I learned in the military that there was a surprising value to having at least one loudmouth in the flight platoon. He was always the one that would say what everyone else was thinking, take the heat for saying it, and relieve the pressure off everyone else.
In the current presidential candidate platoon, Trump is playing the loudmouth.
While you may be tired of hearing about him, it might be helpful to understand why he is gaining in the polls – even while making politically insane (by today’s standards) statements like this:
When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you … They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.
Obviously, Trump skipped the politically correct (PC) class in politician school. And some have said, correctly, that his statement ignores the situations that have prompted some of those “good people” to illegally immigrate. However, while over stating his case, the facts are true – and his statement has are forced into the political discussion important subjects that so far have been too politically sensitive for the more professional politicians to broach.
Like sanctuary cities.
According to the Center for Immigration Studies, Department of Homeland Security records show that during one eight-month period in 2014, so called, sanctuary cities, released more than 8000 deportable aliens, even though 62 percent of those released had a prior criminal record.
According to the GAO, more than 26 percent of imprisoned illegal aliens have over 11 arrests. Of those arrests 12 percent were arrested for violent crimes such as murder robbery and assault, 24 percent for drug offenses and the rest were for crimes such as forgery, weapons and fraud.
While it may be politically incorrect to say so, illegal immigrants, just as Trump suggested, are too often not the cream of the crop. Reasonable people recognize this and get frustrated when the polished politicians, and all-knowing media pundits, pretend it is not true because it is not politically correct.
You can agree or disagree with Trump, I disagree with him most of the time. However, one fact is indisputable. Since he made that statement, he has blossomed in the polls like a thorn among roses.
A recent “YouGov” poll conducted by The Economist, now has Trump leading the Republican field of presidential contenders. Fifteen percent, according to the poll, place Trump as their first choice for the nomination. Twelve percent choose him as their second choice (15/12). This puts him ahead of Jeb Bush (11/7), Rand Paul (11/7), Marco Rubio (9/7), and all the rest of the ever-expanding Republican cadre.
But how can this be if Trump is really just a political buffoon?
Maybe his lack of political polish is actually playing to his favor!
Consider this – without his straightforward talk, would anyone at the national level ever heard of Chris Christie?
The fact is, most Americans are getting tired of the political speech codes that require politicians to speak only in PC acceptable ways to avoid being demonized as a hater. As a result, any politician who says what others are afraid to say, regardless of his or her political position, is often dubbed a hero by the people – often to the surprise and chagrin of media whose job it is to enforce the speech code.
This is bound to happen when the electorate feels disenfranchised from a political process where politicians say only what is safe to say to say to get elected and then ignore their constituents until it’s time to run again.
Maybe Trump’s recent popularity is due more to people being tired of the same old political talk than by agreement with what he said.
Maybe the Trump bump is a reminder from the people that voter are not yet totally driven by only what the news media decides politicians ought to be allowed to say.
Maybe the Trump fiasco is a sign that PC is getting old and that Americans are ready for a straight talker.
Maybe what Trump was really saying is that it is time to get real.
There is one more point from the “YouGov” poll to consider. While Trump leads in the choice race, only 7 percent think he is the most likely candidate to win the nomination. Jeb Bush is 29 percent. Whether you like Trump or hate him, that statistic is a sad commentary on our political process.
The Founders Tavern 