Let me start off by saying that I am not a fan of Donald Trump. Based on what I have seen thus far I think he would make a terrible president. A good king or dictator perhaps…but a terrible president.
Would I like to see him seated across a negotiating table from Putin? Absolutely! Do I think that he is a good fit for the complexities of the White House? No! I find him to be long on bravado and short on substance.
That said…
I think our country owes him a debt of gratitude.
Donald Trump brings to the political arena something that has been missing for a very, very long time; a willingness to speak his mind without fear of ideological or political retribution. Trump says what he thinks. It may be offensive, sexist and naïve to the ways of constructional protocol but it is what it is. And you won’t find him walking it back the next day.
Unlike most of our politicians Trump is “beholdin” to no one. Neither lobbyist nor PAC…constituent nor bundler…can pressure him to do their bidding. This financial and political freedom allows Trump to be himself…to be Trump. It is a freedom that the other candidates can only dream of as they find themselves struggling to keep up.
Trump’s candor is refreshing; and it is catching on with a considerable element the American people.
The New York Times recently ran an article where they asked Trump supporters why they supported Trump. The gist of their reasoning…Washington is broken…Trump is not another member of the Washington political class…and he carries an unvarnished message that resonates.
Trump says that our politicians are stupid, losers and stiffs. He says they are puppets and can be bought. He says that have made terrible mistakes that have ruined the country; and he, a very successful businessman, has the ability and the balls to fix it.
Trump says that illegal immigrants are bringing crime and drugs across the border. He wants to build a wall and force the Mexican government to foot the bill. He wants to round up all the illegals and send them packing. He wants to create jobs and rebuild our roads, bridges and infrastructure. He want to get tough on China, Japan and Mexico. He wants to fix our education system, repeal and replace Obamacare and take care of our veterans. And he wants to defeat ISIS by bombing the hell out of its primary source of income…oil.
He says the country is a mess and he is the guy to fix it. He offers his multi-billion dollar career as proof that he can back up his bravado.
His message may be crass, long on rhetoric and short on specifics but it is resonating with voters.
Many feel that though Trump may not be qualified in the traditional sense but he could not possibly do any worse than the current bunch in Washington. After two unnecessary and costly wars, a $19 trillion dollar debt, a broken education system, deteriorating infrastructure, a banking collapse, an economy on the verge of depression, massive unemployment and a host of scandals over sex, greed and graft…they might have a point.
The chattering class is finally starting to come to the conclusion that Trump isn’t going anywhere any time soon. In fact rather than the usual pompous “Trump is doing well but of course he’ll never be the nominee.” we are starting to hear: “Trump is really starting to have an impact on this campaign.”
Trump has tapped into the frustration and anger that most people feel about our politics. He has the Washington insiders scrambling. Thanks to him same old same old just isn’t good enough anymore.
For that alone we owe Trump a debt of gratitude.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment