OPINION:
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
CLEVELAND — From the moment he descended his glass escalator and transformed U.S. politics with his hostile takeover of the Republican Party, Donald Trump has been a big-picture, broad-brush candidate peddling a very simple, clear message. A simple message from a simple man.
Make America great again.
Oh yes, all the hipster political journalists love mocking the phrase and repeat it among themselves as if it were a joke that all those rubes in America fall for. Like when those hipsters wink smugly and say things like, “Murica,” and order a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon at their “dive” bar for six freaking dollars.
These people, literally, haven’t faintest clue how their most treasured freedoms were won and whose blood was spilled earning it and fighting to keep it. But, dammit, they are so sophisticated that they have all the time and luxury to mock it.
After decades and decades of both parties offering vastly complex — yet meaningless — platitudes about “free trade” and “nation of immigrants” and “social justice,” Donald Trump figured out in an instant that the time was ripe for some very simple, broad-brush messages.
Make America safe again.
America is under attack by a vicious, unrelenting and monstrous enemy that will offer up a million suicide missions to dismantle the greatest engine for civilization and advancement ever known to man. They are killing innocents anywhere they please in the U.S. and elsewhere — all to advance their war on religious liberty.
Decades of meddlesome foreign policy from both parties has turned the world into a very unstable and hostile place that only breeds more and more of these demonic jihadis.
Here at home, meanwhile, terrorism has taken root in the form of race pimps targeting cops for assassination. Black lives matter, they say, as if this is not a given or as if they matter at the expense of non-black lives.
Both parties have slovenly gorged themselves at the trough of demographics and racist messaging for decades, but none so much as the Democrats.
Their standard-bearer, Hillary Clinton, issued a correction this year after enraging black activists by saying that “all lives matter.” She actually backed down from that claim.
Donald Trump, whether it is mayhem abroad or police assassinations at home, has responded with a simple message. He wants to be the “law and order” candidate. Pretty basic stuff and a very winning message.
Even as Mr. Trump’s RNC convention was being gaveled to order Monday, Mrs. Clinton was pandering at a meeting of the NAACP, somehow finding blame among police officers in the Ferguson, Missouri, police department. Sure, she condemned the cop killing — but not without a healthy dose of gasoline poured onto the flames of rage.
The podium at which she spoke declared, “Our lives matter,” as if anybody disputes this. Beside it, the podium declared: “Our votes count.” Just to make sure that a slippery, transactional, professional politician like Mrs. Clinton gets the precise quid pro quo.
She might have all the advantages of an ensconced, lifetime politician, but I am betting on the simple message. I am betting on the “law and order” candidate.
⦁ Charles Hurt can be reached at charleshurt@live.com; follow him on Twitter via @charleshurt.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.