Consider the 2016 field of presidential candidates, the prominent ones and those who dropped out. We see one narcissist, two socialists and a few religious types who feel compelled to consult God before making decisions. Who then takes credit or blame for the results has not been noted.
Compare that group with the intelligence, honor and enlightenment of the men who founded this country: Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Franklin, Paine and a few others. Now ask yourself the question, “What are we doing wrong?”
Since Mr. Trump does not appear to like anybody except himself, it is difficult to determine what policy he favors other than his own. But the incoherence of his campaign has failed to inspire confidence that he has any sensible policy. Whether or not he can effectively address the problems that he promises to solve remains to be seen if elected.
His campaign resonates with widespread fears that Islamic terrorism and immigration will threaten our way of life. Whether or not these fears are rational or whether or not Mr. Trump knows what he is talking about are questions beyond the scope of this commentary. His promise to do something about those fears while other candidates have dismissed them accounts for at least some of his appeal. Another part can be attributed to his disdain to talk like a politician, a profession suffering increasing contempt throughout the world.
Another possible contributing factor to his rise might be the disgust that many voters, alarmed by the relentless expansion of government, feel toward the do-nothing rhetoric of the Republican Party. During their times in office where do we see any action commensurate with the noise that brought them into power? Certainly not fiscal probity, shrinking the government, reversing “liberal” programs or any other policies that they like to cry about. All they do is slow down the game, if that much, and concede moral superiority to the liberals that they profess to detest.
Republican conservatives like to get all stirred up over what they call tax and spend liberals, but have not given us a balanced federal budget since 1969 (a slight surplus) during the Nixon administration. The only balanced budgets (actually surpluses) in recent memory occurred in the four years from 1998 through 2001 during President Clinton’s administration. The largest deficit in history, $1.4 trillion in fiscal year 2009, President Obama inherited from President Bush’s budget. In view of these numbers, other than religion it is not all that clear what conservatives are trying to conserve.
If Mrs. Clinton wins, we can expect more rides on the political teeter-totter, a continuation of Mr. Obama’s jerk to the left and a yet greater girth of the government. She has noted Mr. Trump’s lack of political experience in contrast to hers as if that were something to brag about. True enough, but knowledge of current political issues brings no advantages to the rest of us if the candidate in question proposes to address those issues with harmful ideas such as those that she advocates.
Considering the contempt so often expressed by the general public for politicians, why would any candidate brag about political experience in an election campaign? Why would we want to vote for someone who has done little else of note in life except hold political office? Is what politicians do all that beneficial that we need experienced ones? Experienced in exactly what?
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