A presidential candidate who does not believe that $1 million is a lot of money continues to lead the polls. My question, like many others out there, is how?
Before we dive in, let's establish some key facts. Donald Trump is a real estate mogul and was host of the hit show Celebrity Apprentice. He has no past political experience and is most well known for his outlandish comments such as, "I am very, very rich."
If this was five months ago I would discuss Trump's inability to make a mark in the race. It is clear, however this is not the end of "Presidential Trump." He, along with Ben Carson are dominating the polls. It seems the days of "The Donald" are behind us as we strive to Make America Great Again.
Trump is a political outsider. All of the anger people have with the goings on in Washington do not apply to him. So, what does he do? He has taken that anger and preys on it to ignite his campaign. After 10:00 at night, of course, and on Twitter, to be precise.
People are angry about illegal immigration, so he dives right in. He gives the ideal answer; get rid of illegals and give the jobs back to American citizens. As entertaining as the idea of building a wall (and having Mexico pay for it) might be, it is impossible. Yet there is a large community of individuals who need to be heard now.
These people need jobs to support their families and are looking for any reassuring notion that things will turn around. Trump is the voice of the people. His policies, however are "quick fix" answers with no real substance.
As an authoritative figure, this has done nothing but let a group of angry people loose on the streets. His supporters are widely known for radical behavior (thinkprogress.org)-- yelling profanity and spitting at progressive activists. Trump's response (Huffington Post)? "I will say the people following me are very passionate."
Trump is also known for offensive behavior towards women. He has been accused of calling women fat, pigs and dogs. When he was confronted with this question at the first debate, his response was (Washington Post):
"Only Rosie O' Donnell."
Women do not have equal pay in this country. We are facing increasing discrimination as a gender and for Trump to make a spectacle of this shows his unpreparedness for the role of President of the United States.
Trump is still a top contender as the Republican nominee. A man who has made racist remarks, patronized women and initiated violent behavior is leading the polls. This is no joke.
