As I watch Donald Trump in the news, this modern-day
incarnation of Narcissus travels the country seemingly trying to derail his own
campaign with one ridiculous statement after another. And indicative of an age of runaway Ritalin
prescriptions, some angry and misguided people are popping Mr. Trump’s missives
like pills. From a political party that
can call its own the likes of Lincoln and Reagan, this vaudeville barker is
muddling the message of real conservatives who could make a serious and
honorable run for the Oval Office.
A good friend, and a very intelligent one, refers to Mr.
Trump as revolutionary. I disagree. There is nothing revolutionary, new or
extraordinary about the businessman-turned-demagogue. History is replete with fringe characters (some
good, others not) aspiring for the White House – Aaron Burr in 1800, Hugh White
in 1836, Henry Wallace in 1948, George Wallace in 1968 and Ross Perot in 1992. Beyond U.S. history, a string of such people
have sought power and had their supporters and popularity. Mr. Trump does not represent anything new but
he is a new incarnation of an old idea.
Appealing to our baser instincts elevates nothing and will ultimately
produce nothing but more acrimony.
For all the talk from Democrats regarding the homogeneity of
conservatism, there are some varied and powerful ideas coming from the
candidates who, sadly, are not being heard or so we thought. In the last few weeks, some of the Republican
candidates are making progress in the polls.
For the most part, they are also seen as outsiders without the toxic, ad
hominem nature of the front runner. As
we are still nearly a half a year out of Iowa, it is hoped that some of these
candidates will be able to dispatch Mr. Trump and allow him to return to
whatever he was doing a year ago.
Recently surging in the polls is retired surgeon Ben Carson. In debates and in conversations, he has shown
a serious, quietly humorous and mature voice on the campaign trail. As the head of the Republican National
Convention said, I’m not sure about one who has no political experience gaining
the nomination but he stands as a respectful and thoughtful voice. His measured and articulate position on why
the Affordable Care Act is not workable and his support for a guest worker program
has earned him some attention.
Carly Fiorina is another polished and thoughtful voice in
the Republican race. The former CEO of
Hewlett Packard earned rave reviews after her appearance in the matinee debate a
few weeks back. There is a bevy of
videos that show Ms. Fiorina being harangued by one reporter after another on
various issues but she has shown poise, what the French call sangfroid. Her position on a simplified tax code has
drawn some interest as well as her criticism of President Obama’s net
neutrality policy.
He is not an outsider but I’ve been a fan of Florida Senator
Marco Rubio for a while now. As a junior senator, he has shown a great deal of political courage for putting out on record his plan to deal with issues such as immigration and budgetary concerns. Given his background as the son of Cuban
refugees, it is not surprising Senator Rubio has steadfastly opposed the president’s moves
to normalize relations with Cuba. It
might have been a losing position but his willingness to put himself out there
and support his constituents is admirable. He is young, passionate and articulate. He represents the potential future of the conservative movement.
There is so much substance among some of the candidates in
this Republican preliminary fight that it makes it all the more puzzling that Mr. Trump
continues to dominate the political scene.
Some pundits believe that there is no way he will still be around come
January but they are likely the same bunch who said the same things months
before. In some ways, Mr. Trump is the
realization of the worst fears of cultural critics. In other ways, he is simply the latest in a
long line of societal agitators. Let us
hope that another can appeal to the “better angels of our nature.”
No comments:
Post a Comment