I don't know about you, but I'm sick of politicians and politics. After all, the last few Congressional sessions have made a mockery of democracy in their inaction. In 2008, we suffered one of the worst financial crashes in American history. And we just spent trillions of dollars and thousands of lives fighting in a war a lot of people believe we should have never been part of. Maybe it's time for a change. Let's elect a Washington-outsider this year. Let's elect a businessman who can turn our economy around and isn't afraid of tough talk. Let's elect Donald Trump!
Why it's the right call:
There are some real pros to voting Trump this year. As we've seen he certainly isn't afraid of calling out our trade rival China or our southern neighbor Mexico. And the man is a hugely successful businessman, with several fortunes in real estate and marketing. Of course, he's also not beholden to a single party's agenda or favors to certain congressmen either. His conservative ideals show that he'll stand up for our beliefs. He seems to be the ultimate candidate for making America great again.
Why it's actually a terrible idea:
Americans are sick of political correctness. We're tired of watching our words for fear of someone getting offended by them. That's why Donald Trump is so appealing; because he doesn't mince words. He says it like it is. Here's the problem, though, a President can't act like that.
Remember when Donald Trump seemingly mocked a handicapped reported? Or when he insinuated he had a bad debate performance because a moderator had blood coming from her "whatever?" A President can't talk like that. During sensitive talks with other nations, a President can't always have a bully pulpit. What happens if Trump is negotiating a new Iran deal like he's said he'd do and says the wrong thing about the Iranian government and they walk? Insulting a foreign government isn't exactly a sustainable foreign policy in my mind.
Okay but maybe a few small setbacks with other countries could be worth it if Trump is able to turn the domestic economy around. Trump's immediate flair with undecided voters is his business acumen. You don't become worth $4 billion through sheer luck. But let's not forget he's had some missteps in those times, declaring bankruptcy more more than a few times. And his promise to lower taxes is certainly one of his most attractive policies. Except his tax plan would help Trump and his bridge club more than any middle-class American. Trump's tax code would have a top bracket requiring anyone making $150,000 or more to pay 25 percent income taxes. That rate is 28 percent right now. The rate goes higher, with 39.6 percent being the highest bracket for individuals earning at least $415,000 a year. Conversely, the average household makes around $51,000 a year and pays 25 percent income taxes on that. So while Trump's tax plan would mean a 5 percent drop in income taxes for the average household, he himself is looking at a 14 percent drop in taxes. Who's the real beneficiary of Trump's tax cut?
Donald Trump is completely right in one aspect. No one in the Republican race was talking about immigration before he brought it to the forefront. And that's probably a good thing as such a large portion of our economy revolves around cheap immigrant labor. While Trump's plan isn't exactly illegal, it goes against our moral character to deport millions of people just coming here to support themselves. On a personal note, I've met illegal immigrants. They weren't rapists, murderers or drug dealers. They were men who worked 12 hours a day for six days a week just to send every cent they didn't absolutely need back to their families. They didn't come here to get government housing, earn welfare checks and work the system. Illegal immigrants don't qualify for welfare. Working with illegal immigrants toward a solution would provide a huge amount of new tax revenue for the government. The other option involves telling people born in this nation that they are no longer welcome. And a huge spike in grocery prices due to the lack of cheap labor. Now, an increase on the minimum wage would help offset that, but Trump is against that too. And don't even get me started on the ridiculous notion that Mexico will pay for a border wall.
The reality:
Donald Trump's stance on Planned Parenthood is... less bad than any other Republican candidate. And his support of the Supreme Court's ruling on gay marriage is certainly encouraging. But let's be real if he had come out in favor of banning all Christians from entering the country there would have been riots in the streets. The businessman has predicated his entire candidacy by calling himself a winner and bullying whichever minority happens to be in the press at the time. And while he's quick to attack anyone from Mitt Romney to the Pope when they disagree with him, he "doesn't know enough about" David Duke to denounce the former KKK leader when he gained Duke's endorsement.
While I have no doubt he might offer genuine insight into our country's economic woes (which largely recovered in the Obama administration) his terrible plans disqualify him from true consideration as a President. His meteoric rise to popularity honestly does mirror a certain German Chancellor's in the 20th Century. Of course, all the other candidates are awful too, but Donald Trump signifies the repressed inner darkness inside Americans and shows us how we can truly make America great again: by being less like Trump.
