Columnist: Pros and cons of Donald Trump
By: Chris Zimmer – Columnist, Senior
This election has been nothing but one big headache for me. I have publicly expressed my support for the Ron/Rand Paul movement, and recently announced my support for Gov. John Kasich in a recent op-ed, but all polls and primaries are showing that isn’t going to happen, barring a miracle. Oh, the joys of being an Independent. Sen. Ted Cruz is gaining momentum, but all signs are showing Donald Trump is going to be the GOP nominee and possibly the next President of the United States, whether you like it or not.
If you love the guy, you have to understand his fallbacks. If you hate his guts, you can’t ignore his positive qualities—as for any political candidate. Since I see so much negativity concerning him from my peers, it only makes sense to start with these attributes before getting to the pros (and yes, there are some).
Cons
1. He’s so brash. This is by far the number one thing people hate about Trump. The media goes out of its way to label him as racist, sexist, and xenophobic, but give credit when credit is due: he has brought those labels on himself through some of his idiotic and outlandish statements. Don’t let snippets of his speeches fool you. The man for the most part talks like a president when on camera, and the media loves his sense of humor during press conferences. Just remember the fact he is from New York City.
2. He’s politically inexperienced. Trump didn’t study Political Science as an undergrad, or go to law school, or earn a Master’s in Public Administration. However, you have to understand that’s why people like him. Millions of people across the country are tired of career politicians from both parties: Republicans feel let down by their current establishment. There’s no doubt he needs to go into greater detail of his proposed policies and how he might accomplish them in front of the camera, but then again I guess that’s what his campaign website is for.
3. He’s not the poster boy child of the American dream. Okay, America fell in love with Barrack Obama’s story. I’ll be the first to admit, it was very heartwarming. It was very much the opposite of the current GOP front-runner. Trump’s net worth when he graduated from college was roughly $1 million in today’s currency, and he became a billionaire three years later when he took over the family business. He’s a pop culture icon, and he had international name recognition before he announced his candidacy. But he seems like a humble guy, right?
Pros
1. His campaigning abilities. While many claim Trump is a fear monger or even a populist, there’s no doubt his “Make America Great Again” campaign is hitting home with millions. He draws crowds of 20-30,000 people at his rallies, and he’s the most talked about person on Facebook and Twitter every day. Maybe the fact he’s self-funding his campaign, and not being controlled by special interest groups, is what’s grabbing the people’s attention from all over the political spectrum. It seems Americans are more politically engaged and in tune to our nation’s social and economic problems now than ever before. You might not agree with the guy’s stances, but you have to thank him for the excitement he’s creating. We needed it desperately. Far too many people in this country could care less about politics.
2. His resume. Let’s face reality, Trump is no dummy nor some slacker. Look at his education. Look how many books he’s written. Look at the success of his business. When he passes away, he’ll be on the Mt. Rushmore of businessmen alongside Andrew Carnegie, Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D. Rockefeller, and J.P. Morgan. It’s true Trump has voted for and donated money to politicians on both sides over the years, but, honestly, who cares? He’s an international businessman who’s had to work with people of all political ideologies, religions, races, and income levels over the years. Maybe that’s the kind of experience our country needs in a president?
3. His narcissistic attitude. Believe it or not, this is a positive character quality. Let’s just think about it this way. Trump will turn 70 years old this June. He’s as sharp as a tack, has a lot of energy, and his personal health and fitness are amazing, not to mention his superb golf game. It’s truly amazing for someone who deliberately only sleeps to 3-5 hours every night in order to be “ahead of the competition.” Saying he takes care of himself is an understatement. While some might say, ‘Yeah, he’s a part of the 1 percent. What do you expect?’ Let me put it this way: If he wins the presidency, I think he’s too much of a narcissist to screw up in his public and/or personal life. The guy obviously wants to go down as the greatest American leader of all time being right up there with George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. I believe he would surround himself with a good Vice-President and 15 other leaders to be in charge of the executive departments, but that’s just my opinion. This shouldn’t be an issue for him. Obviously, his stardom on NBC’s, “The Apprentice,” proves he has lot of hiring (and firing) experience.
These are the positive and negative attributes I see in the guy, and there’s no doubt many more. One of my biggest pet peeves are those who label candidates either as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ without critically thinking about them. You have to consider all possibilities and outcomes of all sorts, regardless of what your own political ideology.