Here on the morning of Super Tuesday, like
presidential politicians and politics and the advertising that supports it all, this headline might be labelled as misleading and
disingenuous. How appropriate. In any case, of course, Donald Trump neither needs nor wants my defense.
Let me
be clear. I cannot imagine any circumstances under which I could vote for
Donald Trump. Or any of the Republican candidates. I’m pretty much reconciled to
this being the first election where I cannot find a way to rationalize at least
some candidate to support. Whoever wins in 2016 will start his/her term with
the support of less than half the voters, and being despised by a significant
percentage. I am not optimistic and see no better days in the future. I for
sure won’t be voting in any Missouri presidential primary.
Donald
Trump is the Impressionist candidate – a significant number of people like the
picture he paints even if the details (and process) are fuzzy. It must be
admitted, however, that impressionists can create vivid images that allow us to see what we want. The man
is intelligent, no doubt, but his solutions to problems resemble (often) ugly
wallpaper over plaster cracks – neither permanent nor particularly effective.
My opinion: we have more serious structural issues, both internal and external, that need to be addressed by more than changing up a façade.
Trump
also seems to think that being the biggest, baddest, strongest kid on the block
means others will do what you want. He’s not alone in this, as other candidates
act like all we as a nation have to do is give orders to the other kids
(nations), ignoring that they have their own senses of pride, independence,
and, yes, exceptionalism.
I
personally do not understand why anyone would want the awful job of president.
And, as awful as it has been for some time, it is only getting worse. Who wants to be hated by so many people – and that is just in your own country! Yet many
do seem to want the job, to the point of saying and/or doing anything
to get it. No tactic is too sleazy, no promise too absurd, no principle too
sacred to be modified for the right audience or the right number of votes.
Because the men and women from whom we have to choose seemingly will do anything to be
president, we must also assume they will do anything as president. (Actually,
Jeb! Bush might have been able to draw the line; unfortunately, that was not
viewed as a favorable trait and made him one of the worst campaigners ever.
While I probably wouldn’t have voted for him nor would I have liked many of his
positions and policies, I admit he might have turned out to be a competent
president; unfortunately, he ran a staggeringly incompetent campaign.)
Many, and I include myself here, have longed,
loudly at times, for a candidate who would run an honest campaign, putting him or
herself out there, to be judged for who (s)he is, not trying to be “politically
correct.” Mind you, I do not object to sensitive phrasing and trying to avoid
(deliberately) insulting people who think or look differently than you. Empathy
is not political correctness, it is being willing to look at things from
another’s point of view.
Donald
Trump may be the only candidate insisting that the road to the presidency be on
his terms (not ideological terms, but personal terms); compared to the other
candidates (except maybe Bernie Sanders) he seems to be the only one who won’t
do and/or say anything to be president. The rest seem more than willing to
let themselves be massaged and manipulated by consultants who tailor their “message du jour” for whatever constituency's vote is being pursued on that campaign stop. Not Trump. He just
barrels ahead, steamrolling anyone who gets in his way or disagrees with him.
His attitude seems to be just what we thought we wanted: “If I can’t do it my
way, I don’t want to do it at all.”
Proving,
once again, be careful what you wish for.
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