Over the past few months I have asked one, what I thought to be, simple question. Why Donald Trump? Obviously this is a question directed to his supporters and I've asked it online as well as in personal conversations. What I've received are the standard non-answers that have plagued this election; "He'll make America great again", "Hillary is a crook" or my all time favorite "He speaks his mind and tells the truth". While on the surface they seem like an answer to the question, they lack substance. They don't tell me, or anyone for that matter, why he specifically is your candidate.
This led me to try and find the answer on my own. The first and most logical place to look would be a candidates policies. So I listened to and read his interviews and speeches. All I was able to gather was vague promises with no plan of action. There were few exceptions to these with the most popular one being building a giant wall that Mexico was going to pay for. Again it lacked depth as to how or why they were going to pay. The other one was his proposal of doubling down on trickle down economics, a plan that has failed multiple times in the past three decades.
When Ronald Reagan implemented this concept he was counting on the generosity of the privileged. He was counting on their patriotism and Christian nature to spread the wealth and not just fatten their wallets with the tax breaks. Unfortunately the past three decades have shown the money doesn't trickle down but stays at the top widening the gap between the haves and have nots. Reagans' mistake is easily forgivable as I will never criticize a president who has faith in his people to do the right thing. Trump's tax breaks will only further the gap in our country and benefit him and his billionaire elite. It also shows his arrogance thinking he can make a plan that has failed repeatedly work by doing it bigger.
So the question still remains unanswered. Why Trump? It was only recently the answer hit me. It is both very obvious and terrifying which is why I kept looking for another. I simply didn't want to believe what the evidence was pointing to. The reason people are supporting him and why it's hard to get one of them to answer the question seem to be one in the same. In Trump's venom that he has been spewing they have found something they relate to. If this election has shown us anything it's that we are not as far from our past as we thought. Racism, sexism, and bigotry still pulse through the veins of our country much stronger than I would have liked to admit. Whether it's bias against immigrants, blacks, women, the handicapped, veterans, muslims, or the LBGT community they found a voice for their fears a spokesperson for their hate. He would say what they felt for them. Saying you like someone because they tell it like they see it is only a half truth. If I say that your mother is a two bit whore, even if I believe it, I don't think you're going to support me for public office. You need to agree, at least in part, with what that honest person is saying. This is why I lay awake hours before the polls open. While I have strongly dislike or disagreed with previous candidates I have never been terrified of one until now. I pray that we as a country do the right thing if not for us, for our children.
Trump is just a cliff notes version of the issues and prejudices we have as a country. While he flip flops on his answers and "beliefs", so do his supporters. How may Republicans have lamented for the Bush ways over the past eight years? How many of Trumps supporters voted for McCain? Yet as soon as they speak against Trump these same people who wanted them to lead their country turned on them with such speed and vitriol it was mind blowing. Again I pray that this fear is all for not as he has a very cult like feel to him and while the election has shown we haven't come as far as we thought socially I'd hate to see what progress we have made be flushed down the proverbial toilet. So do me a favor and get out and vote!
