The Hindenburg Candidacy Of Donald Trump

     I promised myself that I was not going to write anymore posts about the, ha hem "presidential candidacy" of Donald Trump. But just as Herbert Morrison could not have stopped broadcasting halfway through the Hindenburg disaster, I too can not walk away from the Republican Party's own version of that spectacular disaster, known as Donald Trump. And right on queue, as if prompted by Democrat operatives working for the Hillary Clinton campaign, Donald Trump has released the latest issue of his manifesto to destroy, or at least disrupt, the Republican presidential campaign.
     The latest bloviating blather from Mr. Trump is his comments mitigating the military service of Senator John McCain. The Donald, who received four Vietnam era draft deferments, essentially said John McCain was not a hero because he was captured. Whether Mr. Trump believes that or not, or if he just thinks he can capitalize on the characterization by some on the Right of John McCain as a rino (Republican in name only), is not clear. What is clear is that Donald Trump shows very poor judgment in running his mouth, a talent which will ultimately eliminate him from the presidential race.
     Do not get me wrong, I have been no fan of Mr. McCain in recent years. He has shown an over abundance of willingness to compromise with Democrats on key issues, earning him the rino label. But what some people (Donald Trump and his rabid supporters) seem unable to do is disconnect John McCain's military service from his congressional service. And even his congressional service, at least in the first 2/3 of his career, has been more conservative than not. What is not, or even should not, be in question is his military record.
     John McCain has admitted that after being shot down and captured, his arms broken in the crash and never properly treated, tortured daily for years, that he became so despondent he gave the North Vietnamese some military information. The information was never known to have caused any deleterious effects to the American war effort, being as it was years old by the time McCain shared it with his tormentors. After McCain was found by his captors to be the son of Admiral McCain, he was offered an early release and refused it. His loyalty and courage are character traits that obviously are missing from the repertoire of Donald Trump.
     But getting back to the Hindenburg candidacy of Donald Trump, it is both horrific to watch, and yet at the same time spectacular in its breadth of ignorance and bombastic barbarianism. Mr. Trump has shown none of the political skills needed to win a primary and nomination, let alone a general election. Some of his votaries like that about him. But even if they believe that the Donald can solve this nation's pressing problems (although he has not offered any real solutions to any of them), how do they expect him to do that if he can not even win the political debates necessary to secure a nomination?
     If Herbert Morrison was alive today, and reporting on the presidential candidacy of Donald Trump, he would most likely report, "Oh the insanity!" The insanity indeed. It is palpable in its ability to make one wonder how Donald Trump made it as far as he did in business, even with the $400 million head start his father bequeathed him. But politics is not business, it is much more unforgiving and takes more tact. One misstep and a candidate can be publicly stained as no business done in private could ever achieve. Mr. Trump has taken more than just one misstep, it seems his campaign is one built upon a flaming spectacle on par with the Hindenburg.