There are numerous excuses being bandied about regarding Donald Trump’s words, and that once he is elected, he will modify his rhetoric and become more presidential. Sadly, this energy is only growing. I hear many apologists state that it was just the rigors of the political campaign season, and he’s doing what’s necessary to get elected through a competitive primary process. We’ve also heard that he is merely echoing the sentiments of many frustrated citizens who need a platform to express their anger with the political process and the government’s effectiveness. He is giving a voice to those who feel unheard, regardless of what it is they have to say. Perhaps they need a less prominent platform. I don’t know about you, but I hear from them on a far too regular basis. However, now that Trump is the nominee, they say he will begin to act more presidentially and become a unifying force, except, of course, when it comes to his presumptive final opponent. He is allowed to cast character assassinations and personal attacks against her at will to suit his larger purpose.
Has anyone been watching Donald Trump on TV or other media for the past 25 years? He regularly gets into spats with fellow celebrities because his thin skin has been penetrated. I don’t second-guess his business or marketing acumen. There are certain things you do to get people to watch your TV show and rise above the media din. And, what he has done with his commercial real estate businesses is impressive. In both cases, you need to have a larger-than-life personality and play business hardball. My guess is that he may even be a good guy to be around if you are part of his loyal inner circle. I also don’t question him as a father or friend. Not my place, nor do I have enough personal information. Trump, of course, would not extend the same courtesy to me. What I do question is Trump’s ability to lead our politically divided nation through a series of challenging domestic policy issues and navigate the complex, nuanced world of diplomacy and international relations.
A president needs to unify people, not divide them. Instead of looking for points of vulnerability and seizing them, he needs to identify and leverage areas of common strength. He needs to tap into the “angels of our better nature,” rather than playing to the lowest common denominator. He needs to consider all sides of an issue and make thoughtful, measured judgments rather than succumbing to knee-jerk, emotional decisions. He needs to prioritize the needs of our nation over his own need to feed his large ego. Rather than picking fights out of habit, he should first look for win-win solutions. He can’t ignore the military option, but it should always be the last resort. Talking tough and demonstrating real strength differ significantly. On the international stage, empty threats are counterproductive and potentially dangerous.
A friend once sighed and told me, “The American people, like all citizens of a democratic nation, get the leaders we deserve, not necessarily the ones we need (at any given time).” I used to view this perspective as somewhat cynical. However, right now, there are far too many of us operating from a place of intense emotion. Instead of undertaking the challenging work of improving our own lives and communities, we prefer to cast blame and seek easy answers (and targets). Understanding the complex problems facing our nation requires thoughtful analysis, deliberative thinking, and rational judgment, not simply tuning in to your favorite talking head and validating your preconceptions. The problem with extreme negative emotions is that unless they are kept in check, they can lead people to do treacherous things. Once you release excessive negative emotions, they can become difficult to control. The landscape of history is littered with examples of leaders (like Trump) who whipped their followers into a frenzy and then either purposefully or unintentionally unleashed them on the larger populace to damaging effect. “Make America Great Again,” just like “Deutschland Uber Alles,” are fine patriotic statements in and of themselves; however, in the wrong hands, perpetuating the bad actions, they can be catastrophic. In America, we don’t promulgate violence against those who disagree with us.
One person can make a significant difference in the future of our country. I fear that Donald Trump will have a significant impact, and it won’t be in a positive way. To this point, we have been fortunate that at times of great crisis, we have usually ended up with a leader equal to the task. We can’t assume our luck will continue. The most effective way to forecast future performance is to examine past behavior. Some decisions are more obvious than others.
I am not fully embracing the alternative. I certainly have my doubts there as well. It would be nice if the Clintons gracefully exited the political stage. The Clintons’ time seems to have passed. But sometimes we can only stop things from worsening before we can improve them. A true leader will arrive on the scene soon, I hope. Let’s not make his/her work more difficult than it needs to be.