Does nobody else think Trump's bluster is pure grade-A New York sarcasm? The American public is falling for it hook, line, and sinker. Do you realize the historical significance of southerners fervently supporting a New Yorker for president?
I don't really know what a Trump presidency would look like, but I don't think his ramblings give us any clue. I mean you need to completely ignore what all politicians say in their rhetoric, but that's 3 times as true with Trump.
What's most disturbing about Trump's campaign isn't Trump, it's the people that completely get behind his craziest rantings.
What are these "craziest rantings?" I mean, he surely says some outlandish things. But the core of what he says is not crazy or outlandish, and many/most Americans agree with him.
WE NEED TO BUILD A WALL AND MAKE MEXICO PAY FOR IT! Ok, not gonna happen, but we DO need to secure our border.
WE NEED TO MAKE OUR ALLIES PAY FOR THEIR OWN DEFENSE! Ok, yeah, that makes sense.
CHINA! WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT CHINA! WE NEED TO WIN! Well, yeah, we have been losing a lot of jobs to China.
I disagree with almost everything Trump says for ideological reasons. On a practical level, I think some of his ideas could work, some won't. But when you strip away his obvious hyperbole and exaggerations (used for rhetorical effect, and it works) the stuff he says isn't really that crazy.
It frightens me that you hear and choose to believe something other than what he actually says. Why can't we take someone's word at face value? The man seems to have little understanding of how politics (or even business) actually works, and yet many people want to counter that with "oh, he understands, he's just exaggerating or analogizing or making a point". How do you know? Instead of listening to his statements, which tend to include a lot of words that get emotions worked up, I suggest reading his statements. They do not make sense. They are incoherent.
You misunderstand me, I think.
Democrats wanted single-payer state administered healthcare. That was not politically/financially feasible, so we ended up with the ACA.
Democrats wanted a ban on Assault Weapons. That wasn't politically feasible so we ended up with a ban on new manufacture with a 10 year sunset clause.
Obama promised to close Guantanamo in his first year. We are in his last year, and they are still slowly transferring people out of the camps there.
Bush I said "Read my lips: no new taxes" and we ended up with some small new taxes.
Trump wants to build a wall. That isn't feasible but under Trump we may end up with some other more reasonable way of attaining increased border security.
Trump wants to restrict/ban Muslim immigration to the country. That isn't realistic, but under Trump we might have increased scrutiny for immigrants from countries like Syria and Iraq.
Politicians make wild claims and promises all the time. They hardly ever follow through, whether they ever intended to or not. We should use the campaign promises candidates make to understand the DIRECTION things will PROBABLY go if they get into office. That doesn't mean I am "hearing what I want to hear."
BUILD A WALL = increased border security
BAN ALL GUNS = new background check law, maybe magazine capacity limits
FREE HEALTHCARE = more subsidies and fed intervention
FREE COLLEGE = cheaper federal loans and maybe some loan relief
NO NEW TAXES = few new taxes
TAX THE RICH = some new easily avoided taxes for the rich, more mandatory taxes on middle class
END THE WAR = fewer interventions in the future, some gradual draw down in current conflicts
This is the way reasonable people interpret the garbage that comes out of the mouths of people campaigning for office.
