He insults and demeans whole segments of the American population -- those who are different from him either by gender culture or ethnicity. His supporters shout down or insult those whose backgrounds are different than theirs. He has risen in popularity among many who are fed up with the political stalemate in Washington or have felt disenfranchised by the political system. He has succeeded through a combination of brawn, bullying and bombast.
After years of threatening to throw his hat in the ring and run for president, no one was surprised when he said yet again, he was contemplating a run. When he finally made his formal announcement that he was running for President of the United States, he was not taken seriously by the political establishment, but rather looked upon as a joke. Now he's gaining traction and several polls have him as the Republican front runner -- or so the news media tells us.
We've seen this play out before, both in the U.S. and abroad. A few of these campaigns -- a few of these politicians -- have staying power. Most turn out to be flashes-in-the-pan.
The time has come to turn Donald Trump's campaign into a flash-in-the-pan. The summer's coming to an end. We're closing in on Labor Day, the time when the general public begins to get serious about political campaigns and political issues. It's time to get serious and end the political "Reality" Summer of Trump show.
Let's examine the Trump campaign, such as it is, a little more closely than has been done by many in the mainstream news media.
What concrete solutions or policy papers or statements has Donald Trump offered the American electorate on the real hard-core issues such as the economy, job creation and opportunity, education, and foreign policy? Yes, he has his silly proposal to build a wall - to be called The Trump Wall, of course - along the Mexican border to keep out the "drug dealers and rapists." Who's going to pay for this wall? And, really, let's think about this. We have a barbed wire wall along the border now, which is highly patrolled. It has not kept the people determined to come to America from getting in.
Other than infantile tag lines, bombastic self-aggrandizing platitudes and sound bites, I am yet to hear any truly detailed policies. Trump has not given the American people any sort of in-depth vision for America. As a small business owner I would like to hear his views, plans and policies for small business, which is one of the country's prime economic engines.
Instead of articulating any kind of comprehensive policy or vision for America, what he is doing is peddling hate and encouraging intolerance toward those who are different than him and his supporters.
His hateful rhetoric, under the guise of being merely politically incorrect - is out of step and out of touch - and should not be condemned. The language he is really speaking is both hateful and intolerant; it appeals to the lowest common denominator. The American electorate deserves and should demand better from anyone aspiring to become the president of the United State and thus the leader of the free world.
Trump is playing to people's fears instead of their hopes. And it brings out the worst in many who are frustrated and fed up with the gridlock in Congress and lack of cooperation and collaboration between both political parties. Here are just two examples of how Trump hate-laced rhetoric is playing in America:
-A Hispanic man is stabbed in Massachusetts for no apparent reason other than that he was Hispanic, and one of the men who allegedly beat him remarks that he did it in part because he was inspired by Trump.
-A Trump supporter at one of his press conferences tells a respected Univision anchor who is Hispanic and an American citizen,that he should "get out of my country."
Donald Trump is creating an environment that emboldens people. When you have a country that is still in economic recovery and people feeling economically vulnerable, this sort of hate language tends to feed unstable minds. It gives license to people to act out it and empowers them to commit acts of physically and verbal violence in the name of "taking back our country."
We are tarnishing our reputation with the rest of the world by conferring credibility on this man who would be president. We have become the global laughing stock; people in the rest of the world cannot believe that America and the U.S. press are giving Donald Trump so much media coverage and attention. With so much else going on in the world, what must be asked is why the mainstream media is so preoccupied with Donald Trump?
I believe Trump is leading in the polls only because the media is participating in his three-ring circus. The press has to own this circus and they have to end this circus. Very few in the media, other than Megyn Kelly of Fox News and Jorge Ramos of Univision, have challenged Trump in any meaningful way. Where are the legitimate television journalists of yester-year, who would have questioned his dubious statements and stances? Where are the Edward R. Murrows? We need a Walter Cronkite, a Mike Wallace, a Jessica Savitch, or a Bernie Shaw today.
Most of the journalists covering Trump today seem more like lapdogs than watchdogs. They have to stop showing up for, and lapping up, every ridiculous, insulting, statement that he makes. I am calling on the media to impose a blackout. I can tell you that if they do not cover him, he will go away. Of course he can continue to send salvos out on Facebook and Twitter. These so-called legitimate media people are providing Trump with unwarranted credibility by covering him. They are depriving the American people of other voices and undermining the very tenets of our democracy. The American people deserve and need to hear from all the candidates; not just some ring master of a media-created political circus.
I am convinced that if the traditional mainstream media decided for a week to not cover Donald Trump, we would see a complete transformation in his behavior, because he wouldn't be getting traction. As long as the media continues to cover him, they are depriving the American people from having a true democratic experience. Only when we cover candidates responsibly -- when we pay attention to the issues, give scant coverage to the demagogues, and cast an analytical and critical eye to the claims of those vying for office -- will we be able to adequately evaluate those who seek to run our great country.
It's time to tone down, tune out and turn off Donald Trump.
The Summer "Reality" Trump show must go! It's time to say "Donald, as a presidential candidate, YOU'RE FIRED!"