The release of a ‘hot mic’ recording yesterday of Donald Trump bragging about objectifying women and sexually assaulting them shouldn’t come as a shock. The only shock for me was that it was actually released. You have only to listen to Trump’s remarks about women over the years, his tweetstorm attack on Alicia Machado, former Miss Universe, as well as his attacks on Rosie O’Donnell, Carly Fiorina, Hillary Clinton and a host of other women, to know this is a man who objectifies women. They are objects for him to covet (if they meet his ‘standards’ of beauty) and he feels he has a right to them. If they don’t meet his standards, well then, they are fat, they are ugly, they are flat-chested, their boobs aren’t big enough, they are smart and powerful and therefore a threat that has to be demeaned, they don’t fall prey to his supposed charm, power, and ‘stardom,’ so they must be losers – a word he loves to use.

What Donald Trump has done for years, apparently, is nothing less than sexual assault. Ivanka Trump insists that her father isn’t a ‘groper.’ Sadly, Ivanka, he is.

He’s also a predator.

My message to Trump supporters is this:

It took this to shock you? It took this, among hundreds and hundreds of offensive remarks, to finally step up and say “Enough!”? (And unbelievably, this won’t even be enough for many of you.)

The vilification of Muslims wasn’t enough?

The building of a wall wasn’t enough?

The proposal to ban all Muslim immigrants wasn’t enough?

The assumption that all Syrians are potential terrorists wasn’t enough?

The obvious bigotry and discrimination against African Americans wasn’t enough?

The portrait of Mexicans as rapists and drug dealers wasn’t enough?

The obvious admiration for Vladimir Putin wasn’t enough?

The financial ties to Russian Oligarchs wasn’t enough?

The financial dealing in Cuba when it was illegal wasn’t enough?

The attack on Gold Star parents wasn’t enough?

The renting of office space to an Iranian Bank that was funding terrorists and stealing nuclear secrets wasn’t enough?

The non-payment of taxes for approximately 20 years wasn’t enough?

The refusal to release his taxes at all wasn’t enough?

The representation of Donald Trump by Donald Trump as the  most successful business man, which is clearly a lie given what we know about his financial dealings, wasn’t enough?

The refusal to pay small businesses for work they had done, in some cases, bankrupting those business owners, wasn’t enough?

The refusal to take responsibility for any of his lies – and they number in the thousands – wasn’t enough?

The blaming and shaming of Hillary Clinton because of her husband’s affairs wasn’t enough?

The spreading of lies about HRC’s health, her stamina, even implying she’d had an affair – that wasn’t enough?

The insistence that he saw Muslims in New Jersey cheering on 9/11 (which has been completely debunked) – that wasn’t enough?

The fact that those who worked on The Apprentice  have spoken of an atmosphere in which Trump constantly talked about contestant’s boobs and other body parts and asked men if they would want to f___ them? That wasn’t enough?

The obvious lack of knowledge about the world and international relations, the nuclear arsenal, the denial that he supported the war in Iraq, the assumption that every member nation of NATO should pay the United States money, as if the U.S. is a Mafia Don demanding payment – that wasn’t enough?

The complete lack of desire to learn anything new, to try to expand his knowledge of the world, to read a book – that wasn’t enough?

The blaming of others for his misdeeds, his misstatements – that wasn’t enough?

The bigotry, sexism, xenophobia, and racism that permeates his being? That wasn’t enough?

The fact that white supremacists are flocking to his campaign wasn’t enough?

The not-so-subtle implication that someone should harm Hillary Clinton wasn’t enough?

The statement that Russia should hack the emails of a candidate for President of the United States wasn’t enough?

The speeches to his followers inciting violence  – that wasn’t enough?

The mocking of a man with a disability wasn’t enough?

The lies upon lies upon lies (one every three minutes) – that wasn’t enough?

The spreading of conspiracy theories wasn’t enough?

The braggadocio that says he knows everything there is to know about (fill in the blank) wasn’t enough?

The narcissistic, psychologically unbalanced behavior wasn’t enough?

What we heard on the tape is vile. It is disgusting. But we’ve been hearing vile and disgusting rhetoric from this man for years.

And still you’ve supported him. Still you think him worthy of being the President of our country.

“Enough” should have been said long, long ago.

Disagreeing on policy is one thing. That happens with every election and I don’t write posts about that. But this? This is another story.

And to all who say ‘you’ve just lost a follower.’ – God speed.  To quote the great Lillian Hellman, spoken during the scourge that was McCarthyism: “I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this year’s fashion.”

Happy Saturday.