LOOSE CANNON in the Land of the Free

The reason for my interest is that the billionaire tycoon-cum-celebrity-cum-politician is exposing America’s unique style of politics. And the only way for him to finish the job is to win the Republican Party nomination and then, dare I say it, become the United States’ next president. Only when he enters the White House will the question many of us have been asking be answered. That question is: Are American politicians for real?

I’m writing this before the “Super Tuesday”, so things may get even more interesting shortly after you read this. All key pointers say Trump will storm to victory in the slew of state primaries, despite the craziness of his disaster-movie ideas to ward off immigrants, ban all Muslim visitors and enjoy a love-hate relationship with the Ku Klux Klan. Should he fail to win the Republican nomination, the way and reasons of his rejection will make for intriguing viewing, too.

Donald Trump is Chuwit Kamolvisit, Suthep Thaugsuban, Samak Sundaravej and (parts of) Thaksin Shinawatra all rolled into one. A Republican presidential rival called him a “jerk”. The Democrats have joined others in describing him as an effective recruiter for the Islamic State, citing his no-holds-barred tirades that have angered even moderate Muslims. More generally, critics say he’s mad, out of control and as president would jeopardise peace not just in America but across the world. Mainstream media don’t like him much, either, although the “con artist” has become a ratings booster lately.

But here’s the deal. Voters love him. Lots of them. Some analysts are now comparing his campaign to the Ronald Reagan phenomenon. Though “Trump fever” hasn’t hit that level yet, fears it could become an epidemic are mounting, especially among the Democrats. Hillary Clinton, who has surged ahead in the Democratic Party running, has shifted her focus of attack away from her primary rivals and towards Trump, even though he, too, has yet to be nominated.

My question, therefore, is how America’s democracy can accommodate Trump. It isn’t supposed to be just a game, is it? We all know that politics is about promoting yourself and discrediting your enemies, but he has brought it to a whole new level. If his rivals have a deep-down belief that he’s a threat to humanity, will they be happy to shake hands with Trump if he’s elected next president and accept that “the people have spoken”?

Democracy is supposed to go hand in hand with patriotism, isn’t it? Granted, democracy dictates that you might have to grit your teeth and accept a “jerk” as your leader, but what about someone who you publicly insist might trigger another world war? Some things are clashing here and I cannot pinpoint what they are. If you have to respect everything that the “majority” embraces, shouldn’t that include the election of a person you deem to be the next Hitler?

If you accept such a person as president, there are only two explanations. Either you are a big liar or you don’t really care what happens to your country. America’s presidential races are like elections anywhere, with mud slung in every direction. It’s different this time, though. According to his opponents, Donald Trump is not just a moron or a crook but a real danger to America and to Planet Earth.

If the Democrats win the presidency, they will be spared the trouble. But if they lose to Trump, the way they have depicted him will make shaking his hand an outrageous thing to do. In fact, what Trump’s political opponents are saying about him suggests that hiring assassins would be their logical option. 

The good news for the Democrats is that Republican leaders must sort out the Trump dilemma first. They don’t like him either, despite speculation that he would give Clinton a torrid time in a two-horse race to the White House. 

So far, America’s political complexities go like this: Nominating Trump would embarrass the Republican Party greatly, but he stands a far better chance of bringing down Democratic frontrunner Clinton than any other GOP candidate. Clinton should easily beat any other Republican nominee.

Her main Democratic rival, Bernie Sanders, may not be able to beat any other Republican runner as easily, but he has almost no “old wounds” of office for Trump to exploit. So Sanders could be a better nominee for the Democrats against Trump. 

If they could, the Republicans would love to see whom the Democrats nominate first, and vice versa

Such simple politicking cannot hide the fact that Trump now constitutes the biggest challenge for American democracy. You might say admiringly that only in America could a guy like him seek to take the helm, or you could be worried – even scared – by too much freedom in the Land of the Free.