Americans mired in mud-slinging instead of issues

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/10/2016 (3607 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I absolutely refuse to quote Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s taped “hot mic” comments released this past weekend. While the language is familiar to adults, sad as it is to say, it isn’t something that we should be accustomed to hearing from presidential candidates. Rather, let’s spend our time reflecting on last weekend’s tumultuous events.

Trump’s inappropriate comments drove reaction from all sides, including his own Republican Party mates. In fact, they had the most to lose due to Trump’s madness. Down-ticket voting is now much more aligned with the top of the ticket than it has even been.

In other words, if one votes Republican for president, there is a great likelihood of voting similarly on other state races further down the ballot.

As such, Trump’s comments reflect poorly on his entire party and will most likely impact accordingly. Given the party’s existing weaknesses with female voters and millennials, immediate action was required to shore up Republican election hopes.

It came quickly, with luminaries including House Speaker Paul Ryan (and assorted House and Senate candidates) running for the hills and disavowing Trump’s unseemly comments.

Trump, of course, was subsequently presented with two strategic options. He could apologize for his words, which he did somewhat, or he could double down. In classic Trump fashion, he did both …and then some.

First, he apologized, grudgingly, and then made remarks about Bill Clinton’s sordid escapades. When that didn’t take root, he made a more fulsome apology, coupled with a press conference featuring a number of women who were allegedly victims of the Clintons in one capacity or another.

Then he attacked Ryan for bailing on his support.

It was a busy weekend for The Donald.

We now all know that his personal style is to attack when attacked; to never apologize even when wrong; and to personalize attacks. He does not repent — he doubles down. He cannot disagree on substantive policy — any differences are explained away with name-calling and body-shaming.

When the attacks on Bill Clinton failed, and Republican leaders began to bail, not only did Trump attack Ryan, but he also went after Arizona Sen. John McCain.

McCain, you will recall, was the Republican presidential standard bearer in 2008. His notable past includes a “maverick” style, years in the Senate and five excruciating years in a Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp.

McCain was bashed by Trump earlier in the campaign. You may recall Trump saying he considered soldiers who didn’t get caught heroes, a direct rebuke of McCain’s heroic past.

This week, Trump said he didn’t want people like McCain and Ryan in a foxhole with him. This must be particularly grating on McCain, given his history and, conversely, Trump’s lack of military service.

There is less than one month left before the U.S. election. Personally speaking, it feels as though this election has gone on forever. The latest allegations of sexual misadventures or, worse still, assaults, is simply too much to deal with.

It’s tough for a policy wonk like me to see a great republic go so far off the rails. There are so many important issues to discuss, and yet we are mired in this mud.

Election day cannot come quickly enough.