Monday, June 6, 2016

Donald Trump Needs to be More Boring, Less Boorish

Donald Trump has clinched the Republican nomination for President. Donald Trump won the nomination by being outspoken. He differentiated himself from the other 16 candidates for the Republican nomination. He stood out. He uttered statements that no other candidate dared to say, statements that were not just outspoken, but verged on racism, sexism, and misogynist. He took positions on immigration and trade the American people wanted to hear, but in which the two political parties had distanced themselves from the people. The American people do not want to elect Hillary Clinton as President. They do not trust her, like her, or respect her. She is overly programmed, sounds like she’s regurgitating focus group points, which she is. She is arrogant and avaricious. She cares little about the ordinary American, from whom she is detached. The American people know it. They feel it. They see it. They don’t want to elect Hillary President. Even Democrats are voting for Senator Sanders, often in opposition to her. Back in 1980 large numbers of Democratic voters in the primaries voted for Senator Ted Kennedy to display their opposition to President Jimmy Carter, not that they necessarily wanted Senator Kennedy to be President. It was "ABC" Then; "ABC" now. Anyone but Carter; Anyone but Clinton! So too today with Senator Sanders’ voters. They’re voting against Secretary Clinton today and want a reason to vote for Donald Trump in November. Governor Reagan gave the American people a reason to vote for him. He offered a warm vision of America in opposition to the failed economic policies of President Carter. Donald Trump has been advised to act more Presidential to secure the independent vote and disaffected Democrats in the general election. Donald Trump is not doing that. Donald Trump said on April 4 that he could be more Presidential as a Presidential candidate, but that “would be boring as Hell.” He continued on April 23 by saying “I can tell you that if I go Presidential, people are going to be very bored.” Donald Trump is accomplishing something Secretary Clinton wants to do, but can’t achieve on her own – reuniting the Obama Coalition: minorities, single women, and young voters. Donald Trump’s statements are politically stupid in addition to the overt racism. Hillary Clinton had a bad week. The State Department’s Inspector General issued a scathing report detailing her violations with the private email and server. Her defense was essentially “Well, I haven’t been indicted.” The Inspector General’s report placed a magnifying class on her duplicity and lies. Instead, Trump’s statements against the Judge changed the national focus from her misconduct to his racist remarks. Long political campaigns have peaks and valleys. Hillary was deep in the valley, perhaps down in the dump. Why take the focus off her? One can be in favor of “Building the Wall” without being anti-Hispanic. One can be outspoken about President Obama allowing illegal immigrants, often but not solely Mexicans, to remain in the United States and committing more violent crimes in the U.S., without being anti-Mexican. His attacks on Governor Susanna Martinez of New Mexico, but especially federal Judge Gustavo Curiel, have crossed the line. They are purely racist in tone and appearance. Governor Martinez is the popular governor of New Mexico, once a solidly red state, now at most purple, but generally a solid blue state today because of its Hispanic population. She is also the Chair of the National Republican Governors Association. Her problem in his eyes” she hadn’t sufficiently supported him. She failed to appear at a New Mexico rally with him. A large number of Republican elected officials. Including other governors, such as Scott Walker of Wisconsin, Snyder of Michigan, and of Florida, are similarly staying away. They view him as being radioactive or toxic with the voters in their states. Judge Curiel’s problem in Trump’s eyes was that he ruled against him in a law suit. Donald Trump called him out publicly as biased because the judge is “Mexican” and Donald supports a wall being built on the Mexican border. Trump’s problem with Judge Curiel is of a business and personal matter. The developer is an entrepreneur. He has started several businesses, including the Trump Shuttle and Trump University. Most succeed; a few fail. That’s the risk with entrepreneurs. Trump University failed. He’s being sued for fraud. Judge Curiel is hearing the case in Federal District Court in San Diego. The Judge has decided some preliminary motions against the defendants; i.e. Trump. Judge Curiel, pursuant to judicial protocol, cannot publicly respond to Donald Trump’s comments. The judge was born in Indiana to Mexican immigrants. He attended Indiana University as an undergrad and for law school. He has achieved the American Dream. Judge Curiel is an American, just as my Mexican American, Salvadoran American, Persian American, Palestinian American, Jewish American, Vietnamese American, Japanese American. Chinese American, Korean American, Philippine American, Armenian American, Irish American, Italian American, Greek American, Russian American, African American, and any I have inadvertently omitted in this list, students are American. By the same token, as an American of German ancestry, you can be accused not of being a German-America, but as a German who favored fascism and Hitler. Of course, that’s absurd. So too is attacking Judge Curiel because he is of Hispanic descent. Immigrants are Americans. Second generation of immigrant ancestry are clearly American. Being American is not being of one race, ethnicity, or religion. We are all the sons and daughters of immigrants. Even the ancestors of the Native Americans immigrated to America. They just didn’t go through the equivalent of Ellis Island. One can easily be of any of these cultures, such as Mexican American, but still be American. Maria Sanchez, my secretary, was born in Mexico. Her parents still live in Mexico. She is Mexican. Maria is also an American with United States citizenship. Maria is an American. Her son is German-Mexican American, just as Donald Trump is German-Scottish American. To be American is to assimilate into the values and cultures of this diverse American melting pot. There are times when we start to say things, and say to ourselves “Am I really saying that? “I’m not really saying that, am I?” Sometimes I wonder if that’s what occurring with the Donald. Does he really mean to say that, or is it just diarrhea of the mouth? Then when he says it, he sometimes feels compelled to double down. Thus, he now says ant Muslin American should be disqualified in cases affecting Trump. Of course, it did, and of course he did. The Times doesn’t need an excuse to attack trump, but why give them one? The New York Times attacked Donald Trump for his attack on the independence of the judiciary. Of course it did, and Trump did. The New York Ties does not need an excuse to attack Donald Trump, but why would Trump gratuitously give it one? The New York Times was silent on President Obama’s attack on the Supreme Court in his January 27, 2010 State of the Union Address. The Court a week earlier had issued the Citizens United decision, recognizing the Constitutional Right of Free Speech for Corporations in political elections. Democrats hate it ostensibly for bringing more corrupting money into politics, but really because it provides a counter source of funds to offset the large union and trail lawyer contributions to the Democrats. They are quite eager to accept hundreds of millions from unions, especially the public sector unions, trial lawyers, Goldman Sachs, George Soros, and Tom Steyer, both hedge fund multi-millionaires. Democrats just don’t want Republicans accepting large sums from the Koch Brothers and others. Justices of the Supreme Court, like many dignitaries, attend the state of the Union Address. They, like the other attendees, sit and listen. President Obama excoriated the Supreme Court on the Citizens United decision. He even misconstrued the opinion to proclaim against the evils of foreign companies contributing to United States political campaigns. The illegality of political contributions remains illegal after Citizens United. President Obama was either ignorant of the decision or just being a demagogue. His record indicates it could have been a combination of both. The Justices had to sit and listen as President Obama bullied them. Justice Alito was seen shaking his head and whispering “not true.” Chief Justice Roberts later commented at the University of Alabama: “The image of having the members of one branch of government standing up, literally surrounding the Supreme Court, cheering and hollowing while the Court – according to the requirements of protocol – has to sit there expressionless, I think is very troubling.” Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina at one point screamed out “You Liar” in the President’s 2009 Address to the Joint Session of Congress. That outburst was viewed by commentators as ‘poor form.” The then Democratic majority in the House of representatives voted to censor the Congressman, who has since handily won reelection to the House.. The Obama Administration and the mainstream media further bullied the Supreme Court prior to the 2012 Obamacare decision. The President said “I am confident that the Supreme Court will not take what would be an unprecedented, extraordinary step of overturning a law that was passed by a strong majority of a democratically elected Congress.” The media proclaimed an overturning of the statute would create a constitutional crisis and call into question the integrity of the Supreme Court. Chief Justice Roberts is believed to have caved and changed his deciding vote to uphold ObamaCare. President Obama taught Constitutional Law, or his version of Constitutional Law, at the University of Chicago Law School. He had to know his statement was at best disingenuous. The proper procedure if a party believes a judge is biased against the party is to file a legal motion for recusal. Trump’s attorneys have not done so. Donald Trump understands the legal process. He has a reputation of being quick to file lawsuits; indeed. USA Today says he’s been involved in over 3,000. Donald Trump can be negative about Hillary, Barack or whomever are your Democratic opponents. He should save his venom for them. He needs to give the majority of voters a reason to vote for him. The Presidential Election is a real reality show. Trump will not win the November Election on “The Cult of Personality.” He crossed the line with Judge Curiel and Governor Martinez. Does Donald Trump shoot from the hip and wing it? Definitely Is Donald Trump thin-skinned? Apparently Is Donald Trump a racist? I don’t think so. Is Donald trump sexist? I don’t think so. But what I think is irrelevant. What America thinks, especially a majority of the voters on November 7, 2016, is what counts. Trump is a self-proclaimed master of the deal. Cavalierly attacking those you disagree with is not always the way to seal the deal. This deal is with the American people.

No comments: