(Photo: Associated Press)
The general public is disgusted with politicians and has been seeking an alternative to politics as usual, yet sadly, the only substitution available seems to be Donald Trump. I was discussing this with my friend Jim at our weekly lunch, where we always talk about life's vagaries along with a large slice of politics for dessert.
Jim called Trump an uncontrollable, egotistical bigmouth, and suggested that Trump is succeeding due to the shortcomings of all the other candidates from both parties. I have paraphrased his rant by removing the obscenities, yet it still represents a bipartisan anger felt by many of us:
Trump understands how to communicate and despite being an ocean wide and an inch deep he continues to make an impact. Why? Our manufacturing is dying; our infrastructure is that of a Third World country, yet our republican politicians are focused on Planned Parenthood as a major issue while democrats assuage their base by fixating on climate change. Candidates from both parties are selling out their country - for the sole benefit of pandering to party extremists. They're not looking at the big picture and certainly not living up to their obligation as elected officials and Americans.
Americans are an apathetic bunch and often protest against something by simply ignoring it. I am a Democrat, but I am also a fiscal conservative. As a journalist I frequently speak with people on the street about taxes and ask if they believe the government uses those dollars effectively and the answer is always a resounding "no!," yet they - other than the tea party's ineffective histrionics - do nothing about it.
Enter Donald Trump, which given the country's apathy is all we deserve.
However, Trump's interaction with the public is unlike any politician of late. When he meets people on the campaign trail they call him Donald and he interacts with them for sustained periods of time where he speaks at length rather than in sound bites. Trump is also remarkably accessible to the press. He has what my grandfather called "the common touch." Despite being a wealthy patrician with a cigarette holder, FDR had it as well. So did JFK. This is gift that can't be taught or learned and should not be taken lightly and is another reason Trump has garnered a surprising 25 percent of voter support. Trump may be a sideshow act, but our politicians (both sitting and running) are highly flawed as well, and there are lessons they can learn from him. Many of Trump's biggest critics concede that he may perform well in Thursday's debate.
Everyone has been waiting for Trump to disappear or flame out, but it hasn't happened yet. However, he still hasn't explained how he will bring back jobs from China or actually build a wall at our borders. Logical answers are not often important to some voters, so if support for Trump somehow continues and he chooses to run as a third party candidate, that could seriously bolster Hillary Clinton's political future. Finally, I find it hard to believe Trump has any interest in helping anyone other than himself and once he's fulfilled his current brand promotion, his foray into politics will be finished.