Trump gives hope to “disenchanted” Republicans: reader

March 23, 2016 · 0 Comments

(Re: Politics as Usual, March 17)

Ms. Collins-Mrakas trots out a predictable condemnation of Donald Trump’s presidential aspirations. Mr. Trump does not represent the traditional candidate. He is not smooth, politically correct, deferential or contrite. So why, to this point, has he been successful?
A large segment of Republicans feel they have been wronged.
For example, the Tea Party movement arose from George W. Bush’s big government spending followed by even more massive government growth under Obama. The Tea Partiers were merely asking for real reduction in government debt and deficits as well as sensible immigration policies.
They did this peacefully without rioting or violence and for this they were branded as racists and bigots. They were successful in giving Republicans control of both the House and Senate and the result? Nothing changed. Obama’s big government and open southern border policies were not challenged.
The Republican Party leadership lied to its own supporters.
Along came Donald Trump. He represents someone outside of the “establishment”. He gives the disenchanted Republican voters hope that he would be the one to finally put an end to the obvious slide in American economic power. Under Obama, debt has skyrocketed ($1 billion now spent daily on interest), real wages have fallen, middle class jobs have disappeared and the massive influx of illegal immigrants has continued.
It is no wonder that choosing another candidate favoured by the Republican elite was not the favored option. They know nothing will change.
Donald Trump is more representative of New York City street culture than our ideal of a presidential candidate. He is a populist in the same vein as Trudeau or Obama, but can you blame the Republican voter for looking to him to do something different? You can only stiff your supporters so many times before they turn away.
I await Ms. Collins-Mrakas’ tirade against the candidacy of the media darling – the corrupt and incompetent Hillary Clinton.

Gordon Clarke
Aurora