One notices that when the current nomination cycle began, Donald Trump was more often than not referred to by his full name: Donald Trump. Or by his surname: Trump. As time went by, his iconic sobriquet began to be used on a regular basis, generally in a not unkindly way: The Donald, as if he were a reified entity, a theatrical performance, or even a sort of force or condition, like The Weather. Now he is increasingly addressed simply as: Donald. The outsider, the mogul, the thespian has become a household guest, someone many of us know—with the exception of his enemies or professional skeptics—as a friendly and companionable figure. This is the other “nomination” that has occurred.
Despite the media hype painting him as an unprincipled opportunist, it appears that he has gradually earned the trust of millions of voters, including the initially undecided. That is, he has become Donald, familiar, admired and likeable.
Indeed, what’s not to like?
He has solemnly promised to fix America’s porous border situation and put paid to the violence and fiscal burdens that attend the vast influx of illegal migrants among ordinary, tax-paying Americans.
He has thrown down the gauntlet before the Islamic terror industry, vowed to halt the flow of “Syrian” refugees into the country, and pledged to set up screening mechanisms to repair a broken immigration system and weed out the carriers of an ideology hostile to the preservation of a free and democratic society.
He has presented himself as the law and order candidate in a nation careening toward anarchy in the streets and open war on the police, which has put every citizen at risk.
He has expressed his contempt for political correctness, a species of evasion and outright lying that is weakening the cultural sinews of the nation and its ability to defend itself against a host of enemies, internal and external.
He is committed to restoring an enfeebled military to its former status as the world’s mightiest fighting force. Additionally, he will honor and support America’s veterans, left to malinger by the Obama administration.
He has promised to renegotiate unfavorable trade deals that have left America at a competitive disadvantage, cost millions of jobs, and led to the gutting of the blue collar, middle class and small entrepreneurial strata of society.
He has vowed to replace globalism with Americanism and to require NATO allies to pay their fair share for defense rather than rely on continued American largesse to make up for shortfalls. Who respects a sucker?
He has promised to end the disaster of Obamacare, to tackle the national debt, to revitalize American manufacture, and to open up a restrictive, dumbed-down, “assembly line” educational system.
Considering this bordereau of serious and meaningful pledges, what’s not to like?
Trump—sorry, Donald—enjoys four distinct advantages over all other political actors on the national stage. He is not a beltway politician, which means he has not been corrupted by the perks and privileges so dear to the political elite. He is self-funded and therefore not beholden to major donors and lobbyists. He is a hands-on person, who pays attention to detail, where the devil is said to live, which accounts for his efficiency in keeping the devil’s handiwork of distraction and error at a minimum. And he possesses the ability to spot talent, to put the right people in place to ensure the success of his various projects. Donald is now “Donald” because he has become a member of the American family.
True, Hillary is also a first-namer, but that’s owing to the fact that she is not Bill, that her name operates no differently from a slogan, and that she is the media’s darling. Hillary is a very nice name, but it is really, like the pricey pantsuit, a form of camouflage; the venality and mendacity that lie beneath do not bear scrutiny.
On the contrary, Donald has nothing to hide, he is who he is, a man who has raised a beautiful and capable family, who is disdainful of media deception and shallowness, who can be direct and aggressive without apology, and who believes in hard work and the prosperity that comes from it. As celebrated author Conrad Black said in a keynote address at a conference that Chatham House rules forbid me to specify, Trump—sorry, Donald—has nothing in common with the punditocracy’s representation of him; he is by no means a scoundrel but a loyal friend, a generous man and a decent employer. He is a phenomenon that has rarely been seen on the political proscenium, at least since Reagan—a real person, warts and all. He has lived the American dream and is determined to dispel the American nightmare. That puts him on the side of every aspiring American, makes him one of us, just Donald. In an op-ed for The National Post, Black makes the point succinctly: “The commentariat should be celebrating the fact that Donald did the necessary to round up the Archie Bunker vote, and it is little wonder that it is now almost half the people.”
And yes, Donald has trodden on sensibilities and spoken abrasively, but sometimes that is necessary. He does not suffer fools gladly and has, as many of his supercilious and pampered adversaries have not, grappled in the rough-and-tumble. This is the world, after all, not some utopian fantasy spawned by the left, the bien pensants, and the cushy academics who build castles in the sand, not office towers and hotels. The man of the hour, however, is the man of the years to come. We know him now as Donald.
What’s not to like?
rsklaroff Said:
spreading lies about people is NOT disagreement or argumentation. Folks who spread lies about others should not expect civility. Neither should they expect apology. Israels greatest problem is the lies spread about Israel and those spreading the lies about Trump are the same people using the same tactics. Make arguments, rebut arguments, give supporting facts that weather criticism but dont insult and spread lies about peoples character, unless you want it back.
woolymammoth Said:
I agree, no one has made the level of personal commitment and risk as he has.
@ rsklaroff:
you keep running away from this
bernard ross Said:
bernard ross Said:
still waiting for you to deal with the ONLY argument you raised on Trump wrt Israel. I am not interesting in your feelings for cruz and your need for Trump to kowtow to Cruz in order for you to vote for Israel. Like I said, your “concern” for Israel was just a cover for your upset about cruz.
@ rsklaroff:
Orthopods are generally a pleasure to work under in The OR, compared to other services; a happy go lucky bunch. They are happy in their chosen specialty, for one reason, because they can fix fractured and broken bones in people and fast. Correct congenital abnormalities and the like. Not that difficult cases do no present themselves.
They work hard, very hard, often all hours. They tend to get exposed to their fair share of ionizing radiation, but do so readily to improve patient outcomes.
Their personal interests play second fiddle and they most certainly deserve respect whether you agree with them on some political issue or not.
It must be difficult after a career in medicine to retire from what is a lifetime devotion to the art and science of Orthopedic Surgery and become a regular mortal.
I was more than a little bit surprised by Senator Ted Cruz’s Republican Convention speech, last week. I think he ended up helping Trump and possibly sinking his own Presidential aspirations, for good. He did not think through the possible negatives of giving the speech he delivered.
In any case, Cruz is out and Trump is the candidate. I absolutely believe Trump intends to enable Israel to finally “get the ox cart out of the ditch”, The Oslo Ditch. At present politicians from both sides of the aisle prefer to keep Israel pigeon holed.
Trump’s stated positions, all in all place his life in jeopardy. There can be only one good reason why he would put himself and his family in this position. He believes he has a mission to save his country. He knows the risks and he is willing to give his last good years, “giving back”.
Not only is his life in jeopardy but so too is his family. Trump will have to be very well protected for as long as he lives, whether he wins or not. I believe he will win and could be a great President.
bernard ross Said:
Illustrative of why it would be futile to continue to engage in rectifying your errors [while attempting to accommodate your ad-hominem attacks and foul lingo] is this prior excerpt [which maliciously/falsely/profanely links Hezbollah with Ted’s political campaign]; essentially, you endorse The Donald admittedly/repeatedly LYING [e.g., JFK], purportedly, to “teach a lesson” about an “obscenity” [the GQ cover-shot that’s gorgeous and that reveals nothing X-rated].
Perhaps you inadvertently revealed the fundamental error you [and “Trumpanzees” that suddenly abound] have the tendency to commit, when you referred to what is transpiring as a “game”; those who maintain wariness of The Donald are driven by worriment about the future of the United States far more than whether “points” are “scored” and how “sore losers” must deal with “sore winners.”
You almost appear to revel in trying to rile-up those with whom you disagree, tossing accusations that–particularly when appearing on this website–are intuitively misguided; to posit that my motivations are related more to fealty to Ted Cruz than to Eretz Yisrael [PARTICULARLY after having read your revelations] is revolting, for the two processes are mutually exclusive [although Ted’s unabashed support for Israel links his policies to his personality].
If Ted Belman wants to maintain a level of civility on this site, he may need to address your deviations therefrom…notwithstanding whatever [faulty] policies/ideas you wish to promulgate.
LOL, Trump should play this up to bernie voters… a vote for Trump is a vote against the globalists…. those who fire american workers, ship jobs to china, vote the TPP, flood nation with cheap illegal labor….. they were gop until Trump crimped their style. Trump is neither party… a bit of both… not an ideologue… a pragmatist
Kochs want to spend their cash on getting gop globalists into the senate… I see a pres trump working with both parties depending on the issues. All the koch picks will be their puppets.
rsklaroff Said:
wow, you just cant get it right no matter how hard you try… Israel did not need BHO endorsement it needed BHO to stop pressuring Israel to his positions and to not meddle in Israels affairs. That is Trumps policy, to let Israel decide its own affairs and to give it full support while doing so.
you still have not answered as to what is wrong with Trumps perfect Israel policy? Try again or just admit that you were ill informed on Trumps Israel policy and now you see that his policy is perfect for Israel… or tell me what is wrong with it… so far everything you mention is what you want to hear, not what Israel wants or needs…. and you haven’t answered to the question of what happens if Israel wants a different policy… like BB wanting to give up east jerusalem…. did you think I forgot that you never answered?
bernard ross Said:
@ rsklaroff:
you always run away when your intellect goes bankrupt