In an
election cycle where it seems that the main gripe of American voters is they
are tired of the same old politicians saying and doing the same old things, one
thing is certain. Love him or hate him Republican presidential nominee Donald
Trump is definitely the anti-status quo. His own comments, actions, and the way
he has run his campaign has turned conventional wisdom and those who worship it
upside down. And why not, all we have to do is take a look at the traditional
campaigns of past GOP nominees. How well did tradition work for John McCain and
Mitt Romney?
Traditionally, during the week of Party
Conventions, the opposing Party usually takes a break. This year, during the
Democratic Convention, because Trump is the Republican nominee, that did not
happen. On Wednesday of that week, Trump held a lively press conference where
he not only attacked Hillary Clinton, but also gave the business to the DNC,
and the media, and their obvious support of the Clinton campaign. Since that
press conference, America has also been introduced by the Democrats to the Khan
family, an American Muslim family whose son was killed in Iraq in 2004.
While there may be many a differing opinion
on Trump’s comments about the Khans, that press conference and more
specifically Trump’s handling of Clinton, Democrats, and the media is exactly what his supporters want to
see more of. Not being nice is why Donald Trump is where he is. But will it get
him elected president?
Republicans have a long sugary history of
being nice. Bob Dole, George W. Bush, John McCain, and Mitt Romney didn’t stand
a chance against the pit bull attack machine of the Democratic Party, and in
McCain and Romney’s case it was imperative that they smile, bend over, and say
thank you sir may I have another when both were up against the then potentially
first black president in Barack Obama. At the time of the third presidential
debate in 2012, the terror attacks in Benghazi were still fresh on the minds of
Americans. It was served up to Romney on a silver platter, he could have hit
Obama with a series of questions and comments, hitting an intellectual home
run. Republicans kept waiting for it, and it never came. In 2008, John McCain
it seemed never even considered not being nice, even going so far as to
temporarily suspend his campaign for a time at the start of the 2008 financial
crisis.
Much has been said and written about Donald
Trump’s demeanor. He is rude, crass, says whatever comes into his head. Yet
there are also thousands of supporters who line up to attend his events, with
still more who never get in. Is the “not nice“ factor a problem for them? Many
a Trump supporter will say not only is it not a problem, it is refreshing to
hear a politician say what he thinks, regardless of whether it is pretty or
not. How many more Trump supporters are out there who are still, to borrow a
phrase, “in the closet”?
Donald Trump is often his own worst enemy,
but the mainstream media will continue to manufacture stories in order to take
him out. Polls will continue to be designed to show sizeable leads for Hillary
Clinton. The question may be though, how many voters have realized that the
Democrats have no intention of being nice, and that if he wants to be elected,
Donald Trump may just be on to something if he throws being nice out the
window?
