We have seen a lot of colorful candidates who have announced their intent to run for president over the past couple years, but none have made so much noise as the Republican front runner, Donald Trump. According to a CBS News report, Trump still leads the Republican party with 25 percent of the vote for the nomination. This is terrifying because the entertainer has done nothing but run his mouth during the entire campaign and what's worse is that many people, who have proven themselves to be ignorant on many issues, are actually loving what he has to say! His speeches have been filled with racial bigotry, sexist slurs and calling American POWs/MIAs losers (such as John McCain). It's terrifying to even begin to imagine the possibility of Trump in the White House. President Obama joked about it at the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner, but those were jokes. This is real now, and he's actually winning!
There is a chance, though, that Mr. Trump may have just...well...Trumped himself. Can anyone recall what helped Sarah Palin crash and burn during the 2008 election? When she could not simply name a magazine she liked to read? Or when she dissed hockey moms by comparing them to pit bulls (the only difference being lipstick)? Or when she struggled to give a straight answer to any of Katie Couric's questions in general? Trump may have had his own Palin-level screw up not that long ago.
It was widely contested that Barack Obama was Muslim (not that it should be an issue) and that he was not born in the United States. Even after he released his birth certificate and despite the fact that we live in a country where one can practice religious views freely, people are still on him about this and Trump seems to be leading this band of ignorance.
Why bring this up? Let's rewind the clock back to 2008. At a Republican rally, candidate John McCain was addressing the crowd when a woman said that she couldn't trust Obama because he was an Arab. McCain shook his head, took the microphone from her and said: "No ma'am. He is a decent family man and a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues and that's what this campaign is all about. He's not an Arab." McCain may have been running on the opposite side of Obama, but he still knew the simple reality that Obama was born in the US.
At a campaign rally, Trump picked a man to ask a question and this guy started off: "We have a problem in this country and it's called Muslims." Before we go any further, let's just pause to acknowledge the rampant racism and ignorance in that statement. Yes, I am here to bash Donald-Idiot-Trump, but Nameless-Joe here has stolen the show temporarily. He's like the heckler that interrupts the stand-up comic at his or her show and then gets served a nice can of karma to shut him up. Yes, we do have a problem in the US, but it's not Muslims...it's ignorance. People like this poor sap probably didn't care to take the time to look into what Islam teaches. I don't want to get too far off track, so I will close with this. Nineteen men carried out the 9/11 attacks, not the entire religious base of Islam.
Continuing on, this ignorant sap called into question Obama's citizenship again. Trump's reply to this was straightforward and, like McCain, he was respectful and calmly corrected the man on his ignorance...did you believe that? If you did I'm so sorry for misleading you, but that is not even close to what happened. According to the Huffington Post, Trump answered: "We are going to be looking at a lot of different things and, you know, a lot of people are saying that."
Where to begin with this, where to begin? First of all, it is clear that one of his obsessions, besides ridding this country of anyone he doesn't like, is proving that Obama was not born in America. I think it's reasonable to be concerned that this obsession might actually consume him. He'll be so caught up in proving something that has no relevance by the time he steps into office that he'll half-ass everything else, although it's ironic that a total ass could be half-assing the presidency.
The second point is that not being able to accept reality (like many 9/11 conspiracy theorists) that Obama is American. I think this started off as a joke and eventually spiraled into this huge thing. Even though members of his own party have acknowledged that Obama is an American through and through, Trump refuses to accept reality. It's not that hard, Donald...just say the words: "Obama is an American." Mark Cuban of the Huffington Post even said that the candidate he supports "is not going to win. He's got no chance...none."
This could very well be the beginning of the end for Trump. The fact that he isn't afraid to say what he wants is something to be admired. The problem is that Trump is taking it to another level. He has angered the Hispanic population, the Muslim population, dissed the military--which is a huge no no--and is now rambling on about the illegitimacy of Obama, because he can't get his toupee around the simple reality that he is wrong. Speaking your mind and not giving a damn is a double-edged sword. While it's great to speak bluntly, it can also hurt our country. One diss about Russian women and BOOM! World War III! Trump may believe he is cut out to be President, but the reality is he is only cut out to be an entertainer. He won't be President in 2016. That's reality, let's follow in the footsteps of decent people and accept it for what it is.
