I recently received a message from the social-media-cloud-stratosphere that I should petition against Donald Trump and his candidacy. I do not support Trump - not one bit. I, in fact, cannot stand what Trump stands for.
And yet, I couldn't sign a petition stating we should mute Donald Trump. I believe nothing could be further from the truth! We should let him rant and run - all he wants.
Isn't that free? Isn't that America?
And, then, let's all buy what we think is legitimate merchandise, rather than bombastic crapola.
Please do not misunderstand: I do not agree with Trump's ideas. They are poison. Only, I do not believe in censoring them. Could those ideas possibly win in this day and age? I pray not.
We should not censor this vetting process because this: Shouldn't the Republican Party have something better to offer in terms of brand - let alone substance - than what is being offered by Trump?
Alas (for those trying to keep the secret), this exposes that there is no substance to the Republican agenda if you are not fabulously wealthy.
Trump could never pull this in the Democratic Party. I am tired of the false equivalencies. I understand that nobody is perfect and examples of corruption may be mentioned in all institutions, up to and including motherhood.
Maybe we should let the free market bear what it will bear! Let's not mute any opinions. Trump is offering his brand. That is fair enough.
My question is this: Does the Republican Party have better answers than building walls and xenophobia and Islamophobia and bigotry and, frankly, conservative class warfare? Because if they do, according to the polls, it doesn't look like the conservative base is buying it.
No. What they are buying is Trump.
In an irony of fantastic, maybe even divinely epic proportions, it is for purely capitalist reasons that Donald Trump is winning and this oligarch-led version of the Republican Party is dying: The Republican Party's brand cannot compete with Donald Trump's brand.
Which means, xenophobia and bigotry are now a better brand than what the Republican Party has to offer.
My opinion? I beg to differ. I am now a ruthless capitalist. Let me ask: Should we not, as ruthless capitalists, simply follow whom the people are buying? Is not the Republican base buying Trump?
Does that not expose the whole damn Republican charade?
God I love irony.
Trump, in my opinion, can carry about one-third of the country in the general election, should he be allowed to carry the nomination by popular vote: The scorched-earth, tired, paranoid people beyond reason and convinced the only possible solution to our country's problems is revolution.
The other two-thirds of the country - the reasonable people who understand there are no perfect people and no perfect governments - will vote for the Democrat. They know we don't need a revolution; we merely need to vote people into power who will act in our best interests.
Definitely not bigots. Right?
I'm telling you: About two-thirds of the country won't vote for Trump to be president. As that plays out, realize that the Republican Party has nothing better to offer. I am not referring to my opinion, I am referring to what the Republican base is now actually buying. Just look at the polls.
Isn't that why the Republican establishment is in a panic?
Why is Trump winning? It's the brand, stupid.