playmaker88
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Americans are smart, and they appear to harbor no illusions about Trump’s piety. The same Pew poll found that, compared to Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders, Trump was considered the least religious presidential candidate. Trump supporters: Does this mean nothing to you?
According to several polls and focus groups, the other main reason people support Trump is because they think he’s tough. But is he actually tough or merely tough-talking?
Trump claimed he would rid the world of the Islamic State by “bombing the s— out of them.” That’s the way we like our Clint Eastwoods to solve problems. The problem is that, to be tough, you actually have to know how to win. Steeliness without strategy is just bluster. Which is what most military experts think of the carpet-bombing “plan,” which also would slaughter innocent families on an enormous scale. Former defense secretary Robert Gates said people “making these broad pronouncements” simply “don’t know what they’re talking about.” Michael Pregent, a former Army intelligence officer and adjunct fellow at the Hudson Institute, says, “Carpet bombing only works with armies out in the open, but those days are kind of gone now. They’re not doing that anymore.” Trump supporters: Don’t you want someone who can actually get the job done rather than just say what they know won’t work just because they think it’s what you want to hear?
Another aspect of Trump’s so-called toughness is his inclination to attack anyone who disagrees with him, from journalists to other politicians to Muslims writ large — people who have the freedom to disagree with him. If Trump is willing to abrogate one part of the Constitution in his quest for power, why should he stop there? The promise of Trump is that he will destroying from the inside what the terrorists are trying to destroy from the outside. That makes him a dupe and a puppet.
[How Trump responded to the first essay I wrote about him: Like a bully]
Last week, Trump withdrew from Fox News’s presidential debate because he didn’t think host Megyn Kelly would treat him fairly. In the first GOP debate, she said, “You’ve called women you don’t like, ‘fat pigs,’ ‘dogs,’ ‘slobs’ and ‘disgusting animals.’ … Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about women’s looks. You once told a contestant on ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees. Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president?” It’s a reasonable question to ask a man who wants to govern 158 million American women. She also said, “In 1999, you said you were, quote, ‘very pro-choice.’ Even supporting partial-birth abortion. You favored an assault-weapons ban as well. In 2004, you said in most cases you identified as a Democrat. Even in this campaign, your critics say you often sound more like a Democrat than a Republican, calling several of your opponents on the stage things like ‘clowns’ and ‘puppets.’ When did you actually become a Republican?” Also a fair question, given that his largest group of supporters are conservatives.
Republican presidential contender Donald Trump said that Hillary Clinton got "schlonged" by then-Sen. Barack Obama in the 2008 Democratic primary. Here are other times he's insulted women, from Rosie O'Donnell to Megyn Kelly. (Sarah Parnass and Nicki DeMarco/The Washington Post)
As a Trump supporter, aren’t you worried about his toughness if he refuses even to face simple questions like these? Imagine how much harder the questions would be if he were elected president. Perhaps it is tough to say, as Trump has, that “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters.” Is it tough to insult you, his own supporters, as mindless zombies and cult worshipers?
You also tell pollsters you want an outsider because you’re tired of political elites who constantly lie and manipulate the truth. But what about the fact that Trump has proven to be the most dishonest politician running for president? FactCheck.org, which called him the “King of Whoppers,” said, “In the 12 years of FactCheck.org’s existence, we’ve never seen his match.” Politifact gave him the 2015 Lie of the Year award because 65 percent of his statements were mostly false, false or “pants on fire.” Only 1 percent were strictly true.
Here’s the most important reason for not supporting Trump: You’re throwing away your chance to change the country for the better. Even if Trump could win in November, bluster and insults are not enough when it comes to our economic, spiritual and social futures. Running a real estate company has nothing to do with running a country, forging alliances in Congress, or dealing with foreign allies and enemies. Running a lemonade stand is not the same as running a massive citrus farm.
Trump’s dominance reflects your disgust and dissatisfaction, not an endorsement of his vague policies. So ask yourself this: Of everything Trump has promised, what does the president actually have the power to change? Forget the crazy stuff (that everyone will say “Merry Christmas”) and focus on the big-ticket items such as building a wall at Mexico’s expense. If that’s a good idea, can a president make it happen, and how would he or she do so?
Because Trump would be powerless to do a lot of the things you want — make new laws, alter U.S. strategy — a vote for him is a guarantee that actual, realistic changes you want will never happen. Instead of translating your outraged voices into meaningful action, you would be thwarted by a candidate who knowingly made promises he couldn’t keep.
America works best when all voices are championed by true believers. Don’t let yours get lip-synced by the Milli Vanilli of politics.
Yours,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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