Unfit By Any Standard
In prior articles I have discussed how Donald Trump is unqualified and unfit to be president. Many commentators have said the same thing. Many conservative Republican’s agree and are not supporting him. Some, surprisingly, are stating they will vote for Clinton. This level of cross-party defection is unprecedented.
During the Republican convention a women delegate was reported as saying that Trump didn’t have the “experience, temperament or judgment” for the job. The New York Times (as of October 9th ) lists160 Republican current and former elected officials who are not supporting Trump. Presumably these are the conservatives with a conscience who care more about the country than party loyalty. They make my case that he is unfit to be president.
Norm Coleman, former Minnesota Senator, and no moderate by any measure, has said, “We have been deceived by a con artist. A fraud wrapped in the veneer of being a businessman, who has slapped a slogan on a baseball cap and is closer to being president of the United States than any bigot, misogynist, fraud and bully in modern American history ... I also won’t vote for Donald Trump because of who he is. A bigot. A misogynist. A fraud. A bully.”
Former Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson says he is voting for Hillary Clinton. He supports Clinton because “she works well with others.”
John Kasich, conservative Republican governor of Ohio and a primary presidential candidate, says “I will not vote for a nominee who has behaved in a manner that reflects so poorly on our country. Our country deserves better.”
It is his ugly, outrageous bigoted statements and his personal behavior that has turned many of these conservatives against him. John McCain said (following the release of the tape showing Trump bragging about his sexual harassment of women),“Donald Trump’s behavior this week, concluding with the disclosure of his demeaning comments about women and his boasts about sexual assaults, make it impossible to continue to offer even conditional support for his candidacy.”
As we explored in prior articles, Trump’s business record shows lack of judgment. Rather than an example of success, it indicates risky, speculative behavior. He used excessive debt for ventures that frequently failed leaving other people with the costs. Now we know he reported business losses in 1995 of $916 million. This allowed him to avoid 18 years of federal income taxes. Mitt Romney, vulture capitalist and former Republican presidential candidate, refers to Trump’s business record, “And then there’s Trump Magazine and Trump Vodka and Trump Steaks and Trump Mortgage. A business genius he is not.”
His policy pronouncements are either unworkable or a rehash of the standard Republican tax cuts and trickle-down economic policies. National security and foreign policy are major Republican concerns. Trump’s statements in this area have conservative Republican foreign policy “experts” worried. Fifty prominent Republican former national security officials issued a letter stating their assessment of Trump. The letter states, “From a foreign policy perspective, Donald Trump is not qualified to be president and commander-in-chief.” The letter went on, “Indeed, we are convinced that he would be a dangerous president and would put at risk our country’s national security and well-being.” The letter continues, “He is unable or unwilling to separate truth from falsehood. He does not encourage conflicting views. He lacks self-control and acts impetuously. He cannot tolerate personal criticism. He has alarmed our closest allies with his erratic behavior … All of these are dangerous qualities in an individual who aspires to be President and Commander-in-Chief, with command of the U.S. nuclear arsenal.”
Paul Wolfowitz, deputy secretary of defense during George W. Bush’s presidency, said he would likely vote for Hillary Clinton. He says“Our security depends on having good relationships with our allies. Trump mainly shows contempt for them. And he seems to be unconcerned about the Russian aggression in Ukraine. By doing this he tells them that they can go ahead and do what they are doing. That is dangerous.”
Michael Chertoff. Former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security under George W. Bush, he has said, “The reality is ... it’s a binary choice...You have two people, and which of the two would be better as president? And I think presented in that way, it was pretty clear to me that I should publicly take the step of saying that I would be planning to vote for Hillary Clinton.”
Trump’s campaign has been a series of offensive statements about immigrants, Muslims, women, and his opponents. Now we know he brags about harassing women. We now know, in addition to lacking the experience, judgment, and temperament, he doesn’t have the maturity to be president. We don’t need a leader who engages in “locker room banter.” We don’t need wild statements about stopping opponents with “2nd amendment” tactics. We don’t need an egotistical celebrity who speaks without thinking of the consequences.
Hillary Clinton is the candidate with the experience and the personal skills to lead. She has a rational agenda for the country. She is the candidate with adult behavior. Voters from all parties need to put the good of the country before party loyalty. If we can do this perhaps a new, more civil politics can emerge.