In a recent article, Washington Post revealed numerous crude comments made by Donald Trump in 2005 captured in a video recording. Everyone has probably heard about it by now-- how he wanted to have sex with a married woman, claiming that he "did try and f*ck her," or how "when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab her by the p*ssy. You can do anything."
It ("it" meaning Donald Trump) has become so unacceptable that prominent Republican Party leaders slammed him-- the frontrunner of their own party.
Jeb Bush tweeted, "As the grandfather of two precious girls, I find that no apology can excuse away Donald Trump's reprehensible comments degrading women."
Utah Republican Governor Gary Herbert and Representative Jason Chaffetz pulled their endorsements from Trump. Herbert tweeted: "Donald Trump's statements are beyond offensive & despicable. While I cannot vote for Hillary Clinton, I will not vote for Trump.#utpol"
Mitt Romney, the former 2012 Republican candidate, tweeted against Trump as well-- and not for the first time: "Hitting on married women? Condoning assault? Such vile degradations demean our wives and daughters and corrupt America's face to the world."
So, my question is, how long can this last? How has it even lasted this long?
It's important to remember that this election this year is unlike any other election the history of the United States has ever seen. The recent Presidential debate was not a normal Presidential debate, and yet we just ignore that. Why is it being ignored?
How has this campaign gotten to the point that Trump can legitimately threaten assault against women, and I'm not even surprised anymore?
This election has officially reached the pinnacle of ridiculousness. In any other election, comments like these from a candidate-- even if it was eleven years ago-- would never be tolerated. It would destroy their chances of winning, it would damage their political career. I mean, we still remember Romney's "binders full of women" comment from 2012, and we gave Romney slack for that, but people excuse or ignore Trump's comments against Muslims or Mexicans, or even quotations claiming that he would date his own daughter if she wasn't his daughter.
Donald Trump has the potential to lead a country-- not just a country, but the United States of America, one of the strongest countries in the world, despite all of its problems. This is a national issue as much as it is an international issue. He will have certain power over our military, our money and our rights.
As a woman, I'm afraid of a country led by Donald Trump. This isn't an endorsement for Hillary as much as it is just an opposition to Donald Trump. This is beyond the funding or defunding of Planned Parenthood, this is beyond the abortion debate, and this is beyond birth control. Do we really elect a man who approves of assault against women? Do we elect a man who condemns Bill Clinton on a seemingly day-to-day basis, but wants to have sex with married women?
At this point, Donald Trump is not a man who will protect wives, mothers or daughters. He's a man who will violate them.
House Speaker Paul Ryan also spoke out against Donald Trump, saying that "women are to be championed and revered, not objectified." Donald Trump is not a leader that any woman, or man who cares about women, should want in the White House.
This issue pushes past party lines, and it has suddenly become personal. It is a personal attack against women, against wives and daughters, and almost a promise that he will use his "stardom" as President to most certainly take what he wants.
And all of this is only a single instance; every other horrible thing Donald Trump has said about women hasn't been mentioned. So, what will be the final straw? What will end Trump's era of political incorrectness?
If it's not the threat of assault against women, I'm not sure there is a final straw. And that might be the scariest part.
