Racism Guns and Hate
June 19, 2015
Happy New School Year
August 24, 2015
By Janice S. Ellis, Ph.D., Kansas City, MO —
Is Donald Trump many Americans’ alter ego? Many pundits, policy makers, and other people generally, are talking about Donald Trump’s meteoric rise in the polls among GOP voters and likely non-GOP voters as well.
Why has Trump managed to appear on the political landscape and seize the stage among Republican Presidential hopefuls?
Many would like to say it is because of his celebrity status. Trump, similar to Ronald Reagan, has long been on America’s theatrical playground – whether with his signature real estate holdings, his flamboyant life style, from marrying beauty queens to hosting America’s most recognized beauty pageants.
While he has had a ten-year presence in many American homes with his TV reality show, The Apprentice, where he is most remembered by his famous invective, “You are fired,” many would say, even with that and his other theatrical credits, he is no Ronald Reagan.
But is he?
Trump many Americans alter ego. Photo Credit: washingtontimes.com
Ronald Reagan, like many of his cinematic roles, was seen as sort of the great cowboy riding in on the great white horse to set America straight, if indeed, not outright save her. Ronald Reagan was also labeled the great communicator.
Donald Trump, the self-made multi-billionaire rides in on modern day multi-media to make America great again. Trump can also be labeled if not the great communicator, certainly the unbridled communicator.
Whether the analogy of being like Reagan holds or not, Trump has hit a chord with many Americans. He seems to have the knack to express in public what many Americans are feeling, but will only say among family and the closest of friends or not utter at all. Donald Trump many Americans alter ego, in many ways. Just think about it.
Trump Many Americans Alter Ego
Are people tired of political correctness when it comes to what really needs to be done to solve tough issues like immigration, the homeland war on terror, gun legislation, and many other important issues facing this country, and for which the next president will need to provide leadership?
Maybe it is not Trump’s celebrity or his uncensored communication style at all that is appealing to many voters.
Maybe, it is the thought that he, because of his individual wealth, cannot be unduly influenced by lobbyists, political make-up artists and strategists who the people believe really call the shots – during the election process and well after the election is over – not the people. The people’s will seems to always fall victim to the purse strings.
Many Americans may have grown tired of being promised one thing by a candidate on the campaign trail only to get something else once he or she gets in office.
But there is one other possibility. Donald Trump’s boldness, brashness, apparent courage and apparent love of what America “used to be” represent traits of many of America’s founding fathers. They, too, were bold, said and did many things — right or wrong, justified or not, compassionate or brutal — all in the name of building a better America.
At the end of the day, however, Americans can find comfort in the fact that the founding fathers did not like, appreciate or tolerate tyranny. That trait also remains with most Americans. A tyrant, no matter how appealing should he or she manage to be voted into the White House, will likely not last.
Based on Donald Trump’s edicts on the campaign trail, how will he govern?
Feature photo credit: cnn.com
