Donald Trump has done many astonishing things since he became a politician and joined the world of public policy.
One of them is how he has redefined what is acceptable behavior among our elected officials. He once bragged that he could “shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose any voters.”
He might be right.
The problem as I see it, though, is that those blindly loyal voters are vocal but pitifully ignorant. They have sacrificed their own sense of decency in the name of fealty to a politician.
He also bragged about grabbing women by their private parts; he acknowledges openly his philandering; he denigrated a Vietnam War hero (and U.S. senator, John McCain); he mocked a physically challenged New York Times reporter; he admitted he’s never asked God for forgiveness.
But … hey. That’s OK in what passes for the minds of those loyal followers.
He’s redefined the standards we determine to be acceptable.
He lies routinely. Yet when his political foes call him out for the lies and for his assault on democracy, Republican Party primary voters chase those foes out of office.
My wish looking toward the future?
It is to restore the kind of “normal” behavioral standards we used to apply to those who seek our votes. I want the public to scorn and condemn those who boast of assaulting women, or who denigrate others on the basis of their physical challenges.
I have friends — and have members of my family — who profess to be devout in their belief in God, but who give the politician mentioned in this blog a pass. Why? Because they endorse the man’s policies … never mind his behavior, his personal morals. Who cares about stuff that used to be the barometer of a candidate’s fitness for office?
Maybe one day …