On the off chance that Corner readers don’t hang on every word that we NR writers tweet, let me repeat a thought I jotted yesterday in that interesting venue.
I appreciate something about Donald Trump: As he nears the nomination, he is not trying to “clean up.” He is not trying to behave. He’s not trying to rein himself in. He’s letting it all hang out, as always.
He won’t stop his crazy tweeting. He won’t modulate his beer-hall style on the platform. He won’t disguise his Megyn Kelly obsession.
The Donald gotta Donald.
Since I was very young, actually, I’ve asked just one thing from candidates: that they be themselves. Truth in advertising. That they present themselves as who they are, warts and all.
I can’t stand deceptive campaigns: as when lefties run as moderates, you know? They’ve been doing this forever. They don’t want to scare the horses.
From what I can tell, Bernie Sanders is running a pretty honest campaign. So did Jeremy Corbyn in Britain. Reds both.
In the 1968 Democratic primaries, young supporters of Eugene McCarthy, the senator from Minnesota, were asked to get “Clean for Gene.” That meant, stay off pot, cut your hair, and shave. Don’t scare Mr. and Mrs. America. (People used to marry then. They even used the honorific “Mrs.”) Stay “clean for Gene” long enough to get him the nomination, maybe.
You don’t ask Trump or his army to get clean. They are who they are, roundhouses at rallies and all.
Now, it’s true that Trump’s policy positions are murky. I don’t think he really has any. I don’t know that he has thought about the issues. I’m not sure what he knows. All he says is “win” and “be great” and “don’t lose” and “don’t not be great.” And the crowd cheers.
That which is good is “terrific.” That which is bad is a “disaster.” Anyone who might disagree with him is a “loser.” And “build a wall.” How? Oh, I don’t know, just build a wall, and make Mexico pay for it.
Yayyyyyyyyyyyyy!
We’ll deport ’em. But then we’ll let ’em back in — just the good ones, or the terrific ones.
Apparently, there is to be a federal Panel of Goodness or Terrificness.
So, who knows what his policies would be if he were president? But this we can know: character. When it comes to that, no one will have a right to be surprised. If Trump makes it to the White House, no one will have a right to say, “Oh, how shocking, I had no idea he was like this!” He is emitting strong, strong whiffs of who he is.
Good, I say. Donald Trump may be a bit of a huckster, but he is authentic, I think. He puts himself on display and says, essentially, “Take me or leave me.” Which, again, is to his credit.
Does anyone know what I’m talking about? (I trust you do.)
P.S. On the other hand, the guy’s a total chameleon. Possibly. While campaigning in Iowa, Trump said, “When I’m president, I’m a different person. I can do anything. I can be the most politically correct person that you’ve ever seen. I can be the most politically correct person in the world. And I can be the opposite.”
Multitudes, our frontunner contains!
(Disclosure.)