OK, I’ll admit it. At least for now – and in politics things can always change – consider me firmly aboard The Donald’s bandwagon. Why? Is it because I agree with everything he says? No. Is it because I agree with all his political positions (whatever they may be)? No. Simply put, I like the cut of his jib. He has a knack for saying things and speaking things that no other political candidate (at least in my memory) has had the courage to say. He’s unflappable, he’s not afraid to push back against the media and its conventional wisdom. He’s definitely not afraid to say what comes into his mind at any given time, and he does it without the built-in filter that most political candidates seem to have, and he does it in a way that’s both optimistic and refreshing.
You watch this YouTube video of his rally the other day in Derry, New Hampshire and you can’t help be riveted to everything he says. From the moment he enters and embraces the American flag – you’ll never see a Democrat do that! – and the way he acknowledges the crowd but just keeps talking, it’s an amazing thing to behold. He oozes charisma, and I guarantee – most political pundits are missing this – he’s speaking to everyday Americans. For once, Republicans have a candidate who’s not afraid of the media, not afraid of political “gotcha” activists, not afraid of anyone. You may not agree with everything he says, but you can’t disagree with where his heart is. He loves capitalism, he loves America, and he’s all about what he considers the unfinished business of the American people – to protect American workers and American families from its enemies, both without and (especially) within.
The Beltway and East Coast elites are doing everything they can to sink Trump’s ascendant candidacy with stories like Trump lost the Fox debate, Trump’s popularity is falling, he’s already peaked, he’s making the case for other candidates, but the evidence isn’t there. In fact, there’s anecdotal evidence (here, here, and here) that interest in his candidacy is surging. Perhaps there will come a time when his ego gets the best of him and he self-inflicts enough damage to turn “the folks” against him, but that time ain’t now. What Trump is doing is sucking all the energy from the room that the Republican establishment had planned for yet another mealy-mouthed, vanilla, middle-of-the-road, say nothing controversial candidate like the pathetic Jeb Bush. He’s the one steering the conversation and forcing the Bushes and Kasichs of the party to confront and address issues they’d never in a million years want to bring up on their own.
More than anything else, Trump is betraying his wealth and privilege by speaking the kind of language “Joe 6-pack” can understand. And you can bet he’ll be steering his message to African-Americans as well. Call it the return of the “silent majority” or the “Reagan Democrat”, but Trump’s message – at least for the present time – is resonating in a way that no poll conducted by so-called professionals can tap into. The working class of this country has been thirsting for a champion, someone who sees just how damaging the ruling political and socio-economic class (on both sides of the political aisle) has been to the interests of everyday Americans. Trump isn’t afraid to confront the political establishment and its ineffectiveness, corruption, and incompetence and take on the special interests.
Where Trump goes from here is anyone’s guess, but anyone who underestimates him or the interest his candidacy is generating does so at their own risk.
