Whether or Not You Like His Politics, Trump is Unfit to Be President

For those who support Donald Trump there are a variety of reasons for that support. In my opinion, most of those reasons are pretty tenuous. The only one that comes close to making any sense is the lesser-of-two-evils rationale. For those who believe that a liberal Democratic agenda is bad for our country, voting for Trump might seem like the better option. But even from that point of view, Trump is no conservative. If you are voting for Trump and are a conservative, you are holding your nose and simply voting for anyone who is on the Republican ticket. I understand the position that you're in. My own disgust with the way the Republicans, not only in Congress but also at the local level, have conducted themselves over the last eight years would make it impossible for me to vote for any Republican, for any office. Sure, there's the Libertarian Party candidate, but we all know that the way our system is currently set up, a candidate from any party other than the Republicans or the Democrats has no chance of winning a national election. Libertarians, despite their congruence with conservatives on many economic issues, are on the opposite side of the fence on most social issues, like marijuana legalization. A conservative who wants Clinton to lose will not cast a so-called wasted vote for Johnson, just as a Democrat uncomfortable with Clinton would think twice about voting for Green party candidate Jill Stein. I sympathize with the dilemma that you're in.

But, Donald Trump, aside from political considerations, is unfit on many levels to be president. One problem is that he just doesn't know what he's talking about. His speeches indicate a basic and fundamental lack of understanding regarding how government works. I'm not talking about the back scratching and quids pro quo, the vote trading, and the back room deals that often are part of politics, no I'm referring to the basics of what the constitution says about separation of powers, the restrictions on what a president can accomplish, how laws are made, the relationship between the president and the military, the realities of international diplomacy, global economics...well - everything. One could argue that a president doesn't have to be an expert in everything - that's what advisors are for.  But Trump has a track record of not listening to his advisors, and no matter who is advising, the president, as President George W. Bush said, is "the decider".

Another issue is his temperament. Trump has demonstrated a proclivity toward attacking his opponents. Sure, politicians do that all the time, don't they? But Trump attacks and insults, not just political opponents, but news organizations, talk show hosts, Republicans that don't support him, and he does it in a style reminiscent of schoolyard bullying. Would his notoriously thin skin be an asset in delicate situations that require a cool head? You tell me.

Then there's the lying. The narrative has long been that Clinton is dishonest, untrustworthy and a serial liar. Where accusations against her are generally based on feelings, Trump seemingly cannot open his mouth without lying about something. And when he gets caught in a lie he just repeats it, louder and more aggressively. I know that lying is not something that's rare in a politician, and I don't expect elected officials to be angels, but the frequency and breadth of the lies is staggering.

Finally, does anyone think, that in any category, Trump will follow through on anything that he says if it is inconvenient for him? He says what people want to hear, without any consideration of how it can be done. He appeals to fear and hatred and knows how to push the right emotional buttons, but does anyone really think that he would make a good president?