My Random Thoughts about Trump

For about a year, I've been writing about why I have despised Donald Trump since I first knew anything about him, why I think he will be crushed by Hillary, and why I could never vote for him. People who now badger me to vote for him must think I'm as flexible in my principles as Trump is. This is not to suggest I will vote for Hillary. I was opposed to her when Donald Trump was giving her piles of money, when he said she'd be a great president and had been a great Secretary of State, when he said Hillary was a terrific woman, his friend, and a hard worker. The blurbs below were posted on my blog in my monthly Random Thoughts:

October, 2015: I believe in voting for the lesser of two evils, when that's all there is. Not to do so condemns one to be governed by the greater of two evils. But I cannot vote for Trump. I see nothing to choose between the disaster he will bring on the country and the one that Clinton, Biden, Sanders, Chafee or O'Malley will bring on it. They will be different types of disasters, to be sure.

November, 2015: People tend to believe what they want to believe. No past statements by Donald Trump contradicting current statements, no exposure of lies by Hillary Clinton about her server, can shake their faith in their candidate. This is true for rabid supporters on both sides of the political aisle.

December, 2015: I am still hopefully that both Donald Trump's and Hillary Clinton's tergiversation will scuttle their campaigns. But the public has short memories. ... Carl Jung describes Donald Trump: An inflated consciousness is always egocentric and conscious of nothing but its own existence. It is incapable of learning from the past, incapable of understanding contemporary events, and incapable of drawing right conclusions about the future. It is hypnotized by itself and therefore cannot be argued with. It inevitably dooms itself to calamities that must strike it dead.

February, 2016: 2015 will be remembered as the year when Donald Trump (after decades of supporting Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and liberal causes such as the illegal immigrant Dreamers, universal and single-payer healthcare, big government and crony capitalism, the Iran Deal, and abortion, plus bashing George Bush and Reagan) became a conservative. At least he said he did. But them he also once said Oprah would be a great vice president. ... If Trump is the nominee, what will be his response when the Democrat runs ads with clips of Trump saying how great Obama is and that Hillary would be a great president? ... I don't want you to think that the campaign has made me tired of Donald Trump. I was tired of the narcissistic, progressive, Clinton-loving blowhard decades ago. ... When I point out Trump's long history of liberalism, such as supporting single-payer healthcare, the "dreamers," and big government taking private property to give it to his business, or saying Hilary would make a great president and would be able to handle Iran, or contributing to Hillary, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, the Trumpeters say, "That was just business; he didn't mean it, he just needed to do it to be successful." What makes them think he isn't lying now about his beliefs just to be successful in the campaign? ... I think that electing Hillary Clinton, or Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump president would be disastrous for the country, each in different ways. But Trump has an additional problem. Electing him will destroy the conservative movement as his manifest flaws throw sand in the gears and he is held up by liberals for decades as the "conservative" bogyman. ... Don't know why there are not Bumper Stickers saying, "Donald Trump: The pro-Obama, pro-Clinton, anti-Tea Party candidate." ... I believe strongly that if Trump is the nominee, Clinton or Sanders will be the next President. I could not vote to make any of the three President. ... Easy prediction. The Trump supporters are going to be bitterly disappointed. Especially if he is elected.

March, 2016: If Trump wins the GOP nomination, it means we will have a choice in November between two life-long liberals. ... Democrats pulling for Crude Trump on the GOP side, and Republicans hoping for Red Bernie on the Democrat side might want to think about what a Trump or a Sanders presidency would mean for the Country. I already have trouble seeing a path to survival for the Republic, but I believe that a Clinton, Sanders or Trump presidency would put us over the tipping point. It may be unavoidable anyway. ... Obama knows that the Republican base hates him. He also knows that Trump would be crushed by Hillary. Thus he tries to help Trump win the GOP nomination by saying, "Trump will not be president." ... Trump's supporters remind me of Obama's supporters--complete unmoved by facts. Reasoning with either one is impossible. At least Bernie supporters know what they want: free stuff paid for be future generations. Trump supporters hate most of his past policy positions and support for leftist politicians, but it doesn't matter, they want Trump. Because he tells it like they want to hear.

April, 2016: Leftists clearly believe the polls showing either Hillary or Bernie crushing Trump and want him to win the GOP nomination. Bill Clinton called him to urge him to run on the GOP side. Barack Obama said Trump would never be president, a move calculated to strengthen Trump with the Republican base. Don't forget the effort to get liberal Dems to cross over and vote for Trump. And Leftist Sanders supporters attacked Trump rallies to shut them down, a clear gift to Trump with the base. But they should consider that if Trump is nominated, some unanticipated "black Swan" event could tip the electorate and make him president. What then? Given his many and wide swings in speech and policy positions, no one knows what President Trump would do. Least of all Trump. ... Bill Clinton has done a great deal during his career to damage the country and the GOP, but by far his cleverest and most destructive move was urging Donald Trump to run, counting on Trump's ego and Trump's mouth to do the rest for Hillary. ... A plurality--though not so far a majority--of Republican voters has given a face, Donald Trump, to the liberals' age-old claim that the GOP is a party of Yahoos and know-nothings. It will damage the GOP brand and the conservative movement for decades. The irony is that it will come at the hands of a nominee who is a life-long liberal with an aversion to transparency, a contempt for the truth and a past record of shady dealings. Much like Hillary in broad overview. ... The Republican Party this year seems permanently split between those of conservative principles and integrity who will never support a lifelong liberal with a history of failed businesses and shady dealings, Donald Trump, and the angry folks who don't care about his history or character because they like what he has started saying since he became a candidate, think he can beat Hillary, and don't care what he said or did or stood for in the past. ... Is it more likely that a person expresses his true feelings when not running for office, or when running? But the Donaldcrats won't look at Trump saying the GOP was too mean spirited to immigrants in 2012, his long political support for liberal Democrats or any of his other leftist positions over the decades, believing only what he has said since announcing. They are as willfully blind as the Obama supporters, seeing in Trump only what the want to see. ... The Donaldcrats will be bitterly disappointed when the campaign reveals to the voting public his meretricious character. Should some "black swan" event, such as Hillary being indicted or struck by a meteor, elect him, they will be even more disappointed when in a year of two his manifest flaws of character and lack of guiding principles are fully revealed by high office. ... Trump will replace Obamacare...with Bernie-Care. Like Sanders, he said he favors a single-payer health system, covering all Americans from cradle to grave, paid for by a government that is already teetering on the verge of fiscal collapse. Wonderful. ... Trump says the reason he changes positions so often is that every successful person is flexible. Look for him to be, like Obama, even more flexible after the election. ... Trump says if elected, he will surround himself with the best people. Like those who he "hand-picked" at Trump University? Like those who were with him at Trump Airlines? At Trump Mortgage? At Trump Taj Mahal Casino? At Trump Steaks? At Trump Network? ... It now appears that both parties will nominate a life-long liberal with a history of shady dealings. Trump will have the baggage of NPD as bad as Obama's and no political experience. Voting for Trump is like going to the airport and demanding a plane with a new pilot who has never flown before. The Trump campaign will end like Trump University, Trump Mortgage Company, Trump Airlines, Trump Steaks, and the Trump Taj Mahal, but maybe not until November. I think he will carry about 15 states, Hillary 35. His nomination hands the presidency to Hillary, unless some "black swan" events lets him win, which would be as bad for the country, but in a much different way. I have felt the Republic was in dire straights since I published my book, The Coming Collapse of the American Republic over five years ago. I now think only an act of God can save it. I won't be here, but I ache for my grandkids. ... When Hillary Clinton is sworn in as President next January, I hope all the Donaldcrats will remember that before he dropped out, Rubio was leading her by 5 points, while Trump was trailing her by 13 points. They will try to put the blame anywhere but where it belongs--on their blindness. ... Trump says he contributed heavily to liberal Democrats like Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi and Rahm Emanuel not because he supported him, but so he could get favors. That is called bribery and is a corrupt practice. But for Trump, corrupt practices are "just business."  ... We are all familiar with the low-information voter, who supports candidates like Obama and Trump because they say what they want to hear, and who change positions with the breeze. But Trump is the first successful low-information candidate, almost completely ignorant of the military, foreign affairs, economic realities or how government works. Look at his pledge to cut $300 Billion from the $85 Billion Medicare drug programs, later changed to cutting $300 billion from the whole Medicare program, which costs $580 Billion a year, through "better negotiation." ... In The Wealth of Nations, circa 1776, Adam smith, considered the founder of economics, said that a nation needs three things to advance economically: A Division of Labor, people free to pursue their own self-interest, and free trade, both internal and external. It remains true today, but politicians like Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump can harvest votes by appealing to the economically-ignorant, which constitute a majority, with support for high tariffs and protectionism. Most people don't have a clue that it was Hoover signing the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Bill, against the advice of 1,000 economists, which started a world-wide trade war and turned a recession into the Great Depression. Those who don't know history are condemned to repeat it. ... As with Obama, to Trump supporters he's a blank canvas on which they write what they want to see. ... Watching a Trump-Clinton electoral battle, with two life-long corrupt liberals tearing each other up, would be entertaining. Except that for conservatives with principles, it would be like watching a heavyweight prize fight, knowing the winner was going to beat the hell out of you. ... I've been saying all along that the Hillary Wall Street Money Machine will crush Sanders. Not as bad as it will crush Trump if he's the nominee, because the Sanders' people will vote for Hillary, while principled conservatives will not vote for Trump.

May, 2016: The fact is that for as long as I have known about Donald Trump, I have held him in contempt and disdain. In my book he is a bloviating, coprophagic fustilarian. And always will be. I could never vote for him and still consider myself a person of integrity. ... The Trump campaign is going to be the graveyard of political reputations. A Trump Presidency ever more so. ... If Trump promised he was going to teach everyone to fly like birds, the Donaldcrats would say, "See, none of the other candidates will do that." It's why he can get away with promising to build up the military, cut taxes, and eliminate the deficit and much of the debt all at the same time. They think if he says he will repeal the law of gravity, that he will do it. They will be disillusioned if he loses, but exponentially more disillusioned if he wins. ... People who invested up to $35k in Trump University, based on the lie that he was going to handpick the instructors, got burned. People who were creditors of Trump Airlines, Trump Taj Mahal Casino (3 times), Trump Mortgage, Trump Network, Trump Steaks, and Trump vodka got burned. People who invest in "Trump the President" are going to get burned, if he doesn't get the nomination, if he does, but is crushed by Hillary as the polls show, or, worse, if some black swan event makes him president and he brings his know nothing, bullying, crude, insulting, no-core-values approach to managing the country. ... Hillary and The Donald get away with lies because their supporters have politely, silently among themselves agreed not to notice. ... If you don't like Trump's position on a particular issue, check in tomorrow--it will have likely changed. ... For years now, any Republican who has varied from the party line on any issue has been a RINO. Of course, Donald Trump has varied from Republican Principles on everything during his career, but that apparently just makes him a smart businessman. Recently a Trump supporter said that I "was part of the Republican Establishment." I guess because once I was in Massachusetts, where I was Republican Whip in the State Senate 35 years ago--not that I had many people to whip! So if you are among the majority of GOP voters so far who have voted against Trump, welcome to the establishment. Cocktails at 6, dinner at 7. ... The Republican Establishment: Anyone who doesn't like Trump's record as a life-long liberal with an aversion to transparency, a contempt for the truth and a past record of shady dealings. ... Trump's policies are based on wishful thinking and ex-cathedra pronouncements, rather than on facts and reality. ... One good thing about Trump, he's not really a racist as some have said. He thinks everyone, regardless or race, gender, religion or ethnicity, is inferior to him. ... Donald Trump running for president as the liberal caricature of what a "conservative" is, after decades of being a strong liberal on all issues, is as laughable as would be Hillary suddenly running as a "conservative." If you wouldn't believe her, why believe him? ... Donald Trump is a perfect example of the old adage, "What's bad for the country is good for the news media." ... Like Obama, Trump's many weaknesses do not include being hobbled by excessive modesty. ... If they are nominated, both Clinton and Trump are going to say many very nasty things about each other. And both will be right. ... I have a bachelors degree in government and a master's in history. I served as a Marine, including Vietnam and for five terms in the Massachusetts Senate. I have 31 years management experience in the private sector, and am sure I have read more than a thousand books on history, politics, economics and foreign affairs. That doesn't begin to prepare me for the presidency. But it does mean I'm about ten times more prepared than Donald Trump. ... I have had a couple of people ask to be removed from my blog mailing list because I have expressed my decades-old contempt and disdain for Donald Trump. I refunded their full subscription fee. ... Will Bernie Sanders make Trump University tuition free so no more students will get ripped off? ... Some people compare Trump to Hitler, but that's wrong. He's more like Mussolini. He even re-tweeted one of Mussolini's quotes; il Duce was an incompetent, narcissistic braggart, a bully who often mistreated women, a "leader" who encouraged his followers to beat up the opposition to silence them. And he led his country to ruin.

June, 2016: Joey No Socks for Vice President! ... In November, the American People will have to make the solemn decision as to which of two corrupt New York Liberals is the most proficient liar. ... I do not believe there is anything that Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump could do or say that would make me vote for either of them. I believe they both have meretricious characters that make them unfit for public office of any sort. ... Driving through Jackson, MS on our way north, we saw a two-story vacant office building off I-55. There was a huge Trump banner on the second floor. On the first floor was a large, "For sale" sign. Alas, no time to get a picture as we sped by. ... People who say they aren't worth anything until they have had their morning coffee may not be worth much afterwards either. ... With Trump as the nominee, no Republican senate or house seat is safe. I think President Clinton will have a Democrat Senate, maybe even a Democrat House to support her agenda. ... Georgia Senator George Hill, after the Civil War, described people like Trump who avoided service: "Men who are Invincible in Peace and Invisible in War." ... The positive benefit of the Trump rise: we are learning which conservatives have principles and which are willing to sacrifice principle for a hope of winning something. ... If you want to understand the 2016 Trump-Clinton election, you should read a good history of the War of the Roses, when two rich and powerful families sought to be absolute rulers, with all the benefits that come with such power. Intrigue, treachery, lying and side-switching were in vogue. ... If we get President Hillary, the people to blame are those who voted for Trump in the primaries, not the conservatives who warned them we could never vote for him. ... If Trump ran an ad saying, "Big Brother for President," his supporters would say, "Yup, we need a strong hand in the White House." ... If Donald Trump is a Republican, then the Republican Party no longer stands for anything. ... The Republicans who have put their careers ahead of their country by getting in bed with Trump will discover they have damaged both, perhaps irreparably. ... Both the Hillary Clinton and the Donald Trump campaigns abound with the noisome stench of self-dealing, rent-seeking and special-pleading. ... Trump embraces the delusion of all authoritarians that threats, bullying and violence will eliminate resistance. In fact, it always increases it. Even in Nazi Germany there was a resistance, including The White Rose Society. ... Donald Trump has a life long history of commitment to only two values: self-aggrandizement and self-enrichment. He lies more frequently even than Clinton, often contradicting himself in the same speech, making it hard for fact-checkers to keep up. He has a history of saying whatever benefits him at the time; for and against immigrants, for and against abortion, for and against gun control, for and against Obamacare and extending it to single-payer, he will and he won't release his tax returns. He is an odious person with a meretricious character, bragging publicly about cheating on his first two wives, sleeping with numerous married women, saying sex was his Vietnam, cheating students at Trump University where he lied and said he would hand-pick the instructors, using a mob guy (Joey no Socks) to give him phony awards and other mob guys to fund his projects (they get the money to do so from drugs, prostitution, extortion, robbery and loan sharking) demeaning women and our POWs, and making fun of a disabled reporter, then lying about it. If you vote for him for President, you are endorsing all this, and it is on your conscience. ... I feel no pity for political operative Rick Wiley, who was hired by Trump then fired six weeks later. As the old saying goes, "You knew he was a snake when you picked him up--you can't complain if he bit you!"

July, 2016: To Republicans withdrawing their endorsements of Donald Trump--what, you couldn't see this disaster coming? It's going to get worse. ... I know a lot of conservatives who are not fanatic Donaldcrats, but will vote for Trump as being marginally better than Clinton on some issues. "Yes, he stinks," they say, "But I hope as President he'll do a few good things too." (What a fervent endorsement!)  "Besides," they say. "Congress will keep him in check." Oh, you mean like it kept Obama in check?" ... Q: What will Donald Trump do about the latest political development? A: Relentless whining, vile insults, bullying and threats. Same as always. ... Donald Trump is destitute of the most rudimentary knowledge we need in a president. His knowledge of economics, foreign affairs, the military, the mechanics of government, the Constitution, the balance of powers and much else is about an inch deep. Unfortunately, both Hillary Clinton and her long-time friend, supporter and contributor, Donald Trump, are lacking in the most basic integrity, honesty and principles we would want on the Town Council. I cannot vote for either. ... The Hillary versus Trump debates should be called the Featherweight Championship of the World. ... Trump treats everyone who disagrees with him with contempt. Republicans who he demeaned, bullied and insulted now getting in to bed with him for party unity or hope of political reward have earned that contempt. ... Donald Trump may be the only Republican who could lose to Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton may be the only Democrat who could lose to Donald Trump. Both parties put their worst candidate forward. ... The breathtaking complete lack of principles in Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump is so strong that most people cannot believe it. It's like meeting a person who is alive but has no heart. You assume there just has to be one there somewhere and use verbal make-up to disguise your discomfort with the phenomenon.

July, 2016: Pense is the ambitious Republican who took Trump's VP slot in hopes of being the GOP nominee in four years, Trump being 74 then. But not only do I think Trump is likely to be beaten, I think being associated with his administration, if there is one, will be the kiss of political death. ... After the convention and Trump's nomination, he is still attacking Ted Cruz. Donaldcrats on Facebook are still sending me memes mocking Cruz. Apparently their strategy for defeating Hillary is to attack Cruz right up to November, so conservatives get his message that he doesn't need or want them. Fine with me. ... It has become a standard for candidates to say they will, "Have our backs." I don't trust either Hillary or Trump to have my back; I keep my wallet in my back pocket.  ... Hillary does everything possible to hide, cover up and distract from her lies and corruption. Trump glories in his. Except, I suppose for his broken promise to release his tax returns. Funny I read he had demanded tax returns from those he is vetting for VP. ... If anti-trade tariffs are so great, as Trump, Clinton and Sanders say, why not let states protect jobs by putting tariffs on products from other states. California and Florida could put protective tariffs on oranges from each other, for example. If this sounds like economic disaster for states, it is for countries too. See the Smoot-Hawley Tariff bill and the resulting Great Depression. ... From a Mental Health professional friend: I find both candidates equally disheartening. Both seem to have the characteristics of psychopaths. (See the research of Robert D. Hare.)