Prior to the final debate one had to assume Trump would continue to be nastier and more unhinged than ever. Insane he calling Hillary a 'Nasty Woman'. Judging by his past behavior it is apparent he can't help lashing out even if the result is self-destructive. In recent weeks his speeches continue to prove him to be a sleaze with no boundaries.
While this behavior would be considered outrageous and in some ways sad for any human being it is absolutely intolerable in someone who wants to be President. One of the most tragic legacies of the Trump campaign will be trying to put the genie he has unleashed back in the bottle. This genie being the racist, sexist, misogynistic, and homophobic attitudes of too many Americans who have used Trump's campaign as permission to speak out loud what apparently they have been thinking.
Worse is the impact Trump's rhetoric has had on some of our children who now think it's acceptable to emulate his bullying behavior. One example occurred in Indiana when high school students used Trump's anti-Latino insults against players on a visiting basketball team.
What Trump's campaign has shown us is how much work we as a nation face to educate our own people to understand the diversity in the United States is a positive thing and a part of what makes us so great.
In the final debate Trump went even further of the rails than anyone could have predicted. While he has been talking on the stump about the election being rigged at the debate he refused to say whether he would honor the result. He tried to turn the entire election into a reality show with this comment, "What I'm saying is that I will tell you at the time. I'll keep you in suspense. OK?"
Those of us with an understanding of the constitution and democracy know with that comment he has disrespected and called into question the 240 year history of our country, the world's leading democracy. He even spoke counter to most of his own team. His campaign manager, his vice-presidential running mate and even his daughter had said prior to the debate that he would honor the election result.
Hillary's immediate response was what every thinking person listening would have said. She said his comment was 'horrifying', and it truly was. Trump, in front of the world, undermined our Democracy and suggested actions better suited to a banana republic. People around the world for generations have admired and respected the United States for how we transition from one administration to another, without violence, with courtesy and respect no matter how tough the campaign has been. There is an implicit understanding the health and security of our people and the nation is more important than any one person, one party, or one election. Our country was reminded of this history with a lesson in dignity and respect by a letter George H.W. Bush left for Bill Clinton after losing the election to him in 1992.
Many including me believe Trump's statement on this issue alone disqualifies him from being President. If he totally lacks an understanding of and respect for the constitution and 240 years of our history he shouldn't be considered by voters.
Trump has denigrated, attacked and disrespected women, members of the military, Muslims, Latinos, people with disabilities and anyone who questions him in any way. Hillary is correct when she says this election is no longer about him it is about us. She said "I think it's really up to all of us to demonstrate who we are and who our country is, and to stand up and be very clear about what we expect from our next president, how we want to bring our country together, where we don't want to have the kind of pitting of people one against the other, where instead we celebrate our diversity, we lift people up, and we make our country even greater. America is great, because America is good. And it really is up to all of us to make that true, now and in the future, and particularly for our children and our grandchildren."
The way for those who share those sentiments to demonstrate our support for them is to come out in large numbers and vote for Hillary. We must do that if we are to continue to warrant the high esteem people who believe in democracy have for the United States of America.
This election is crucial in so many ways. We must defeat Trump by the biggest possible margin and show the world who Americans really are and show our allies they can continue to trust us to keep our commitments to them.
The world is watching us closely. We are not only electing our President we are electing the leader of the free world.
