Hi, fellow parents. Can we have an honest and frank discussion about the upcoming presidential election? I have no desire to turn this blog political, but this matter is concerning not just for the next four years of my daughter's life, but potentially for the next few decades, based on the volatile rhetoric being spouted on a daily basis in regards to immigrants, refugees, women, people of color, etc.
This election boils down to a choice between two people. Gary Johnson and Jill Stein are also on the ballot but come on. So it's Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. No seriously, a major party nominated Donald Trump, a sentient bag of rotting meat. I'm about to lay out a case for not voting for him, but I do want to acknowledge that several people I respect are considering casting a vote for him. And let me just say that I get it. His economic message sounds very good to a middle class family struggling to pay for healthcare. His trade message sounds good to a blue collar worker who sees his job replaced by machines. His message of making America great again sounds good to an elderly person who faces a rapidly changing society. His law and order message sounds good to someone watching the nightly news and seeing so much crime, terrorism, and unrest. These are real people with real fears and they identify with Donald Trump. I believe that their fears are being exploited brilliantly by a scam artist. I believe they are wildly misled by a sniveling charlatan. But before I explain the long list of cases against him, I want to approach this from a point of understanding.
I also understand reasons to vote against Hillary Clinton. She has for years had issues with being completely truthful. She has a very cozy relationship with financial institutions that caused the 2008 collapse. It is concerning that she potentially exposed classified emails on a private server, even if she didn't do it purposefully ( I'm not sure why she would do it purposefully.) Some criticize her lack of strong convictions and shape-shifting rhetoric. She comes across as a politician, first and foremost. She seems to believe that the presidency is something she is owed. I understand how she can come across to the average voter.
But let's cut it with the false equivalency. As flawed a candidate as Hillary is, there is no way that her scandals and shadiness compare in any way with the long list of Trump's flaws. They are not even in the same arena. There is no way that you can compare her preparation and qualifications with Trump's, a failed business person who's only executive experience includes firing the likes of Gary Busey. As difficult a relationship with the truth that Clinton has, she is a saint compared to Trump's constantly shifting positions and shocking number of falsehoods. Politico estimated that in one week, he averaged a lie every 3 minutes and 15 seconds. People hold them on the same scale because people don't challenge their political biases, instead retreating to their preferred media for confirmation bias. Donald Trump's actual campaign strategy involves telling falsehoods so many times, that people will begin to believe they are true.
I'd like to approach this from actual reasons I've heard from people voting for Trump:
"Donald Trump will make us safe, and make America feared again"
Safe from whom? Immigrants? Trump's wall will never be built and his exaggerated stance on immigrant crime is just wrong. Illegal immigration can just as effectively be regulated by current ICE agents.
From criminals? You've never been safer. It's easy to look at the nightly news and feel like you're in constant danger, but most violent crimes involve people who know each other. Unless you're in the drug game, relax.
From terrorists? You're also safe there, statistically speaking. The current screening process effectively weeds out almost all bad apples. You will always have the risk of rogue agents committing acts of terror. Fact is, ISIS is much less organized than Al Queda ever was, and this administration destroyed Al Queda.
Other than irresponsible rhetoric, what has Donald Trump ever done that would lead you to believe he is capable of navigating the complexities of world affairs? He can't even resist fat-shaming Miss Universe, let alone coming up with an effective exit strategy from the middle east.
Add the bromance with brutal dictator Putin, his possible business interests with Russia, and the shady connections with his campaign and the Kremlin, including DNC hacking, and you can see Putin expertly playing off Trump's emotions. If you say something good about Trump, he loves you. The moment you criticize him, he stays up until 3 AM hate-tweeting you.
What makes Trump qualified to be commander in chief? He's said his sacrifice in life was building buildings and being successful? He has mocked POW's and those suffering from PTSD. He dodged the draft 5 times for bone spurs.
"Donald Trump will cut the deficit and create jobs"
Trump's trickle down tax plan cuts taxes for the top 1% and marginally cuts middle class taxes, but at what cost? If you're not bringing in any money and building up the military and building walls and supposedly making infastructure improvements, how do you pay for it? Brookings estimated Trump's tax plan would add $10 trillion to the deficit.
Trump's plan would continue to create the jobs nobody wants. He has already said the current slave wages are too high for minimum salary employees. He has a history of paying shit wages to his employees, or not paying his contractors at all. The problem with businessman politicians is that they only see what would help a business bottom line, not what is in the best interest for consumers and employees.
"Donald Trump was a successful businessman, and we need that in the White House"
Trump, a man who once lost $1 billion dollars in a year on his failed casino venture, wants you to believe he is successful. Remember Trump steaks? Trump airline? Trump University, which is under Federal investigation for being a scam?
Trump started out with a "small" $14 million dollar loan. He also lost $35 million of daddy's money in the 70's. He brags about his business acumen, but constantly relies on debt and other people's money to avoid paying taxes and making a profit. Since he won't release his tax returns, we don't really know how much he is actually worth or how much he pays in taxes or how much money he has lost since then. He's a scam artist, at best. The Apprentice was carefully constructed to make Trump look like a successful executive, which is why most Americans believe this lie.
Trump has a history of not paying contractors, has been sued 3500 times, violated the Cuban Embargo, and has an untold number of business ventures worldwide which would constitute a conflict of interest if he were president.
"Donald Trump will make America great again"
Will he? In what way? When was America great, and why is not anymore? Trump, a spray-tanned man-toddler, claims he knows how to make a country of 300 million people great, but offers no concrete steps or what qualifiers would make us great again. This is empty campaign rhetoric.
"Donald Trump will bring back manufacturing jobs"
No, he won't. They are gone. While there have been many companies that have moved operations overseas, many are investing in automation. An estimated 65% of the jobs of the future don't exist yet. It doesn't make sense to have Americans building things when machines can do it more efficiently. The real hands-on jobs could be infastructure improvement, high speed rail construction, green energy jobs---things that are a real investment in the country but are not currently possible because of your do-nothing Republican congress.
It's really easy to just say you will bring back jobs. Trump claims he will do this by lowering taxes, but any business that cares enough about its bottom line to ship jobs overseas will immediately replace people with machines. Politicians have been saying this for years because this is a huge voting bloc. But coal mines, steel plants, and manufacturing jobs are dying because they are not sustainable. It's time to stop lying to these voters and invest in green jobs so that rural areas can have an economy again. Trump, a Republican who doesn't believe in climate change , despite the agreement of 97% of the world's climate scientists, will not be the change agent blue collar workers need.
"Donald Trump may be unpredictable, but he will surround himself with competent people"
Trump, the human embodiment of mouth diarrhea, has phalanxed himself with the likes of Chris Christie, Mike Pence, Rudy Guiliani, and Ben Carson. Not exactly the Algonquin Roundtable. Few of those people have any experience in Washington. While it's easy to say that "they aren't Washington insiders" don't you need some competence in government to make connections in Congress and run the Executive Branch and it's many Cabinet positions?
Fact is, almost all of the Republican establishment has distanced itself from Trump. The Bush and Reagan family have said publicly that they refuse to support Trump because of the clear and present danger he presents to the republic.
"Hillary can't be elected because Christian values won't be represented"
You have a choice between Hillary Clinton, a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church, who has written extensively about her faith, or Donald Trump, a man who proudly claims he has never asked for forgiveness, who is so biblically illiterate he believes 2nd Corinthians is "Two Corinthians." There is nothing in Donald Trump's past that would ever suggest he has a basic desire to help others or look out for anyone other than himself. Trump's business model of profit over people is the antithesis of the Gospel.
Also this
"Even if Donald Trump is crazy, we will have checks and balances"
The president picks the Cabinet members, and sets the policy for each of those departments. He also has the power of the Executive Order, control of the Armed Forces, and possibly a Republican-controlled Congress that will offer little or no resistance.
"He might not be polished, but Donald Trump speaks the truth and tells it like it is."
He tells it like it is, if "it" is a lie. Trump, a living scarecrow stuffed with dirty diapers, has shifted policy stances from day to day, sometimes hour to hour. And as we have already discussed, he has an amazingly turbulent relationship with the truth.
"BENGHAZI"
There have been 7 Benghazi probes into Clinton's role. Each one has found no wrongdoing. Even the latest probe by the House Republican Committee found no evidence of wrongdoing . Millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on this witch hunt, and it's been a complete waste of time.
"Both candidates are liars, but the Supreme Court!"
President Obama nominated Merrick Garland, a Republican, almost a year ago. and Congress has refused to hold a vote to confirm him. Hillary Clinton has offered no indications she wouldn't nominate Garland or another moderate justice in return. Why would you trust Trump to nominate a right-wing judge when he's shown his word means absolutely nothing?
"Hillary's health"
Clinton has seemingly recovered from a bout of pneumonia, while Donald Trump, a 70 year old lump of Dorito-dusted bread dough, is obese, doesn't exercise, and brags about loving to eat fast food. All indications are that he gets 3 or fewer hours of sleep per night.
Also, Donald Trump suffers from at the very least, a narcissistic personality disorder. I'm not a psychologist, but there may be something else going on there.
I didn't even mention:
-Mocking a disabled reporter
-Misunderstanding of nuclear weapons
-Mocked a Gold Star Family
-Bragged about being given a Purple Heart without earning it
-Has casually talked about supporters killing his opponent
-"Blood coming out of her whatever"
-Insisted a Latino judge couldn't be impartial to him
-Apparently believes all African Americans live in inner cities
-Congratulated himself for predicting Brexit, the Orlando shooting, the murder of Dwayne Wade's cousin
-Wants poll watchers for the election to intimidate voters
-Has already started sewing the seeds of doubt in the legitmacy of polls and the election.
I am very hopeful that this man will be soundly defeated. I worry still that his movement of bigotry, racism, and sexism has been awakened and will not accept the results. My plea to his reasonable supporters or those on the fence is this: put your country before party. I tend to identify as a Democrat. If my party had nominated someone with similar star power, experience, and hubris--say, Kanye West, I wouldn't think twice about voting for a middle of the road republican. Kanye West or John Kasich? No question. Kanye West would destroy the country. Donald Trump is his equal in every way.
No comments:
Post a Comment