By Bob Bradley
Several polls conducted in the last couple of days show that Donald Trump is still in the lead among all the contenders to be the Republican nominee for the upcoming presidential race. In fact, some polls indicate that he has increased his lead over Jeb Bush who many analysts consider to be the presumptive Republican candidate against Hillary Clinton. This is despite the ongoing blowup that Trump is having with Megyn Kelly over her questions of him during the GOP debate in Cleveland and his reaction to those questions.
Trump appeals to some people because he speaks his mind without a political filter. His comments appear not to be made with the primary motivation of winning an election but seem to reflect his true feelings. Trump’s appeal is also based on his appearance as an anti-establishment candidate who is not beholden to any large donors and willing to take on those is power, even FOX News as reflected in his dispute with Kelly.
I am not a Trump supporter in any way and believe his candidacy is a publicity stunt. But at the start of the recent GOP debate he did something that I really liked. When asked to take a pledge to support one of the other candidates on stage in case he lost the nomination and to not run as a third-party candidate, Trump refused to do so. He was the only one on stage to not take the pledge and remained steadfast in his refusal despite repeated questioning.
Others on stage should have thought about whether they could support Senator Paul, who as a Libertarian, has some policy stances that are fundamentally at odds with Republican principles. Or could they actually support Senator Cruz who has shown an amazing ability to not get along with anyone in Congress including leaders of his own party. Or do they actually think that Ben Carson could win a general election. Or supporting Trump who has shown an incredibly thin skin to every perceived slight.
In future elections if voters did not value party allegiance over candidate credentials, candidates spoke their true feelings, and big-money contributors didn’t control campaigns, the nation would be much better off. But one can only dream.
Bob Bradley is a professor emeritus from Illinois State University where he primarily taught law-related courses in the political science department for 30 years. He did a weekly-segment for WJBC on politics and law for more than a decade. He also co-hosted a live- radio show from the Democratic and Republican national conventions in 2008, and reported live from the 2012 Republican convention. Currently, he serves on several community boards, does volunteer work, enjoys golf and fishing, and likes landscaping and bird-watching. He is married to the love of his life, Reenie, and has one daughter, Erin.
The opinions expressed within WJBC’s Forum are solely those of the Forum’s author, and are not necessarily those of WJBC or Cumulus Media, Inc.
