Thursday, January 21, 2016

A Liberal Rationalizing the Horror of a Trump Presidency, There might be some Positives

The Sadness of a Trump Presidency
might not be All bad

As the possibility of Donald Trump becoming president has become more of a reality, horror best describes my fears. That said, one must prepare for the worst, and in attempting to placate myself, I’ve found areas where we might actually like having his name plastered on the Washington Monument.
But if it bleeds it leads. Donald Trump on the world stage would terrify me.  Speaking loudly and wielding a big stick, see George W. Bush for details, but his missteps could be catastrophic.
I can only imagine him trying to angle Vladimir Putin out of the Ukraine like he’s some slum lord from Brooklyn. Itchy nuclear trigger fingers aplenty in the wake of Trump’s abrasive style and we could all be fired.
If you can get past the prospects of a nuclear winter, let me make a circular argument around the xenophobic rhetoric that is so disturbing.
I’ll use the expelled Muslim woman from his recent rally. I don’t have a problem with her exit, because the Secret Service looks for anyone doing something out of the ordinary. So a women standing silently in protest among the revelry probably counts.
The concern is the racist reaction to the people around her. As many have said, Trump’s success reveals the ugly underbelly of our society.
Despicable that he would demagogue his way to the top in that regard, I’m going to hope this isn’t the true Donald Trump. Mark Cuban has my back. “The Donald Trump who’s running for President is not the Donald Trump I know,” he stated flatly on Larry Wilmore’s show
So I’m going to extrapolate Trump’s version of the post primary Republican run back from the edges.  “All that building a wall stuff and banning Muslims from entering the country – I’m voicing your frustrations. I mean, do you really think I could get this country to build a 2000 mile long wall, and then get Mexico to pay for it. I’m good, but I’m not that good. It’s time to try to accept our differences and not give in to fear. We also have to begin discussing pragmatic solutions that don’t take into account the box our politicians are in, and all the special interests they are beholden to.”
Now we’re talkin (or getting delusional).  Could it be possible that just by empathizing, Donald Trump has accrued enough allegiance to the racist element of the Republican base that they would be open to suspending their irrationality in favor of real solutions on immigration.

He might even be able to convince them that giving a bit on the border would throw an entire population up for grabs in future elections – rather than being solidly Democratic.
As for his Middle East musings, his constituency probably can’t be reached.
You can’t have it all, but being on the outside in terms of the economy could be quite intriguing. Of course, among the banking and Wall Street class that always has its way and sends us periodically into chaos, he’s not financially beholden to them. Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton can’t make that claim and sending a few of them off to jail with any malfeasance might keep them all in line.  
Who knows it might set a precedence that extends beyond his term.
Trump is also from New York. A place that science has infiltrated, he knows global climate change is an issue. So while his business inclinations could deter his policy, rationality might trump the politics of stupidity that Republicans count on in this area.
At the same time, setting a sustainable course could be Trump’s version of only Nixon could go to China.  His constituency at stake of being softened, the idea of encasing policy in accordance of a new sustainable economy might now make sense since he’s doing the talking.    
A New York application to second amendment irrationality might also see progress. His urban upbringing, you really think he cares about hunting squirrels in Central Park?  He’s talking irrationality now, but he understands common sense. 
Probably not strong enough to take on NRA either, Trump’s support may lay wait, and with an obstinate constituency willing to listen, you never know.

If this has earned my unfriending, I hope my upcoming vote for Bernie Sanders changes your mind.

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