This may be the most difficult passage I've ever written, harder than any blog post, book chapter, essay, etc. That's because I absolutely detest Donald Trump. Keith Olbermann used to host a television show and would include a segment he named "The Worst Persons In The World". In my opinion, Donald Trump fit the bill every day of the week. To this day, I can't even connect the words "President" and "Trump."
That being said, all of the problems and challenges I see in this country didn’t begin with Donald Trump. Racism didn’t begin with Trump. Gun violence didn’t begin with him and neither did the growing income gap between the wealthiest Americans and everyone else. Crime, high prices, conflicts between nations, etc. all were present before Donald Trump ran for the Presidency.
The appeal of having an outsider, rather than a politician, lead our country was, and I think still is, attractive to millions of Americans. The image that many have of our government is negative, the feeling being that little is accomplished because there’s so much “gamesmanship” involved and politicians place party and personal gains over country. I believe that is primarily why Donald Trump was elected in the first place. He was viewed as a successful businessman and someone who was a “straight shooter”, a man who would say what was on his mind. In other words, he sounded like “one of us”.
Regardless of how you or I may feel concerning Donald Trump, as we head into "election season", let's try to understand, as best we can, why others feel differently regarding Donald Trump. I know that it'll be especially difficult for me.
Thoughts?