This isn’t a column I want to write; I have not intended to waste my time and effort commenting on the antics of presidential candidate Donald Trump. However, his unashamed indecency and blatant contempt for the political process demand comment.
Mr. Trump’s boorish performance in the first debate of the Republican candidates went beyond the pale of civility. His hostility and threatening response to questioner Megyn Kelly confirmed his misogynistic mentality she had given him an opportunity to address. Saying to her, “I’ve been very nice to you, although I could probably maybe not be based on the way you have treated me, but I wouldn’t do that,” was clearly a threat and intended intimidation, the essence of bullying. In less than 24 hours he called her a bimbo, defined as an attractive but unintelligent and shallow woman.
Worst of all, the next day Mr. Trump said of Ms. Kelly, “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her (pause) wherever.” His later claim he meant her nose or ears ringed hollow, and it was beyond belief he was not attributing Ms. Kelly’s perceived unfair questioning of him to being in her monthly menstrual period. There cannot be a more crude, sexist or demeaning comment about women than that.
Mr. Trump’s apparent self-adoration and vanity go beyond mere egotism, such that he appears incapable of considering anyone else as intelligent, competent and successful as he sees himself.
Mr. Trump displays zero qualifications to be president of this nation. He mistakes bombastic and condescending outbursts for dialogue and meaningless sound bites for policy pronouncements. He has not pretended to seriously address any issues; saying as president we would have a “fantastic” health care system is rhetorical at best. Vowing to build a “wall with a big door” is not an immigration policy, nor is talking with U. S. border patrol agents a legitimate source for his allegation the Mexican government is sending criminals and rapists to this country. That is pure demagoguery.
The truth is Mr. Trump has not shown he has any concept of governing. It’s vastly different than building hotels and casinos, especially by someone who has managed four of those into bankruptcy.
Donald Trump demonstrates a temperament that would alienate national and world leaders. His penchant to call all public officials stupid and idiots would wreak havoc in domestic political affairs. International relations, built on centuries of diplomacy and protocol, would be thrown into turmoil by Mr. Trump’s bull-in-a-china-shop demeanor.
Mr. Trump will not be the Republican nominee; his primary base of fringe conservatives essentially has maxed out. Being preferred by 20 to 25 percent of Republicans, according to polls, means he’s not the choice of 75 to 80 percent. His alienation of women and Hispanic voters is fatal to his candidacy. His threatened run as a third party candidate would fail for the same reasons.
Most serious, Mr. Trump is corrupting the electoral process. The Republican leadership must recover from its paralysis, denounce him for what he is and move to a serious discussion of the critical issues facing our nation and the world. The media must play a responsible role in this process.
Bo Statham is a retired lawyer, congressional aid and businessman. He lives in Gardnerville and can be reached at bostatham@me.com.
