By Matthew Pertz, Opinion Editor
It sounds like the plot of a bad ABC Family movie: “Bumbling businessman miraculously overcomes all odds to become President of the United States.” However, this isn’t a poorly written film; it’s a reality that the American public may be facing very soon.
Bombastic at his best and prejudiced at his worst, Donald Trump has been in the driver’s seat of the Republican party since July 20, 2015, much to the surprise of voters and candidates alike.
Despite months of hopes from both parties of an eventual collapse, Trump has somehow run a competent campaign. He’s dodged attacks from even the most conservative of media outlets. He’s mastered both new and old campaign tactics like rallies, social media and ground game. And given how well a polarizing platform has worked for him so far, Trump’s decision to enlist another polarizing personality feels obvious.
The endorsement of Sarah Palin is Trump’s smartest political move to date. Despite Palin’s reputation as a less-than-brilliant politician (see: most Sarah Palin quotes, 2008-present), grabbing the former governor’s endorsement puts Trump in control of the media until the Iowa caucuses, possibly guaranteeing his place on your ballot in November
So is the United States of Trump a real possibility? According to the four most recent polls, Clinton would only beat Trump by 2.5 points, well within the margin of error. Given Clinton might still face criminal charges for her infamous use of private email, Trump seems to have left the fringes and become the presidential frontrunner.
How can we as Americans handle a Trump-led America?
Due to The Donald’s tendency to say racially or sexually inflammatory things, many forget his legitimate lack of knowledge about the US government. In the Dec. 15 GOP debate, Moderator Hugh Hewitt asked Trump “Of the three legs of the [nuclear] triad, do you have a priority?”, to which Trump answered “I think, for me, nuclear is just the power, the devastation is very important to me.”
The nuclear triad is America’s capability to launch nuclear weapons via air, land and sea, and chances are you would never know about the nuclear triad unless you are either A) in the federal government, or B) unhealthily obsessed with the power of nuclear weapons.
Trump is neither, but he is currently in the process of applying for the job of most powerful person in the world. Can we really trust the world’s most expansive and expensive military to a man who’s improvising his foreign policy?
Even beyond that, how will he handle other presidential duties? Will his aversion to a teleprompter affect his State of the Union addresses? How will the chronically impatient Trump deal with staffers who disagree with his decisions? Will our kids someday read history books that cover “The Trump Era”?
Even if he doesn’t win, Trump has created a dangerous precedent in American politics. His success has highlighted a scary nationwide desire for an outsider in the White House, and if we ever put an amateur on top of the world’s totem pole, America could be irreparably damaged.