Trump's rally in Melbourne, FL, Saturday night was frightening. Here's why. It has been well-established that the first thing a dictator does is seed the land he is seeking to rule with lies. The next thing a dictator does is create a base that is loyal to himself alone. And the final thing he does is to actually take power and forcibly suppress any opposition.

The president has been branded a Liar even by one of the long-time FOX news anchors, Shepard Smith. Smith wants to know what the Trump campaign did with Russia during the 2016 campaign but says he cannot get a straight answer.

Obvious lies like the claim that Trump had a record electoral win when he had a very narrow victory seem to Smith utterly unnecessary. But the lies seem to be a fixture now.

Trump lies are the new normal

On the matter of building a loyal base, there is no question. Trump rallies have become love fests with a sinister undercurrent. A plethora of videos from the Melbourne rally show a mix of massive appeal -- Melania Trump leading The Lord's Prayer -- and consistent reminders of what Trump is about -- saving the people by decapitating the government. The video below is of the man Trump called to join him on the stage at Melbourne.

When Gene Huber left the stage, Trump called after him, "A star is born".

The sinister undercurrent is the for-me or against-me, cult-like aura around Trump himself.

Is this a true democrat simply calling on the good impulses of people, or is this the Pied Piper who leads us to a national street fight? And if that fight takes place, on whose side will the police be? When the house is divided, who rules the roost? Melbourne's sinister undercurrent was the chanting of "drain the swamp" and its evocation of the worst moments of the 2016 election.

Trump -- democrat or dictator?

First come the lies. Then comes the mob spirit. And finally the complete consolidation of power in the hands of one person. If that final step is even imaginable, we are far along the road from democracy to dictatorship. I am not sure that many Americans find that scenario nauseating. I think there are may who believe Trump's lies and who are willing to idolize the man. Given the fact that the Klan was once a powerful and visible force in America and that the burning of witches and slaughter of Native Americans took place without massive opposition, we cannot be sanguine about our future. We may not have much time in which to determine where Trump's well-oiled machine is headed.
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