Commodus, an emperor also well described as infamous.  Later, he was assassinated by the Praetorians.

The auction is shown in a scene in the movie The Fall of the Roman Empire, starring Sophia Loren, Alec Guinness, Christopher Plummer, Omar Sharif, James Mason and Mel Ferrer.  Guinness played Marcus Aurelius, and Plummer played Commodus, making him appear a lunatic, which he may have been.  It was quite a cast, worthy of a picture nominally depicting the fall of Rome.  But the Empire didn't fall in the West for about another three hundred years, and in the East survived for a thousand years or so after the West.  So, the movie wasn't historically accurate in that respect, at least.  I think historical accuracy wasn't all that important to the creators of the film; they probably meant that the auction, being so absurd and contemptible, was a sign of the decay of the Empire and perhaps even hastened its fall.

H. L. Mencken, the Sage of Baltimore, is credited with saying regarding American elections that "[e]very election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods."  He would have revelled in the election now taking place in our Great Republic.  

It's a truism that our elections involve the selling of a candidate in remarkably the same manner in which product is sold, and it may be said that the eventual winner of an election has been bought as a result, the accumulation and expenditure of money being essential to our politics.  But as far as I'm aware a candidate for high office here hasn't been personally involved in selling products as part of an election campaign.

Until now, of course.  Absurdly priced golden sneakers, cologne, wine, silly cards depicting him as a superhero and God knows what else, all emblazoned with his name, are being promoted by a candidate for the nation's highest office.  It's difficult to conceive of conduct which would do more to cheapen not just the office of President but the nation itself.  Not even the Praetorian auction can rival the debasing effect of these activities.

The spectacle of a candidate (a former president) selling self-promoting products of this kind makes him appear shabby.  Not that he has ever seemed more than shabby, but this makes him look peculiarly shabby. One understands he has large legal and other bills, and now has sizable judgments and fines to pay, and his unusually gullible supporters are willing to do what they can to pay them for him.  But being a shill for the purpose of making money from the sale of gaudy and tasteless momentos is a step too far, or too low, for a President of the United States.  He may as well work as a carnival barker or traveling salesman of testosterone pills.  It's typical of the man himself, who it seems is devoted to scamming people and lacks any honorable and worthy virtues; this is true.  And it seems to have become typical to many citizens as well in that they welcome and applaud his crassness.  I suspect beer or some other beverage will soon be sold as well.

Used cars are a possibility as well, of course.

Does this example (his and his followers) represent what Americans seem to be to others around the world?  Loud, ignorant, bombastic, self-pitying, resentful, crass, out to make a quick buck by any means, pushy, loutish cretins?  Or is this how we've always been viewed, and portrayed?  If the latter, are we now proud of living up to the caricature?