Why would anyone ever believe Will O’Neill?

Picture someone you know who has 0 integrity. Then take away the remainder of that person's integrity. You're left with the chairman of the Republican Party of Orange County.

In case you missed this gem, yesterday’s Orange County Register ran a piece headlined, PHOTOGRAPH AT OC FAIR CONDEMNED BY COUNTY REPUBLICANS AS CALL TO VIOLENCE AGAINST TRUMP.

This, from Claire Wang’s article …

And I’m going to say something that may well shock some readers of this website.

Deep breath.

Deep breath.

Deep breath.

I (gasp) can see Will O’Neill’s point.

I mean it—I can.

Here is the photograph he is referring to, which languishes inside one of the hangars within the OC Fair …

And while I don’t think it’s a particularly big deal, it does seem sorta weird to highlight the image of a bunch of kids wishing the United States president a “happy last birthday”—aka: we hope you die.

So, again, on the surface I don’t fully disagree with Will O’Neill’s point.

But …

I’m just wondering, for kicks and giggles. Why did Will O’Neill never speak up after Trump supporters attacked and destroyed the United States Capitol? Why did Will O’Neill never speak up after Trump supporters (on that same day) set up a noose for the purpose of hanging Mike Pence? Why did Will O’Neill never speak up after Trump praised Montana congressman Greg Gianforte for physically assaulting a reporter? Why did Will O’Neill never speak up after Trump respond to George Floyd protests with “when the looting starts, the shooting starts”? Why did Will O’Neill never speak up after Trump advised the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by”? Why did Will O’Neill never speak up after Trump said of a heckler at his rally, “Maybe he should have been roughed up, because it was absolutely disgusting what he was doing.” Why did Will O’Neill never speak up after Trump saw protesters outside the White House and said to Defense Secretary Mark Esper, “Can’t you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something?” Why did Will O’Neill never speak up after Trump said this of journalistic protections: “You take the writer and/or the publisher of the paper … and you say, ‘Who is the leaker? National security.’ And they say, ‘We’re not gonna tell you.’ They say, ‘That’s okay, you’re going to jail.’ And when this person realizes that he is going to be the bride of another prisoner very shortly, he will say, ‘I’d very much like to tell you exactly who that leaker is!’”

Why did Will O’Neill never speak up when Trump bragged about grabbing women by the pussies? Why did Will O’Neill never speak up after Trump cheated on his wife with a porn star he raw dogged? Why did Will O’Neill never speak up when Trump mocked a disabled reporter? Why did Will O’Neill never speak up when Trump referred to myriad women as ugly and dumb? Why did Will O’Neill never speak up when the only refugees Trump allowed into America were white South Africans?

Why did Will O’Neill never speak up when Trump mocked POWs for being captured? Why did Will O’Neill never speak up when Trump had John McCain’s name covered on a battleship? Why did Will O’Neill never speak up when we learned Trump made $2 billion over the past 1 1/2 years?

Why did Will O’Neill never speak up when Trump tried to overturn an election he lost? Why did Will O’Neill never speak up when Trump said he won California three-straight times? Why did Will O’Neill never speak up when Trump said the fix was in on Spencer Pratt? Why did Will O’Neill never speak up when Trump lied about decreasing drug prices by “2,000%, 3,000%.” Why did Will O’Neill never speak up when Trump said he “opened up the water” for SoCal?

Honestly, I can go on. And on. And on. And on.

Truth be told, Will O’Neill doesn’t care about a photograph in the OC Fair. Like, truly doesn’t care. He’s not actually offended. Or bothered. Or even irritated. It’s just an opportunity to make some noise, and were the image a bunch of kids mocking Joe Biden or Barack Obama, O’Neill wouldn’t have uttered a peep.

But, alas, Will O’Neill is nothing more than a sad, pathetic, little political opportunist; a dime-a-dozen regional hack who somehow looks at his children and looks at his wife and still—despite their gazes—believes this is how he should behave.

So, hey, take the picture down, OC Fair. Make Will O’Neill happy.

But just be warned: The silence will last, oh, a week. Maybe 10 days, max.

Then he’ll find something else to complain about—while ignoring the cruel, violent, disgusting, irredeemable pig in the White House.*¹

1. Whose death, to be clear, I eagerly anticipate with streamers, balloons and a seven-layer cake.