Donald Trump

Some people think Donald Trump’s Presidential campaign is a joke.  Many people thought he would just be a flash in the pan. 

At the very least his campaign has become a political phenomena.  Trump does not have the support of the Republican Party, big business, big money, the media, Washington insiders or the political elite, so why is he leading in the polls?  Maybe the reason is because he’s from outside the political establishment, and the working middle class in this country is fed up with the political elite and Washington partisan politics. 

President Obama was elected partially because of his promise of “Hope and Change.”  Obviously that turned out to be a joke, but people still have hope for the freedom that comes with a smaller federal government.  Some believe Trump can offer that change, and unlike Obama, he has executive experience.

The media does not promote Trump as a candidate, but he is news.  He is put in a negative light by the lame stream media and cable news, even including Fox.  The opening question of the Fox debate attempted to put him on the spot for saying he might run as an independent and might not support the Republican nominee.  Trump has been consistent with his position that he would run as an independent only if the Republican Party did not treat him fairly.  I would hate to see him run as an independent, because a strong third party candidate would probably elect Hilary Clinton, assuming she has felony indictments against her by then.

I commend him for saying he might not support the Republican nominee.  I would have a hard time supporting some of the Republican nominees if I had reasonable options.  I vote for the person and not the party.  If more people did this, we might have better candidates. 

I am not saying I support Trump for President at this time, but there are a couple things that I like about him.  I love his position that this country’s demand for political correctness is stupid and even dangerous.  How can we protect ourselves from radical Islam if we can’t recognize the problem and say the words?  The same is true of the social issues of the day.  All words have meanings and should be allowed if descriptive.  If we can’t have honest conversations without worrying about being politically correct, we will never solve the problems. 

I also like the fact that Trump is so rich that he is not dependant on large political donors.  Large political donors expect and receive a return on their investment.   Think how much more effective a negotiator Trump could be, both with domestic and foreign policy, without those obligations.

It will be interesting to see what happens.  I am happy with some of the issues Trump brings up, like the criminal element of some illegal immigrants.  This is an issue affecting the safety of our country, and partisan politicians find it politically incorrect to even mention it.

I think other Republican candidates for President better adopt some of Trump’s lack of political correctness and his gloves off criticism of the political establishment if they want the nomination.  The public is fed up with the federal government and wants REAL change. 

I can see why Trump scares big government, big money, the media, and the political elite.  The Washington insiders and lobbyists could lose their power.  Trump can be a game changer even if he does not get the Republican nomination or run as an independent.  He may force candidates to forget political correctness and actually address the issues facing our country.