Donald Trump receives a lot of criticism for his temperament and his ability to look “presidential.” Even a lot Mr. Trump’s supporters wish he would be more careful with his words and moderate his approach. However, one can find a lot of value in Mr. Trump’s temperament, which is perhaps why he cites it as one of his greatest assets.
First, it is important to mention that for at least the first 150 years of United States history, only the smallest percentage of Americans even laid eyes on their president. Speeches and campaigns were not televised and viewed by any large numbers until the 1960’s. Since then, it seems to have become a trend for politicians to move toward political correctness for fear of not stirring up opposition to their success. Or could it be that politicians have always done this and modern media has just made it more apparent? Either way, it is ironic how often the people who complain about their political leaders saying a lot of nothing, are frequently the same people who want their leaders to moderate temper and approach.
Furthermore, what exactly does it mean to “look presidential?” Why limit the presidential “look” to a calm, evenhanded, mediocrity? From Washington to Obama, there have been many great presidents who would not fit this narrow model, and for good reason. There is something to be said for a president who gets fired up about something. Passion, and even anger, within a candidate is an indicator of the energy he or she will put into the job. When something as superficial as “the presidential look” has become the deciding factor for voters, it is a sign of lack of vision on their part.
Why has something so superficial become more important than substance? Some of the greatest leaders in world history were probably not the type to mince words. Many of Mr. Trump’s followers are specifically attracted to his direct approach and politically incorrect speech. Many Americans would rather have a president who says what he means and does not beat around the bush, than one who gives a long, lawyered, meaningless answer every time.
Much of what Trump says may be ineloquent, awkward, or over-simplified, but nonetheless true. Case in point: Trump said President Obama is the “founder of ISIS.” He has been questioned on it several times by the media. When asked to clarify, Trump has insisted he meant exactly what he said, and he explains it in a way just as ineloquent as the original statement.
We all know what Trump meant. Considering his propensity for exaggeration and jesting, he should not be taken too literally. He tries to be flamboyant for greater impact and this does not fit in with political correctness; don’t expect it to. This is definitely counter to the current trends within our culture. People seem to have increasing difficulty distinguishing between speaking respectfully, and walking on eggshells. Some Americans have become so obsessed with political correctness, it is amazing they manage to have meaningful conversations at all.
Since when did Americans need their hands held so much? When a society becomes increasingly offended by words, it is a sign of that society’s problems becoming truly trivial. Yet, in our nation, there are so many problems that are not at all trivial. They are real problems with real solutions, yet everyone turns to jello as soon as these issues are discussed. Race relations, immigration, birth control, religious freedom, and many others are all contentious issues within our society. They all could benefit from respectful yet brutally honest discussions. Why beat around the bush when we are all adults who should be capable of respectful debate? It comes down to whether Americans priorities lie in resolving issues, or continuing under the facade that all is okay and.
Donald Trump is an American who seems to have a genuine desire to resolve the issues in our nation. American’s could benefit from a leader who is not overly careful with his language. In the end, such a man or woman would be better remembered for the actions they took and the changes they made. Suppose for a minute that Mr. Trump is elected and has only moderate success over four to eight years. Twenty years from now, will anyone remember or care about old rhetoric involving a Hispanic judge, the Mayor of London, or Miss Universe?
Nor should American’s buy into the criticism of Mr. Trump’s temperament. The notion Mrs. Clinton promotes that Mr. Trump is going to fire off nuclear weapons because he is having a bad day is absurd. What is worse is many Americans believe this garbage. Does anyone really think Mr. Trump would be as successful as he is if he was as unhinged as Mrs. Clinton implies? It is also doubtful he would have such a positive relationship with his children if he was so unstable.
Mr. Trump may not be the best orator. However, he speaks directly and is not afraid to address the issues facing our nation. Like any personality trait, there are simply positives and negatives to it. To put it simply, right now the United States needs a leader who will not take any crap. The alternative is electing a leader who uses a lot of words to say nothing. Americans are tired of their concerns being trivialized or neglected. Many of us would rather have a president who brings positive change, even if his style is brash.
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Great point! We’ve had plenty of presidents who didn’t have the characteristics that we think of now when we think of our president. They still made great policy and were good presidents. We didn’t have an idea of what “presidential” was until they started appearing on TV