It’s July, 2015. The first primaries won’t happen for six months; the first debates begin next month. Businessman Donald Trump is either in first, second or third place among Republican candidates in the latest polls. I think this is great. I hope this trend continues. Donald Trump’s candidacy is good for America.
Here’s why. The American political process is, and should be, funny. It takes forever. In the early stages, it disproportionately focuses on two small states that couldn’t be less representative of the American populace, and if four guys careening around Iowa pandering to voters is funny, 22 is even funnier. Our election cycle gives candidates ample opportunity to say and do ridiculous things. This is all to the good. The President of the United States is a very important job, and it does, absolutely, matter who wins. But in the meantime, let them entertain us! Laughter’s good for the soul. And there’s no one more entertainingly foolish than The Donald.
And the ranks of first-rate political satirists has been a bit thinned of late. Jon Stewart is retiring in three weeks. David Letterman has already retired. Jimmy Fallon seems more interested in having celebrities do impressions of other celebrities than in scathing social commentary–not that that’s a bad thing, of course. Stephen Colbert has vanished into the wilderness, taking his character with him, though I suspect that his return will dazzle.
But Trump is something special to these guys. Stewart has expressed regrets over his (he now thinks) pre-mature retirement. David Letterman actually showed up at an event with Steve Martin and Martin Short, Trump-oriented Top Ten list in hand.
Plus, best of all, Donald Trump has helped inspire the return of Berkeley Breathed’s Bloom County. That’s right; after twenty five years, we’re getting more Bloom County; Opus the Penguin, Milo, Oliver Wendell Jones, Steve Dallas, and best of all, Bill the Cat. Who will be the Trump stand-in.
And I haven’t even mentioned the #trumpyourcat instagram phenomenon, wherein people give their cats Donald Trump hairdos.
And in a serious vein, Donald Trump’s candidacy is also revelatory with respect to the Republican electorate. I mean, he announced his candidacy (before a heavily papered house), by stating categorically, as though it was one of those things that everyone knows and just doesn’t want to say aloud, that Mexican immigrants were pretty much all of them rapists. When that led to absolutely justified howls of outrage, Trump doubled down. He does that. He doesn’t back down, he doesn’t apologize. He says ludicrous and offensive things, and then he insists that what he said was simply the unvarnished truth, and he won’t walk it back.
And then his poll numbers go up.
Now, I don’t want to fall into the ‘all conservatives are racists’ trap. For one thing, I know a lot of conservatives, and they are not, for the most part, racists. Plus ‘racist’ is a nasty thing to call someone. I will say that Trump’s recent success does indicate that a substantial part of the Republican electorate is clueless and uninformed about the realities of immigration, legal and illegal, in this country. And that maybe some inchoate, unacknowledged, more-felt-than-articulated racial or cultural prejudice may also be at play.
Also, the Trumpites seem clueless and uninformed about a whole range of important policies. Take, for example, Trump’s ‘secret plan’ for dealing with Isis. He hasn’t told anyone what that ‘secret plan’ might entail. Just that it’s going to be ‘beautiful.’ And his poll numbers keep climbing. Which suggests, again, that the problem with Isis is just a matter of will, that all we have to do is insist strongly enough that Isis go away, and they will. And that feckless clown Obama (who is probably mostly Moslem anyway, and may well be from Kenya) just doesn’t want Isis to go away badly enough. In other words, the notion that a secret-but-easily-implemented plan to get rid of Isis might actually succeed ‘beautifully’ suggests, again, an electorate stunningly clueless and ill informed. At least in this sense: a substantial number of people, asked by pollsters who they favor for the Presidency, are able to bring themselves to say ‘Trump.’
Trump seems to think that the Presidency is about making deals. He called the recent Iran deal ‘terrible,’ saying ‘we gave them billions of dollars.’ In fact, ‘giving them billions of dollars’ has nothing to do with the Iran deal, unless you consider a gradual easing of sanctions some kind of giveaway. But that’s Trump. He sees everything through the prism of a business deal. This was a bad deal, because the US didn’t get everything it wanted. Neither did Iran. It’s diplomacy. But that’s not something Trump understands.
Trump’s a celebrity; people have heard of him, which is one reason he stands out from a Republican field that otherwise includes the likes of John Kasich and Carly Fiorina. (People have heard of Jeb Bush, but I don’t sense much excitement there; he’s just ‘the next Bush.’) He’s spectacular ill-informed, but so are most voters on most issues; nothing new there.
But he’s also such a splendid comic stereotype. The bombastic oaf. The comically vain womanizer. He’s a character Moliere would have had a ball with. We have our own Molieres, and they’re licking their chops.
Donald Trump is not going to become President. He polls around 10% in a crowded field, with 58% of the electorate saying they would never vote for him, ever, under any circumstance. That number’s not likely to moderate much. He can’t possibly win. Meanwhile, it’s a hot summer. We need a good laugh. I’m glad he’s running.
Do you still feel that way today? Donald Trump plans on shutting down 30% of Government waste. The fist thing on the chopping block is lavish exotic vacations for government committees.. He has a list of Outlandish shipping charges of $19,.000 to ship 1 box of zinc washers, $800.00 hammers and the list is massive. His family values are close to Mormon values. He doe not allow smoking, drugs, alcohol or the viewing of pornographic materials.
in addition he strongly believes in keeping old traditional values on National security that was initially created to keep our enemies guessing. This value is so important and keeps our enemies from taking that extra step so they tip toe, not knowing what our reaction would be. This is a tactic used in many west point war games scenarios. This put’s a leash on enemy regimes and much restraint on action’s by them. One of our worlds greatest fears are “The fear of the Unknown” physiologically that give you an upper hand and would imply the person using this tactic would not easily go to war and would be that persons mindset. The enemies would tread lightly and test the waters so to speak. So when he does not answer that question it means he is using that tactic as leverage to keep the enemies guessing.
He may be a bombastic in nature but I would have to say that time changes everyone and I believe he will come to change those characteristic’s the closer he get’s to the white house.
Even if he does not get the nomination he has awakened a silent majority of people and have already started a change in this country in the right direction with congress and hope this country was lacking in.
So you’d favor the forced deportation of 11 million people living within our borders? No, sorry. He’s an entertaining side show. Not a serious candidate.
Its’ Better than Socialism which is Evil by the way!
That should be it’s. A contraction for it is. And, no, socialism is neither Evil or evil. Unless you want to declare the governments of Norway, Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand and Japan all evil.
These people are breaking the law and in Sweden Syrain immigrants are burning cities to the ground demanding Sharia Law!
Illegal immigrants in this country are breaking the law. It’s a misdemeanor, the equivalent of a speeding ticket. Something I see on the highways every day. Do you support draconian measures against moving vehicle offenses? May I gently suggest that shrieking ‘they’re here illegally!’ at high volume does not constitute a national immigration policy?
Also, you’ve misspelled ‘Syrian.’ In describing something that isn’t actually happening.
Admin since you turned this into a immigration issues this is my statement from another post. that is relevant here.
Most Americans do not instigate racism against Illegal Immigrants. Most of us advocate one thing they are breaking the law. A lawless society is in and of itself unable to govern and protect the community. We are only advocating equal justice under the law that was forged in America for the purpose of protecting America and it’s sovereignty.
Do you lock your doors at night? If you do, Then why not lock the border from Illegal drugs, crime and lawlessness?
In Summation I suggest that the Illegal immigrants help to stop the bad elements of that society. Prove to the American people they are willing to stand up for the safety of that country they have entered and not turn a blind eye.
Do you cut in line at DMV to get a license? No of course not so why do law abiding immigrants who have spent thousands of dollars to get here legally, have to wait in line behind Illegal Immigrants.To them it is not fair.
I don’t queue-jump at the DMV because I know everyone in the DMV will be treated fairly and equally. I will be seen by a clerk, and I will be able to conduct my business.
None of that’s true for immigrants. Illegals are simply desperate people, willing to do what is necessary to support their families, who were unlucky in the green card lottery. I would commit a misdemeanor under those circumstances, and so would you.
The larger point is this: illegal immigration is not a legal, social or criminal problem anymore. It’s not a significant issue. The numbers of people coming across has slowed to a trickle, and the ones who are here have the lowest crime rates, and the highest percentage of entrepreneurs, of any ethnic group in the country. Those are the facts, and they are not in dispute.
So: Full amnesty, and a pathway to citizenship. To deal with the illegality issue, I agree they should pay a fine. The equivalent of a speeding ticket seems fair. Something in the range of $150.00.
You are entitled to your opinion Thank you and God Bless!