Trump’s charade must come to an end

I’m (not so) sorry Donald Trump, but it is time for you to go. Your presence alone is tainting the republican race. This charade has lasted too long, and its buffoonery is overshadowing too many legitimate campaigns.

I truly can’t believe that even on the last day of September, more than three months after he launched his campaign, Trump is still leading in the polls.

I have a serious question: how can anybody support Donald Trump? It is clear in examining his solutions on issues like immigration or the tax code, that his depth of knowledge and experience in public policy is that of a puddle. Every policy proposal he has made would be nearly impossible to enact or would put our country further in debt.  And, quite disgustingly, he uses his economic standing as the foundation of why everything he wants to do is what’s best for our country.

If you can somehow look beyond his atrocious ideas, Trump is unlikeable just in his speech alone. Every sentence Trump utters, whether it to the press or in a debate, is an entirely broad, unspecific and unsupported statement. He constantly rambles on from one topic to the next, avoiding to answer any question with factual data. He has stereotyped every Hispanic American and has made shameful comments towards Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, presidential contender Carly Fiorina, and more broadly, women in general. At the last Republican debate during back and forth banter between Trump and Fiorina, Trump said that he respects women, and some members in the crowd (probably even more viewers at home) actually laughed at him.

I know it’s a cliché comparison, but Trump really is a schoolyard bully. Voters are mistaking his misguided rhetoric for “telling it like it is,” and they somehow think that because he inherited his wealth, he’s the greatest businessman ever, who as President of the United States, could actually “Make America Great Again.” But, much like a schoolyard bully, Trump doesn’t know when it’s time to drop the act, and all he really wants is your (lunch) money and recognition for his status as the toughest kid on the playground.

At this point, I’m convinced that the only thing that could make America great again would be if Donald Trump moved to Mexico – or, at the very least, dropped out of the Republican race.

The irony (other than Trump moving to Mexico) is that it’s not even fitting to call Trump a republican. Prior to launching his campaign on June 16, Trump wasn’t one. For years, Trump has advocated for a single payer healthcare system, a massive one-time tax on the wealthy, and has even donated extraordinary amounts of money to democratic campaigns. Trump can chalk those moves up to playing the system, but we should all know that actions speak louder than words.

Despite Trump’s previously expressed liberal ideologies and numerous donations to democratic candidates, anti-establishment conservatives have had no doubts in turning out to support him in the Republican primaries. Apparently the anti-establishment wing of the Republican Party is so anti-establishment that it supports a former Democrat-turned-pretend conservative presidential candidate.

The worst part is that I’m not sure if people will stop supporting him if he doesn’t stop campaigning. Parts of the electorate must be politically misinformed or completely oblivious to the world around them if they are still advocating his campaign. Everything that he has done in his campaign up until this point has been a joke and shouldn’t be received as anything more than just that.

It’s refreshing to see that Ben Carson, Fiorina, and others are building up steam and stealing back votes from Trump. In Iowa, Carson is making ground, and overall, Fiorina is emerging with nearly 12% in primary polls. However, the Republican race won’t truly be righteous until Trump withdraws himself from consideration.

Jacob Posik

About Jacob Posik

Jacob Posik, of Turner, is the editor of The Maine Wire, an online news and opinion service offered by the Maine Heritage Policy Center. His blog covers local and national political topics.