OPINION:
Pointing an accusatory finger always points three fingers back (“Trump is ’Lonesome Rhodes,’” Web, Sept. 14). Columnist Cal Thomas is also a prime violator of Ronald Reagan’s “11th commandment” not to speak ill of fellow Republicans. His underlying beef with Mr. Trump is that Mr. Trump is not an apparatchik of the Republican Party, not genuine in all of his stated views (like President Obama’s 2008 promise to slow the rise of the oceans) and doesn’t have specific “plans” regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression or Iranian malfeasance. What Mr. Thomas fails to see is that government is so big, powerful and bureaucratic that explicit “plans” are not necessary.
Today any U.S. president is little more than a director of intention and a manager of resources. Indeed, how is that different from being a king of industry like Mr. Trump? And unlike the professional-politician ruling class susceptible to the economic catnip of special-interest lobbyists, Mr. Trump is bankrolling his own campaign and is not ’for sale’ to the highest bidder, a la the influence-peddling Clintons.
Despite being a colorful and controversial figure, bombastic Donald Trump leads in the polls because he is first and foremost an outspoken American. Compare that to Democrats who are always blindly ’party-first-party-always.’ Mr. Trump says the things average Americans grumble about while far-left Democrats push America further over a cliff to mediocrity and socialistic ruin. What a novel concept: a plain-speaking leader who recognizes the people’s will for a change.
Is Mr. Trump the genuine article? Only time will tell, but it is overly cynical (and superficial) to compare “The Donald” to Lonesome Rhodes. A billionaire businessman is no hayseed. In truth, Lonesome Rhodes is much more like modern-day Democrats: snake-oil salesmen who depend on the ignorance of low-information voters. ’Ignore your lying eyes to incompetence,’ they infer with sleazy, disingenuous smiles, ’elect me solely on the basis of my melanin level or gender.’ That’s the real ’face-in-the-crowd’ political trickster who, evidently, has completely fooled Cal Thomas.
DAVID L. HUNTER
Germantown
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