The 2016 presidential election campaign will go down in history as one of the most bizarre campaign. It is bizarre because everything you don't expect in such a campaign have happened. And they have happened because of one candidate – Donald J. Trump.
Donald Trump in any other country would not come close to being a candidate for the highest political office much less being elected to a lower tier political office. Yet in America, the most powerful country in the world, Donald Trump is contesting the US presidential election with an experienced politician Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Traditionally, comedians and cartoonists have thrived on presidential candidates like Donald Trump because of his bizarre behavior. His bizarre behavior reflects deep personality flaws that should open up new opportunities for another profession — psychologists. That is because he is the consummate narcissist who also suffers from illusion of grandeur.
Donald Trump certainly has plenty of personality disorders that include projecting his negative characteristics unto his opponents. When Hillary Clinton says he does not have the temperament to be president, he is unfit to be president, he is a liar, etc. he accuses her of the same thing. Even more bizarre is that when he does something that is reprehensible he makes excuses or blames others. For example, with birtherism, he blamed Hillary Clinton for starting it and with his recent lewd and explicit vulgar sex comments, he equated his behavior with Bill Clinton's sexual misdeeds.
Mr. Trump will exploit or ingratiate himself with groups he has insulted or taken advantage of in the past to promote himself as a credible candidate who cares about people. He has done it with African Americans, Mexicans, and veterans. Just hours before the Town hall debate last night, he appeared in a press conference with four women who accused Bill Clinton of sexual harassment.
It is not because Donald Trump has no political experience or record of public service that makes him unqualified to be president. Rather it is the many flaws that would make it impossible for him to be elected in even a Third World country.
So why is it that in America, the most powerful country in the world there are some Americans who believe that Donald Trump has the right stuff to be president? The only answer to this is that some Americans get confused easily especially when it involves race.
Yes, many Americans have expressed their hatred and disgust with Pres. Obama simply because he is a black man. They have extended that hatred to Hillary Clinton because she was Pres. Obama's Secretary of State. So when Donald Trump (who tried to delegitimized Pres. Obama with birtherism) the knight in shining armor who hates political correctness comes along it makes no difference whether he's flawed, or unqualified. His supporters ignore all of that because they think he will fix the problems they have been told that Pres. Obama caused.
Donald Trump hurls insults at anyone or group that he doesn't like or dares to cross him. He has done it with the Mexicans, Muslims, African-Americans, and women. But his greatest insult and disrespect surfaced earlier this week in a video that he did with Billy Bush for Access Hollywood eleven years ago. In that video Donald Trump is heard making lewd and vulgar sexual comments about women.
In another time, Donald Trump's lewd and vulgar sexual comments would have crashed his campaign instantly. These are different times, however, when people have different values and their principles have no meaning or value to them. His supporters still support him although some Republicans have withdrawn their endorsement and condemned his statements they seem to have done so reluctantly.
After last night's Town Hall debate where Trump gave another poor performance that was characterized by complaining to the moderator, his snorting sounds, and his pacing back and forth when Hillary Clinton was talking many of his supporters said he won the debate. Fox News, Neil Cavuto even said, "He killed it."
If there's one thing that makes the presidential campaign bizarre it is the idea that a man who has no political record our experience can challenge candidate who has significant political experience and accomplishments as a high-ranking public official. Hillary Clinton has served America as first lady, as senator and as Secretary of State. Her detractors would make you believe that she has no accomplishments because they have peddled their propaganda like they tried to do with Pres. Obama.
It would be a disaster for America if a flawed candidate like Donald Trump were to be elected president. Mr. Trump simply does not have the temperament and critical thinking ability that are prerequisites in making tough decisions to address complex domestic and foreign problems. America would be well advised to not let political bias or other influences cloud their judgment and elect a dangerous man like Donald Trump as president.