Trump vs Clinton

Submitted by Charles Martel (United States), Jul 25, 2016 at 10:47

I am NOT an uncritical, 'true believer' in Donald Trump. The man clearly has flaws; most which have been thoroughly, repeatedly, and exhaustively discussed. In my view, Trump's greatest flaw is an apparently perennial tendency to bludgeon and bloody those he perceives as having wronged him in some way.

The immediate problem here is that he ends up engaging in jihad against the wrong people. Megyn Kelly is not an enemy. Nor is John Kasich. In point of fact, Ted Cruz shares a close ideology with Trump on numerous issues. Cruz should have metamorphosed into a colleague. But Trump so alienated these men that neither will likely be anything other than lifelong adversaries. So he's engendered a good deal of unnecessary ice on his wings.

Yet, despite these and other flaws, I will cast my vote for Trump, first and foremost because his weltanschauung stands in diametric and stark relief when contrasted against Hillary Clinton. And though Trump is undoubtedly volatile, his character flaws do not eclipse those of other great leaders of Western civilization. Winston Churchill was an inveterate boozer who was hopeless as a peacetime governor. In the lewd and crude department, Thomas Jefferson made Bill Clinton look like Mr. Rogers. FDR expressed antisemitic sentiments. Yet where would we be without the wise guidance of these remarkable leaders? So too, I believe Donald Trump has greatness within him.

Trump is a visionary, a born leader, and, I believe, the perfect man for the politically correct morass we happen to occupy. If he accomplishes even a fraction of the tasks he's laid out he will go down as one of the greatest presidents of all time. Contrast this against the pathological liar Hillary. What is she likely to accomplish if elected other than double down on the past eight years of utter failure?

On a related topic, I must also take exception with Dr. Pipes in his 'Never Trump / Never Hillary' hashtag. As one of these two individuals shall almost certainly become the next president, the hashtag seems a bit nihilist not to mention counterproductive. Given his formidable voice in the realm of Islam and Middle East studies, as well as his remarkable CV, an open letter, published on his excellent danielpipes.org website, to each candidate, suggesting policies that Dr. Pipes would like to see implemented by the next administration seems a more positive use of wisdom, time and momentum.

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