Reality set in for many Republicans as they faced the fact that there is no hope for anyone other than Donald Trump to receive the Republican nomination. Trump and Hillary are both leading their parties fair and square. Despite millions of Americans who can’t stand either of them, millions more support one or the other.
My perspective on Trump from early on was that he was doing positive things for the election in the way that he was bringing up topics people were scared to bring up and saying things people were scared to say. His support proves that Americans are frustrated with career politicians, and want an outsider perspective, and I think that is an important message. The allure of an outsider is that he/she might be like us — frustrated and ready for action. That being said, I never thought that Trump would make it this far. I thought he would shake things up, and then people would direct their energy toward one of the other candidates who more easily fits the mold of president.
As the reality of everything sets in, I realize that I now need to give Trump a fair shot and consider him like a serious candidate. This is hard to do because his platform content often gets pushed aside in favor of reporting on the latest offensive thing he said or did. The fact that he is getting bad press is an important factor, but it doesn’t mean he can’t be an effective president.
As a voter, you know that you are electing a less than perfect person into a position where he can affect millions of lives. Odds are that you don’t agree with every stance of the person you vote for, but you give that candidate your vote anyway. However, it is also the job of the voter to have an idea of what the candidate is endorsing. There is a difference between knowingly voting for someone who makes bad decisions and for someone who changes he/she is in office. Trump is no saint, and he often lacks tact. But if he did half of what he says he will, wouldn’t that move America down a better path? His positions about securing borders, repealing Obamacare, and electing a conservative to the Supreme Court, seem like steps in the right direction for Republicans. But the question remains: at what cost might these things be achieved?
A President Trump could become more outspoken, offensive, and egotistical. But there is also a chance that the presidency could sober him up (a little). He is a proud person because he has been successful in life, and if he was president, it would be time for him to finally prove he is as good as he says he is. Part of his platform is that America needs to win, and I get the feeling that winning is something very important to Trump. I doubt he will accept much losing, and I bet that winning looks like doing what he claimed to do.
Over the next few coming months, I am going to give Trump a chance. I need to look at him, his platform, his media image, and his past actions, holistically. Within the coming months, Trump will have to unite a party and defeat an established candidate if he wins the presidency, both of which would be impressive. I hope that others will decide to keep an open mind, and not hastily write him off. At this point, the only certain thing is that things will and must change.
