Why Trump?

The American Catholic has a few thoughts.  I agree on almost every point.  I would add that, early on, many ignored Trump altogether.  Even when reports emerged that he had said some racist or sexist thing that ought to outrage all voters.  After all, Conservatives and those who hold to traditional values are used to hearing anyone not liberal accused of being a racist or a sexist.  A bit of the 'boy who cried wolf'' syndrome there.

I'll admit, when I first heard reports of Trump saying some racist thing, my first reaction was 'what's new?'.  Not because I already imagined he was a racist, but because I knew he was running as a Republican.  By virtue of not being liberal, an American will automatically be a racist, sexist, homophobe, bigot, hate-monger, anti-Semite, and on and on.   So hearing the news break the story that a Republican said something racist was about as yawn inducing as the last makeover segment on the morning news shows.

And that's me, who still follows politics rather closely.  I cared so little for Trump I didn't pay attention, and when I heard the reports, I assumed it was business as usual (Conservative = Evil).  Once I did pay attention, I was stunned, and assumed somewhere between his race bating and his dismissal of POWs, he would be toast.

I, like so many who have watched this cycle, was wrong.  Donald McClarey has some excellent insights.  I remember some insights my boys had early on over here.  There're probably all true, and there are probably other reasons, as there almost always are when dealing with human history.  The big question will be, can we stop someone like Trump from becoming president?  Will we stop him?