I recently read an article advocating for Trump from a college student's perspective, and I feel the need to set a few things straight. The points presented are largely superficial and straight from Trump's own talking points and slogans. Once you get into the meat of them, none of these reasons hold up. I will also add the disclaimer: I am an independent voter and currently undecided except for one thing: I know I won't be voting for Donald Trump.
1. Free college will never work.
It might not, I'll be among the first to admit that. However, as a country we have to decide where our priorities lie. True, nothing is truly free, it costs someone something. Free or reduced tuition would cost the government more, that much is inescapable. We could achieve this through tax raises, or by cutting spending in other areas (like the military perhaps?). I wouldn't mind paying more in taxes in order to have a more educated population and the military budget is so vast that it wouldn't be hard to redirect some of that money without endangering our soldiers or national security. However, even if free (or cheaper) college were entirely impossible, that simply removes a reason to vote for Clinton, it isn't itself a reason to vote for Trump.
2. The American Dream will stay alive.
“Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement, regardless of social class or race.” - James Truslow Adams
I agree entirely that this quote is a great way to talk about the American Dream, I have problems with what the author writes after:
"The American Dream is achievable according to a person’s ability and achievement, Donald Trump has accomplished this himself and will keep it alive if he’s elected president."
Donald Trump isn't an example of the American Dream. According to PolitiFact: "[...] Trump isn’t entirely a self-made man. Trump took over his father’s business, and he inherited money when his father died." Sure, Trump has done well in the business world, but let us remember that he was born into and comes from the kind of wealth that most Americans can't even fathom. He had almost no barriers to achieving his dreams. The same can not be said for those living in poverty, members of minority groups, or really anyone who isn't a straight white male of above average socioeconomic status.
The American Dream is a long-time myth, it was dead before America was ever really born. We all have barriers to our dreams, many of them based on the circumstances of our birth. As a straight white male, I have to be aware of the privileges awarded to me based on those traits that I can not change. All I can do is use these privileges to try to breathe life into the American Dream.
Voting for Donald Trump isn't a vote for the American Dream. It's a vote to perpetuate the myth of it while the actual dream stays dead.
3. He's very accomplished.
To quote an Epic Rap Battle from a previous election: It's a country, not a company that you can play like it's Monopoly. The skills of running a business and the skills of running a country are very different. Sure, there are some similarities in the form of generating profit (creating a budget surplus), managing resources and trade negotiation. However, the mindset is very different. A company is run with a competitive mindset to get more profit and market share than any other company doing the same thing. A governmental mindset should be to cooperate with other countries to improve the lives of its citizens. It would take a lot of evidence to support the claim that these two skill sets are the same and until that evidence is put forward, Donald Trump is no more fit to run the government than any other rich person.
4. Aren't you tired of politicians?
Oh yes! I'm sick and tired of them, even just listening to a political speech makes me want to wretch. That is exactly why I won't vote for Trump. To quote the article I'm critiquing: "It would be nice to have someone in office who isn’t going to lie to us, has real plans, and will actually change something in the White House for the better." Donald Trump is a celebrity and adept at playing the media, like any good politician. He tells his followers what he believes they want to hear at the time. He contradicts himself so often he is the very definition of a flip-flopping politician. True, he doesn't come from a political background. He does come from a background I trust just as much as politicians: business. Politicians and business-people are both experts in manipulating the populace to their advantage. A politician manipulates for power, a business-person manipulates for profit.
So yeah, I'm tired of people who lie, manipulate, and take the more expedient route over the best long-term route. All of those things capture Trump as equally as any other politician, if not more so.
5. He's confident.
Yeah, bordering on narcissism. Confidence is a must in a leader, I'll agree with that. However, someone who spends time in a political debate to defend the size of their physical 'assets' demonstrates the confidence of a grade-school bully. Trump presents a front of extreme confidence but responds abhorrently to any form of criticism, no matter how respectfully made. Confidence so easily shattered results in someone predictable and, thus, easy to manipulate.
Think of the most confident person you know. What defines their confidence? Confidence isn't just when you're feeling good and in control, confidence is equally what happens when you're under fire. Trump's confidence is staggering when he isn't threatened, but it shatters like glass the second he comes under scrutiny.
6. His immigration policy just makes sense.
From the article: "Illegal immigrants are a nightmare for America; they take advantage of all the United States has to offer while not paying taxes."
This is, quite simply, false. Illegal immigrants do pay taxes, $11.6 billion in 2013. And no, they aren't taking our jobs either.
As far as policy, I have to briefly mention the wall. Even if the wall would actually reduce illegal immigration (it wouldn't, a lot of immigrants come over legally then overstay their visas), getting Mexico to pay for the wall would be a foreign policy nightmare.
I will say this: If you want to reduce immigration, then yeah, Trump's policies are for you. If, however, you value diversity and inclusion, then you will join me in not voting for Trump.
7. He's self funded.
The argument here is that his self-funding means that he won't have favors to repay, and I can see that logic. He still has relied on donors for 50 percent of his campaign funds, about $45 million dollars. While its true that he has done much more self-funding than Clinton, it isn't true that he won't have favors to repay. That said, the underlying assumption is that his lack of favors to repay means he will act more in the interest of the people than himself or others. Trump isn't the kind of person I'd trust to put anyone or anything ahead of his own self-interest.
8. Hillary and Bernie just aren't right for the job.
"Would you willingly vote for someone that you believe has knowingly lied to you countless times?" As mentioned before, politicians lie, its something we expect from them (not to say that's a good thing, just expected). We can document Hillary's lies, yes. We can also document incidents of Trump avoiding providing answers or otherwise engaging in lies by omission. Honesty isn't something we're going to get out of either of them. I do feel the need to mention as well that, Trump is the most guilty of telling lies while campaigning. According to Politifact, 70 percent of Trump's statements this campaign have been false to some degree. Compare that to the 19 percent of Clinton's statements. Who exactly is the worse liar here?
As far as Bernie, he isn't a candidate anymore so I'm going to largely skip over this. That said, the author says America "stay as far away from anything close to socialism as possible" but never explains why. I'm not saying they're wrong, just that there needs to be some justification for that statement.
9. He'll balance the Supreme Court.
No, he won't. The Supreme Court currently is balanced with four Republicans, four Democrats. A balanced court would have an independent or moderate as the 9th seat. No matter how this election goes, that isn't going to happen.
10. He'll make America great again.
Oh look, ending with the campaign slogan! I'm just going to skip over the "again" part because there is a whole conversation over when America even was great and by which metrics. So how are we looking to make America great?
Based on Trump's campaign so far, I can only imagine he means to make America 'great' by promoting anti-scientific views, limiting immigration, destroying delicate foreign relationships, failing to support allies should war break out, responding to criticism with blustering and in general guiding America in a direction that I feel ruins every area in which we are, or can be, great.
For the sake of helping America progress towards being great, I refuse to vote for Donald Trump.
