I worry about Donald Trump. While some commentators have noted that
his popularity is with a particular wing of the conservative movement—working
class white people who are among the greatest victims of the social change
that, ironically, is one of the byproducts of the unrestricted capitalism of
Trump and his fellow greed-worshipers—he is a media darling at the moment. Whether his ideas have value or not, he
is getting incredible airtime on the news channels. And that, in turn, is reinforcing his message to the fringes
of his base, expanding his impact.
There
is good potential that Trump will simply divide the Republican party or fade
away as others rise. He may
even try a third-party run if the Republicans reject him, which could help the
Democrats. However, I cannot
see him simply going away.
Instead, I would expect him to take ever-more radical positions as the
campaigns move forward, forcing a political conversation built on manufactured
fears rather than on our common interests.
My
concern is simple: Right now, our
country seems to be losing its political and moral center. The news media keeps looking at extreme
positions on every issue rather than seeking a common middle ground. If Trump were to become President—or
even Vice President—it would solidify the power of the new oligarchs and make
it very difficult for democracy—what John Adams called “government for the
common good” to thrive.
Moreover, should a megalomaniac like Trump take power, it could be
disastrous for us in terms of our international relations and whether we can
come together as a nation around common, shared interests.
All
this is a good argument for public funding of our elections. Unfortunately, that won’t happen before
the next presidential election.
