We the People: Americans want a president who will unite them, not divide them

Donald Trump has had other nicknames bestowed upon him besides “vulgarian” that seem prophetic as he seeks to become president of the United States. Spy magazine labeled him a “buffoon” with a foreign policy described as “crude” and “jingoistic.” He is a capable businessman and an ingenious self-promoter but does that qualify him to be our chief executive?

Ted Cruz said that Mr. Trump will be a “disaster” for Republicans and the nation, and insisted that his campaign is the only one “on a path to beating Donald Trump.” He insisted Republicans are uniting behind him to beat Donald Trump. Why does Mr. Cruz have no faith in Mr. Trump, the candidate? It is because he has no faith in the millions of Republican voters who picked Mr. Trump over him. Those voters don’t believe Cruz can be trusTED like he promises and believe he should be doubTED for his controversial opinions and his empty promises. It may be that Republican voters prefer a jingoistic buffoon to a narrow-minded, paranoid reactionary.

Mr. Cruz insists a conspiracy to propel Donald Trump to the candidacy exists so that he will lose to Hillary Clinton in the general election. The media, he insisted, is conspiring to “cover up” Mr. Trump’s history since it has not reported on his tax returns or his connections to “the mob.”
“The media is doing everything they can to cover up his background” and there is “no reporting on his multiple business interaction with members of the mob,” according to Mr. Cruz. If he has some information about Mr. Trump, then why doesn’t he present it to reporters when he has the attention of the media? Mr. Cruz claimed Mr. Trump “had a $1 million fine against him for hiring illegal aliens [and] the media [didn’t] cover it [or] the fact that his hotel down in Florida hires foreign workers instead of American workers.”

If Mr. Cruz is right, then why are Republicans selecting Mr. Trump over him? CNN commentator and Republican strategist Steve Schmidt has a succinct answer. He said that Republicans are angry at the Republican establishment because the establishment is “so isolated from the real and terrible impact of the 2008 great recession” and the collapse that followed it. The impact on middle-class earners, especially blue-collar workers, has them doubting their allegiance to the GOP.

The Republican establishment picked Jeb Bush to win, then Marco Rubio and now Paul Ryan is supposed to be selected as the nominee in a brokered convention. Paul Ryan announced he will not such a nomination. How disconnected can the Republican establishment in Washington, D.C. get from the people? Donald Trump, unfortunately, is the only Republican candidate addressing disaffected, working-class Republican voters.

The Atlantic ran a story, with comments from Republicans who support Trump, that describe why they believe the billionaire real-estate developer will treat them better than the career politicians they mistrust. A “liberal” said, “I feel that Trump is our only hope in this next election. [I] voted for Obama in the last election!” Another said, “I will vote for Donald Trump … because he represents hope [and] how much damage can he really do?” A ‘moderate” said, “he wants single-payer health care and doesn’t want to defund Planned Parenthood completely. I don’t agree with him but why is it a bad thing to be moderate?”

Other supporters pointed to Trump’s business success, independence, honesty, lack of political correctness and willingness to utilize the talent of experts as reasons they support him.
America is in a transitional phase but when in its history was it not? Some things may not be as good as they once were but in our history, we have been beset with bigotry, poverty and class inequality even when our economy was strong. Democracy is a work in progress.

Mr. Trump may be a breath of fresh air for Republicans but he is so unqualified to lead the nation that he should never be considered a serious candidate to occupy the Oval Office. Mr. Trump likes to say, “America doesn’t win anymore” which resonates with frustrated people but he provides no solution and no plan with one.

We need a leader with the ability to combine practicality and philosophy. We have candidates for president on the left and on the right who harp upon fears and resentments to turn the working class against the wealthy and the native-born against immigrants but that is not the America that majority of its citizens want.

We have one candidate that has survived the attacks of critics and has the experience, ability and mind to lead America to a better place with fiscal restraint and fairness in all proposed plans. Hillary Clinton will defeat the GOP candidate in the general election because the American people want a candidate, in the end, who will represent them rather than divide them.