This cartoon captures my sentiment of the current political landscape.
Near the end of this coming September, I will be giving a talk in London entitled “Minds, Bodies, and the Sensation of Hope.” The lecture series is put on by an organization called Alternatives ( Alternatives.org.UK ). From what I can tell, this is quite an honor so I am a little nervous. The setting is St. James Church in Piccadilly. There is such a sense of history in the United Kingdom and this church is no exception. I feel a little intimidated being American and speaking of hope in such hallowed halls.
Lately, I find myself imagining an apologetic, self-effacing beginning. By the time I arrive, my country will very likely be flirting seriously with electing Donald Trump as our president. The prospect makes me flinch with dread and embarrassment. I can hear an opening line like, “I am here today to share thoughts about the sensation of hope – this from a man whose country is dangerously close to electing a cartoon character.”
That’s how I feel about Donald Trump as a presidential candidate. Even more worrisome than that, it feels like our whole political process is the cartoon and I am watching Wily Coyote fly over a cliff, holding an armful of dynamite that was intended for the Roadrunner. Don’t get me wrong. I think it is a strength of our country that there are characters like Donald Trump. I have no problem with him as a billionaire real estate mogul with a BabeModel on his arm, or as a reality TV star who gets off on power, harshness and humiliating people (although I must confess I have never watched his show). The world is a more interesting place because Donald Trump is in it. I just don’t want him to be President. I don’t want his uneven, explosive, and tragically flawed personality to have a profound impact on the fate of human civilization.
I want to believe that certain things matter in a potential US President. It seems a deal breaker if a candidate makes ethnic slurs, degrades women, and makes fun of the handicapped. I want to believe that a campaign based on fear and blame couldn’t and shouldn’t work. I do not think that being brash, rude, and uncivil are admirable leadership qualities. But apparently Donald Trump is getting closer to making this cartoon our reality. If he gets the Republican nomination, I am not confident he couldn’t win. Each of the Democratic candidates has deep, inherent problems with their electability with the populous. My point is that this guy could run the table.
Quite frankly, I find myself asking, “What the hell is going on? What’s happening? Where am I? Who’s on first?”
How do we stop this potential train wreck? It doesn’t help to believe that Trump supporters have lost their minds. The problem is so serious that we must dispense with incredulity. Instead of marginalizing Trump supporters, we must find common ground. Understanding is the best way to consensus. So lately, I have been asking myself, “How can I understand the Trump phenomenon? What are the underlying motivations that people are feeling? Do I share in them?”
Yes I do. When I am quiet and really listen, what strikes me about Trump supporters is that they are fundamentally objecting. I suspect to many particular things, but also to one big thing. I think they are disillusioned, discouraged, and made to feel powerless by the whole political landscape. I think they are expressing it by supporting Trump’s anger, blame, and recklessness. I too feel disillusioned. We have political parties that care more about winning than about leadership, more about securing and maintaining power than doing what’s right and necessary. We have a political system that has been hijacked by money and special interests. We have buffoons on television squabbling and feuding and trying to one-up each other. It’s embarrassing and shameful and we still don’t have a candidate on either side of the aisle that makes us feel hope.
I want to nod to Trump supporters and say I get it and I agree. But electing Trump is not the solution. Opting for a character in an absurd cartoon is not the answer. We have to hold serve for four years until we can find a better option. We have to protest the whole political apparatus (on both sides of the aisle) without putting our country and the world in so much jeopardy. I want to say to Trump supporters: come here, sit next to me and let’s figure this out…together. Let’s make history, but not like this…not by making this absurd joke even worse.