The problem with Donald Trump

As expected, the GOP primary herd is beginning to thin and we’re down to a couple of men who actually stand a chance at winning the nomination and a bunch of others who have no reason to leave. Perhaps these underdogs are sticking it out in hopes that Trump’s momentum will eventually be thwarted by some better judgment from the GOP at-large.

Like many of us, these candidates refuse to accept the rude, callous, hot air balloon-sized ego show Trump has presented as the new norm for presidential campaigning – and I respect that. But there are numbers and there are victories that support the GOP frontrunner’s strategy. His method is working and his opponents cannot find a way to stop him. Relatedly, the frequency of the question “Who are these people voting for this man?” has picked up quite substantially and I do my best to remind those who are perplexed by his supporters that their votes matters just as much as yours and mine and that they have their reasons – for better or worse – just as we do.

But I’ve yet to hear one compelling argument that would cause a voter to place their stake in planet Trump. Every time I speak to one of his supporters, I get the same runaround nonsense ranging from “He’s a strong businessman!” to “He tells it like it is!” and I can’t help but be disappointed. He is a strong businessman. I’ll give you that. But he also started on third base and he’s got a few bankruptcies alongside his home runs. While those bankruptcies can also be discussed as “reconstructions of business,” someone still has to absorb the loss. In this case, creditors sustain these losses. Need I remind anyone that the key to the White House doesn’t come with such a safety net?

Then there’s the nonsense of building a massive wall between our country and Mexico. Doesn’t it speak volumes that people think chasing this pipe dream will be more fruitful than passing a better and more thorough immigration policy? Is this the extent to which we have given up on our government? Somehow Trump has convinced people that Mexico would be paying for this wall. Pursuing this would result in an international episode of Judge Judy. If you want someone off of your land, build your own wall.

To many conservatives, the fuss over the wall stems from the belief that stopping the flow of illegal immigrants into the U.S. will help fix our economy. Want a surefire way to increase our national debt? Pursue the wall. Maybe once we wall in every border, we’ll stop couching immigration issues in with economic issues.

But let me stop analyzing the reasons of others. There’s a problem of equal importance that isn’t being discussed and it’s the lack of seriousness the Democrats seem to be exhibiting toward Mr. Trump.

The old wisdom has been “Yes, please! Give him the nomination. Then the Democratic candidate will surely win!” Maybe there’s some logic to that. Maybe not. But what I do know to be a mistake is to think that Donald Trump cannot transcend his angry and violent rhetoric in a way that positions himself as more of a moderate when need be. I’ve been watching his interviews and I’ve seen his chameleon-like ability to adapt to calmer settings. His focus right now is to win the battle so that he may fight in the war – and right now he seems to be doing a fairly good job at meeting that goal.

Not for one second do I believe his verbal attacks toward his opponents are completely random. Sometimes they are, but there are times when they are not. Why do you think Ted Cruz appears to be more of an extremist than him? Trump rose to political prominence as a “birther” and I’m hard pressed to find many people talking about that. It’s unbelievable, really.

At this point, the GOP’s only hope is Senator Marco Rubio – and they would be smart to get behind him. While I strongly disagree with his stance on several major issues, I can set that aside long enough to admit that the GOP would be making a mistake by turning their backs on the person who may very well be capable of ushering in the next era of Republican politics in America. Even if the people in his own party do not believe that he can win the White House, isn’t there something to be said for putting your best option forward?

If you are considering voting for Donald Trump because he says what you think and isn’t part of the corrupt money machine that is devastating our nation’s political system, then tell me this: Do you really speak to people the way he does?

Just because a man can self-finance his campaign doesn’t mean he hasn’t been a part of the system he claims to not need. Look at all of the money he’s proudly boasted of having given to political candidates. Why contort oneself to craft an explanation for how it’s okay that Mr. Trump once used the very system that perpetuates corporate influence in politics to his own advantage?

A president is the person we turn to in times of war and we also expect them to maintain peace. They represent us among a community of nations and are charged with leading us toward greatness here at home. Given that we live in an increasingly global society, we cannot afford to have someone in our highest office who plays politics with religion and culture.

We need a person who understands that there are ways to win without everyone else having to lose. Even though every leader has a team of individuals helping them to execute the duties of their office, the person in charge has to be willing to listen. If there’s one thing Mr. Trump has proven it is that he cannot be contained and will not listen to anybody.

Leadership requires strength, but there are times when strength is best exhibited by understanding and respecting the delicacy of a situation. I am not interested in watching a bull in a china shop as I already know what the outcome will be.