And yet, our infrastructure is deteriorating. I live in NYC, but if I want to go from Staten Island to Manhattan, that’s an almost two hour trip during rush hour. Nothing significant has been done in decades to ease this traffic problem. Where is all this money going? Cost of living goes up, but wages are flat. Lots of people are having trouble finding good jobs. The housing market is a mess. Something just doesn’t feel right. America feels broken.
So, along comes Trump. He doesn’t do the double-speak that politicians do. He speaks like a normal person. His ideas make sense. Yeah, what about those lobbyists? Why would someone donate millions of dollars to a politician? Don’t they expect something in return. Meanwhile, Trump says he’s financing his own campaign and he wouldn’t take a salary as president.
This is either the greatest trick ever pulled on the American people or a hero of a generation has emerged.
It’s easy to be skeptical of Trump, but I’ve looked closely and I like what I see so far.
- The United States is not a monarchy – With more than 300 million citizens, we can’t do better than another Clinton or Bush? Trump has already succeeded by knocking the wind out of Jeb’s sails.
- Trump is a New Yorker – He’s not all about self-promotion and arrogance, that’s just how we talk. It’s crazy competitive here.
- He doesn’t drink, do drugs or smoke – I don’t either. He’s right in the way he raised his kids and in that way of thinking. That junk can slow you down. I was surprised to realize that Trump is almost 70 years old. He looks very good for that age.
- Illegal Immigration is wrong – I understand that people from all over the world want to better their lives. The United States is an attractive destination. Yet, there are many people that are trying to do it legally. It’s a difficult and very expensive process. Equality is the American way. Illegal immigration creates discrimination, as it treats an entire group of people differently. The law should not be so horribly ignored. People are being exploited because business owners want cheap labor, while a country is suffering the consequences. It’s not good for the economy, it’s not good for citizens and it’s not really good for illegal immigrants either. People shouldn’t have to live in the shadows. While I think deporting millions of people is excessive, problematic and unnecessary. I think a nationwide e-verify system and penalizing sanctuary cities are good ideas. Mitt Romney was right. Just enforce the laws, illegal immigrants will go back on their own or find ways to fix their immigration status. I do like the idea of a wall though. The United States has to defend its borders. Challenging “Birthright Citizenship” also seems reasonable, as what does “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” really mean in the 14th amendment?
- He’s right on the second amendment – Guns are scary, but they are necessary. Trump tells a story about the two convicts that escaped an upstate New York prison. It was a concerning time. While the police searched for the escapees, it wasn’t known if these killers would kill again. A woman living in the area, who was far from being a gun advocate, suddenly changed her views on having a gun in the home. Trump is right to tell this story. His call for a national right to carry makes sense too. This is a constitutional right. States should have no right to chip away at freedoms declared and fought for by the founders.
- Life would be more entertaining with Trump as President – Let’s be real here. The reason why so many people watched the first two Republican debates is because of Trump. People are taking an active interest in an otherwise dull topic. That’s good for the country. I also think it’s a boon for the news and entertainment industries. Looking back at the 80’s, the decade seemed to be so much more fun. The music, the movies, the TV shows – I think Ronald Reagan is largely responsible for that. We were fighting the cold war. The way to win was to make our way of life seem more appealing. It worked. I think Trump could have the same effect on the modern age.
- Trump is right on the media – I don’t usually post about politics because I try to maintain neutrality. My background is in Journalism. In one of my college classes, I was tasked to spot the slant in stories. I wasn’t very good at it. The stories seemed the same to me. Today, the bias is evident. It’s also repulsive. Trump is applying for the toughest and most important job in the world. He should be vetted. What we’re seeing is something else. The debates were not about issues. They were about ratings. They were about gotcha questions and getting the candidates to fight. Once again, respect the profession! Journalists should be doing a better job. Freedom of the press is a right, but it is also a responsibility.
- He understands the idea of American Exceptionalism – Trump’s forte is business, which is international, but global politics is a somewhat different profession. Trump does appear to be weaker on foreign policy. Yet, he has the right answer – FIND THE RIGHT PEOPLE! Trump is not going to rip off his suit, open his shirt and reveal a Superman outfit. He’s not going to singlehandedly solve all of the worlds problems. I do think that he is going to attract talent. By building a winning team, America can be exceptional again. He certainly isn’t the type to apologize for America being great. That doesn’t mean it’s the only place in the world that’s great. Lots of other places are great too. It means that America has to be exceptional. It has to adhere to high ideals. That helps to lift up the whole world.