US Elections 2016 – The Trump Conundrum
- In Politics
- 07:10 PM, Sep 28, 2015
- Fred Stella
I don’t mean to get all nostalgic on you but I have to tell you one thing I sorely miss in the old days. No, it’s not bell bottom pants, black & white TV or Dad’s grilled hamburgers (back when I was a carnivore). What I really, really long for are the days when I voted, on occasion, Republican. Yes, those were the days, my friend; we thought they’d never end. I remember my initial presidential election when I confidently cranked the lever in favor of Michigan’s finest, Gerald Ford. While he was the last Republican I voted for President it was far from the last time I supported the Grand Old Party.
You see, I’m a proud Independent. I’ve always appreciated the freedom to judge the person over the party and not be constrained by some overblown sense of party loyalty. I would approach each election with a sense of idealism and pragmatism. So since the Ford-Carter election of ’76 I have thrown my support behind senators and House reps from the Democratic, Republican, Green and other parties. But other than the occasional College Board regent or drain commissioner, I just can’t do it anymore.
Since that party started its extreme tilt to the extreme right of the most extremely polarizing issues brought to the table by political extremists I find it extremely challenging to even consider voting for one. So you can imagine how much I am thrilled that Donald Trump is in the race for the nomination.
Yes. Thrilled.
I say this because The Donald has accomplished what many have been afraid to do. He’s pulled the mask off the Republican Party and exposed it for what it is. By his outstanding poll numbers here is what we are able to learn about a good slice of the American people:
- Celebrity sells better than policy. Trump has the best name recognition of all in the gaggle of wannabes.
- There is a tremendous amount of anger in the heartland and Trump expresses what so many people believe to be everything from egregious sins to downright treason committed by the current administration. Unlike holding a position that this policy might be better for certain reasons than another policy, Trump (and several others) are masters of inciting vitriol and fear in the minds of what are known as Low Information Voters; a term that could easily be applied to a majority of the electorate of both parties.
- Americans still love their cowboys. Why was GW Bush so popular with his base? Part of it was that he spoke as if he still had a 6-shooter strapped to his leg. Texas swagger, they called it. Trump has his New York in-your-face-attitude to lure those who still love to think that the USA is the 800 pounds gorilla who can sit anywhere he wants in the world. One of his more brilliant moves in the 1st debate when he told us that politicians can be bought. And he knows this because for years he’s purchased a good number of them. That’s like a man who tells you that your wife is unfaithful, and he should know because he’s been bedding her. And now he wants you to congratulate him for his fine work in exposing her!
There are still few who believe that Mr. Trump will walk away with the nomination. The conventional wisdom at play here is that little by little his lack of real understanding of the issues and inexperience will become evident and people will sober up and elect a more conventional candidate to run against the Dems. This is not dissimilar from what so many young men in America are told. When you’re young it’s just fine to indulge in indiscretions with a “fun girl” for the moment. But when it’s time for marriage one must look for the proper, more sedate woman of whom the parents will approve. Well, Trump certainly is proving to be a “fun girl.” I will admit to not turning away from any news piece on TV, radio, newspaper or website that features him. As much distain as I feel for the man I cannot look away.
In a very real sense, he is our Ravana. Without Ravana there is no Ramayana, and we pay respect to vile ways because he was so good at what he did. And would anyone doubt that if Sita was supermodel material that The Donald wouldn’t kidnap her?
Due to the smaller size of the Democratic pool of talent and the early “given” that Hillary Clinton would be “crowned” as the nominee there was much less press in the beginning. But controversy seems to follow the Clinton family like a chela does his guru. Long after the challenges that her poor decision on e-mail are over others (contrived or not) will surface. And there is no political pundit who even guessed that Senator Bernie Sanders would make the splash as he has. Ridiculous comparisons have been made between him and Mr. Trump but I find little substance there. Yes, they are both outsiders to one degree or another; and yes, they both seem to be tapping into populist sentiments in a keen way. But the differences couldn’t be starker. For one, Bernie has been true to the same vision and ideals for decades. He is incredibly knowledgeable and speaks to the more sattwic tendencies in us. Agree or not with his message, there is no doubt that he is very real. Trump is a showman (an excellent one, mind you) who has played both sides of the fence with shrewd aplomb and has netted both fame and fortune for it. I expect most who are reading this can see through the sideshow he’s putting on. Is there any doubt that he really doesn’t believe that President Obama is a Muslim born in Kenya? I don’t think that he’s as passionate as he seems on immigration issues as his supporters are. But he is clearly intuitive about how his constituency will respond to his unfiltered ramblings.
The Hindu-American community has a very solid record of voting Democratic for the several decades they’ve been in this country. They do this for obvious reasons. Democrats have a record of being more welcoming to immigrants, have no intention of imposing their religion on others or making us feel that as non Christians we are “guests” in this country. Clearly, if we have discussions on economic policies, foreign affairs, taxes, health care, etc. we can find a variety of opinions expressed by those of us in the Dharmic traditions. We are hardly a monolith. But as long as those lat the head of the pack continue to lead with a Bible in one hand, a list of immigration restrictions (outside of the debate of illegal immigration) in the other, and mouthing a message designed to appeal to cranky, undereducated white men I think that it is imperative for Hindus to maintain the level of support we’ve shown for us to thrive. And we can just sit tight and wait. Given the cyclical nature of society and the political realities, one of these days (Hopefully in this incarnation) I’m going to vote Republican again.
By Fred Stella
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