“Trump is Bullshit Crazy!”

I am amazed that there are Americans who are going to vote for Donald Trump in the coming presidential elections. Amazed!
by Charlie Leck

Here are opinion column headlines you get when you read the newspaper… These come from just this morning’s readings (23 August 2016).

“Australians are mortified by Trumps rise!” (by David Ignatius)

“No, Donald Trump, America Isn’t a Hellhole!” (by Paul Krugman)

“Donald Trump is a flake and a fraud!” (by Eugene Robinson)

“Trump’s repellent inner circle!” (by Michael Gerson)

“Donald Trump must think we’re all fools!” (by Danielle Allen)

“How Republican candidates can survive the Trump train wreck!” by Whit Ayres

And, there’s the one from a couple of days ago…

“You don’t need a psychiatrist to know there’s something wrong with Donald Trump!” (by Mathew Goldenberg)

All these are fine and good, but the best description of Donald Trump that I’ve come across during this political season is the one by Mark Cuban (entrepreneur and owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, Landmark Theatres and Magnolia Pictures…. ): “Bullshit crazy!”

I also like the take on Trump by psychiatrist Mathew Goldenberg (assistant professor at Yale University):

“Like many American’s, I have been personally appalled by much of Trump’s indecorous behavior as a candidate. He comes across as cantankerous, vain, impulsive, demeaning and ill-informed. I understand why people have raised questions about his mental health. It can be tempting to describe his behavior in familiar psychopathological terms.” (LA Times, August 23, 2016)

Don’t vote for Donald Trump! It would be so foolish! The man is bullshit crazy!

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How to Watch the Presidential Debates!

I’m no expert, but I don’t think one needs to be to figure out how the debates must go for Donald Trump if he is to have a chance to win this election!
by Charlie Leck

According to Nate Silver (and let’s get it straight that Silver, because of his record over the last decade, deserves attention more than any other political prognosticator in America), Donald Trump will need “perhaps 65 million” votes to win the presidential election in November. This will require, Silver explains, a tremendous expansion of the following he had among primary voters.

Historically, presidential candidates have made some significant efforts to expand that base by presenting himself (or herself) as more flexible and centrist than the opponent. The idea of appealing to the center has been around for years in presidential politics – Reagan was a master at it and so were John F. Kennedy and his brother, Bobby. George W. Bush got elected because Al Gore was too stubborn about compromising and moving to a more central position in the voters’ eyes. Richard Nixon beat Hubert Humphrey because the center was too big a stretch for the staunch liberal that Humphrey was.

Donald Trump took such rigid positions in the primary races that he is having a hard time moving closer to the center on his positions. And, as Silver wrote, “Trump’s decision this week to make Stephen Bannon of the combative, anti-establishment website Breitbart News his campaign’s chief executive suggests that he’s moving in the opposite direction.”

Trump’s favorable position among general election voters is actually down from the numbers during his campaign (now about 32 percent according to Huffington Post, while Silver puts him at about 37 percent).

In short, Donald Trump absolutely must have a serious crash by Hillary Clinton even though she is way out in front and can campaign cautiously – making every possible effort to prove to the American people that she is a centrist at heart.

If you want to watch the coming Presidential Debates with some sense of political strategy, you’ll need to carefully essay whether Donald Trump can resist all-out fist fights and ungentlemanly insults of the character of Mrs. Clinton. The Democrats are hoping that Trump will continue such childish and foolish misbehavior because the belief is that Trump has wrung out as many votes as he’ll be able to get from such an approach.

Is Donald Trump capable of the kind of civility that is expected of a President of the U.S.A.? It is an answer to that question for which viewers will be waiting and watching. Can he be coached? Does he understand the centrist concept? Can he contain his temper?

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Donald Trump’s Sleazy Past!

It is amazing to consider the life, attitudes, comments and activities of Donald Trump!
by Charlie Leck

Biographers are going to have a wonderful time with the life of Donald Trump in the coming years. It will be like nothing we’ve ever read (except, perhaps, in fiction).

Lots of people are going to read about lots of people who have gotten screwed by Donald Trump – literally and figuratively. For instance…

Donald Trump’s tax debt to the state of NJ had grown to nearly 30 million dollars at one time. When Chris Christie became Governor of the state, that amount was negotiated down to around 5 million. I guess is shows how cool it is to have friends in high places. The people of the state of NJ got screwed but Donald came out, once again, smelling like hot popcorn at the movie theatre.

Hundreds of people have felt the relentless selfishness and cheapness of Donald Trump – like the architect who designed the clubhouse for Donald’s famous golf course – Trump National. The poor man didn’t even come up with enough money to pay off the debts he had incurred in doing the design. “Tough,” Donald told him – in far more graphical terminology and with no pity or mercy – “that’s all you’re getting! Never mind our contract. It isn’t worth the paper it’s written on!”

Now Donald is telling us he “regrets” many of the things he’s said during the campaign. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that is an apology. Read any of the great behaviorists and you’ll find that the word “regret” is a non-starter and “an escape word.” For whom is the regret? For himself? Why? Because it has damaged his own goals? Does it mean he is actually sorry? Not necessarily!

There is nothing of high character about Donald Trump! Nothing! He is a sleaze-ball who believes in taking care of Donald Trump!

I have begun putting together a massive file of his fumbling and misdeeds – his debts and his debtors – his misstatements and his lies – the names and professions of those he has cheated and slandered.

Now he comes expressing regrets! Not apologies, mind you – but regrets!

A real man would have picked up the telephone and called Mr. and Mrs. Khan and expressed his apology for saying such terrible things about them – for having misspoken so carelessly! A real man would have called Senator John McCain and apologized for what he said about the Senator’s prisoner of war status during the Viet Nam War. A real man would have called his architect and apologized for cheating him out of what was due him and would have gotten a payment-in-full check off to him immediately.

A real man would have looked himself in the mirror and owned-up to the fact that he has no business running for the highest office in our land.

Why are so many people fascinated with him? It is an important question for psychologists to study and for those who do support him to ask themselves?

Donald Trump must never become President of the United States of America! If so, it would become the greatest mistake in our history!

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Donald Trump is a Child

You who have raised children will know what I’m talking about. It takes awhile for kids to develop common sense and responsibility – to learn that candy and soda pop are not what the world is really all about and that they have some part in making this a decent world in which to live.
by Charlie Leck

I think what I concentrated on most in raising children was to help them develop a sense of responsibility – that there was a way to seek out the common good (not just of our family but for all families of the world). It takes children awhile to grasp the lessons and early-on, before they do grasp them, they are nearly totally wrapped up in themselves and their own desires (and not necessarily their needs). Thank goodness that maturity changes that. Once a child senses that he has responsibilities in this world he is then set free to develop his own senses of individuality.

I have a wonderful book here in my study, written by Parker J. Palmer, called Healing the Heart of Democracy*. In it, Palmer explains five “habits of the heart.” They are the kinds of things most noble parents try to teach their children; and they are what other institutions (churches and schools) of humanity also try to teach…

1.       An understanding that we are all in this together

2.       An appreciation of the value of otherness

3.       An ability to hold tension in life-giving ways

4.       A sense of personal voice and agency

5.       A capacity to create community

This – those things (attitudes) I mention above – would be way beyond the comprehension of Donald Trump. To me, Trump exhibits all the nasty little habits of the adolescent – things we, as parents, work so hard to hurry them through and “grow them out of.” Trump would not be able to understand the ideas Mr. Palmer explains in his book.

An understanding that we are all in this together (that it takes a village)
“And yet anyone who does not understand that the self is interdependent with others does not understand what it takes to be entrepreneurial, creative and political, let alone what it means to be human.” [Parker J. Palmer]

Donald Trump is too involved in himself to understand interdependence. He would smirk at the idea that “it takes a village.” Trump, I think, is one of those people that Parker describes as being “lost in delusions of adequacy.”

Mr. Parker’s book was written four years ago, but it seems, when I read it, that he is showing us what Donald Trump is at his very base and what he missed in his development.

This author speaks of the deep need to develop a sense of humility and a feeling of chutzpah (a sense of deep confidence that one is important and needed); however, the latter without the former, could be dangerous. And it is in just such a dangerous manner that Donald Trump approaches politics. The chutzpah is there, but the humility is completely lacking.

The more I listen to Donald Trump and the more I sense his approach to living and communing, the more I realize he is yet just a child who has not developed a sense of needing community in his life.

“No man is an island,” John Donne wrote in a meditation. Oh, if Donald Trump only understood…

No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friend or of thine
own were; any man’s death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for who
the bell tolls, it toll for thee.

Such beautiful reasoning Donald Trump does not possess nor understand. He, you see, is still a child.

*Healing of Democracy: Parker J. Palmer [Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 2011]

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Donald Trump is Making Massive Mistakes

About Donald Trump’s campaign, Dana Milbank wrote a day ago: “The act is wearing thin!” I think Milbank is correct.
by Charlie Leck

The President went after Trump pretty hard yesterday, saying the man is not fit – not qualified – to be President of the United States. Now mind you, 55% of Americans believe that Obama has done a good job. Less than 40 percent thinks he’s done a bad job. This is one of the highest approval ratings in the last 50 years. What he’s saying about the Donald will damage the Republican presidential effort.

Hillary Clinton is raising a great deal of money and well over 54 percent of voters surveyed indicate they’ll vote for her. Trump’s approval rating is less than 40 percent.

Here's why Trump's in trouble...

Donald Trump continues to give Vladimir Putin a thumbs-up even though he showed on television this past weekend that he doesn’t have the slightest idea what the hell is going on over there. Trump’s positions on Russia and NATO are hurting him and costing him votes.

Donald Trump is giving Republican leadership people a lot of criticism. He’s refused to endorse the very popular John McCain in his reelection bid in Arizona. He also hasn’t indicated any support for the Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan.

Trump is also bitching about the coming debates with Hillary, claiming the Democrats have fixed it so they’ll be on TV on poor nights when the viewing competition with be very difficult. Lots of people are wondering if Donald Trump is starting to build a case for getting out of the debates.

Trump made a terrible mistake this past week for criticizing the Muslim speaker at the Democratic convention who talked about losing his son, an American soldier in the Middle East. It was a tragic and farcical position that Trump took. He simply doesn’t know when to shut his big mouth.

It appears that the Donald is in a state of panic. He’s claiming now that the election will be rigged and they’re up against cheaters.

On top of all this, Trump is having certain reporters and news organizations banned from seating at his campaign appearances. He doesn’t understand the concept of a free press. It will look bad for the Donald if he continues such childish behavior.

Trump has also expressed some sympathy and support for Roger Ailes, who was recently fired over at Fox News for strong sexual advances toward several women reporters. It’s an amazing thing to do for a guy who has somehow got to win women over to him if he wants any hope of winning this election. And the popular Fox News reporter, Gretchen Carlson, who hammered Roger Ailes for his unwanted advances against her, has now come out against Trump. Fox against Trump? If that happens it would be the final nail in the coffin.

Robert Kagan, a senior fellow at the highly respected Brookings Institute, has called Trump irrational. Such people might pick fights they can’t win and never realize the impossibility of the fight and then just keep going on and on and on. Such is Trump’s fight against the “the grieving Gold Star mother.” Kagan says that “the man cannot control himself…” And, Kagan goes on: “What’s more, his psychological pathologies are ultimately self destructive.” Kagan makes a good point when he calls Trump “childish.” I can see it more and more in Trump. He has uncontrollable temper-tantrums.

“Imagine such a person as president,” Kagan says. He carefully points out that this is not a strategy, but a defect in Trump’s character – a personality defect. Imagine a president, in the White House, wish such a deficiency!

Trump has shown himself, during the last 10 days, to be a lousy political candidate; and he is more and more showing himself to be a lousy, out-of-balance human being.

If you’re thinking of the possibility of supporting Donald Trump in the coming election, get a grip on yourself. Even if you do not at all like Hillary Clinton, take a harder, longer look at the man who is the alternative choice. Donald Trump is clearly a scoundrel. I cannot quite believe rational and decent people would support his effort to move into the White House if they understand this.

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