What a difference four years makes. In 2012 Mitt Romney was the arguably weak, wishy-washy presidential candidate. Hence, the American people re-elected Barack Obama.
Today with a terrifying field of Republican candidates Romney is starting to look really good. It's a sad testimony to the decline of capable GOP leadership. The Republican Party has gotten so off-message that their rhetoric and divisiveness, have dropped the credibility bar to a frightening low. Their current field of candidates makes Mitt Romney look like Abraham Lincoln.
A few months ago, it was the soberly psychotic Ben Carson, as well as the smug, ultra-conservative obstructionists, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, who seemed the most unfit to be President.
But now Donald Trump has surpassed his fellow candidates and in my opinion, is the scariest candidate running for any public office. My apologies to another political aberration--Sarah Palin--who dominated that spot as the worst and most ineligible for the last eight years. Step aside Sarah, you just got "trumped."
The bombastic Trump has now earned the title as the most unstable of all. He has really gone off the chain. The narcissistic, racist, tyrant is not fit to run any country. Perhaps he should be on medication, but he certainly should not be on ballots. More on that later.
I actually admired him in the beginning of this media rollercoaster. I like his honesty and the fact that he doesn't pander to anyone, not even members of his party. I even got a kick out of watching his catfights with Jeb Bush and Carly Fiorina--political slapstick at its best.
But, as we have all seen, his public shenanigans have become downright embarrassing. He is so intoxicated with the limelight that his ego bender is getting worse and he now seems a caricature of a caricature.
Furthermore, the groundswell of momentum he has reached appears less due to his policy strategy than to hate and panic mongering. This rhetoric speaks to the uneducated, bitter and angry side of America. He speaks to people with minds that simplify their own life problems by blaming others like minorities, immigrants, our government, etc.
The Mayo Clinic describes narcissistic personality disorder in this way: You may come across as conceited, boastful or pretentious. You often monopolize conversations. You may belittle or look down on people you perceive as inferior. You may feel a sense of entitlement--and when you don't receive special treatment, you may become impatient or angry. At the same time, you have trouble handling anything that may be perceived as criticism. You may have secret feelings of insecurity, shame, vulnerability and humiliation. To feel better, you may react with rage or contempt and try to belittle the other person to make yourself appear superior.
Bingo!
Another quality of a narcissist is his or her inability to feel compassion for others. Sound familiar? Often, such bravado and overblown persona is rooted in a low self-concept. In other words, Donald Trump is like a frightened little boy crouching under that stifling cloud of hot air. If you compliment him, he may pretend to be your friend. But if you cross him, you're off his Christmas list.
Just look at the Donald's flip-flopping over Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz and most recently, the tenacious Fox News reporter, Megyn Kelly. He has offered complimentary opinions of all three only to later denigrate each of them because they confronted him. Don't all candidates confront and challenge each other on issues? Isn't that what election season is all about?
Apparently, not for Donald Trump.
His self-importance appears so deep-seated that not even the best shrink in the world could shrink him, because he's unshrinkable. Perhaps, a mood stabilizer or anti-depressant might help to decrease his inflated grandiosity and his expansive bad temper.
Whenever this all ends for Trump--and it will soon--it will not come without casualties. His fascist bigotry and hateful words for Mexicans and Muslims have already seeped into impressionable minds. His supporters will, in all likelihood, pass that same prejudice and animosity to their children and beyond. The recklessness of his egomania is unforgivable. We seem to have regressed as a nation, thanks to his irresponsible rants.
Let's remember that, regardless of what he promises to his followers, Donald Trump has no experience in public office of any kind. He knows nothing of government policy, laws, foreign relations, etc. I don't even think that he knows how he would "make America great again"--only that he wants to be the guy in charge.