Soap Box

*NOTE* A hectic and draining week, especially with dad's birthday right smack in the middle of it, means I haven't had time to write a soapbox for this weekend, so I decided to dust off a soapbox dad did back in December of 2015. I'll be back with a new soapbox or maybe two next week. - CD, Jr.

This column neither endorses not disparages any political candidate. It is a commentary on my gut feeling about how a presidential candidate who never held public office or to my knowledge, ever seriously attempted to, a novice and amateur in the ways of national politics could captivate such a seemingly unassailable following of eligible Republican voters.

To say Donald Trump is brash, self-aggrandizing, abrasive and given to 360º offensive statements would be an understatement of universal proportions.

He has bragged, bashed, bullied and bulldozed his way through months of rabid criticism from, among others, his own party, predictions of his demise for verbally going too far and enough negative print to paper the south wall of the Grand Canyon.

Why?

Why in spite of the adversity, the condescension and dire prophecies of fading away, he rolls on in juggernaut-like fashion, defying every traditional political rule in the book, garnering phenomenal poll numbers, leaving well-financed establishment candidates foundering in the starting blocks and scratching their heads in bewilderment.

Here's my opinion.

The Republican establishment has blown it. For years now the GOP faithful have heard promises to curb Obama's excesses, do something about our Southern border, take on the rising tide of Islamic terrorism - both foreign and domestic - fix the Obamacare morass, our out-of-control entitlement debacle and address the myriad of problems that threaten America's future.

And after achieving a majority in both houses, they have done basically nothing, caving to every ill-conceived Obama initiative, fearing media reaction, refusing to take any kind of bold action, coming off like a gaggle of cowards or a herd of sheep, yet telling us if they could only gain the White House they would be able to get the job done.

Well, the people of America just ain't swallowing it anymore. They're sick of the "same old same old" and want to break out of the mold and elect a man of action, one who speaks in a language the common man can understand.

When he says he'll build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, the people understand it. Amid promises of political solutions and impractical crap presented by the rank and file candidates, this seems a plausible solution, somebody at least proposing something that, in most people's opinion could work to stem the flood of illegal immigration.

Americans are extremely concerned about the flow of radical Islam into America. While the other candidates flounder in political correctness and propose pie in the sky, security, more efficient vetting processes etc., to the entry of terrorists posing as refugees and immigrants, Trump cuts to the chase and says he would just halt the flow of Muslims completely until we can get the mess figured out.

That's something people understand. While it would probably have been better to say to halt immigration from most Middle Eastern nations, that's not Trump.

He talks about deporting illegals, getting rid of the Hispanic gangs that plague our cities and many others, hands-on and sometimes outlandish solutions and comes off as a man of action who would grab the bull by the horns and actually do something for a change.

While everybody wonders when he'll cross that line, Trump goes on his merry way, a flash of red heat juxtaposed against the run of the mill, shades of gray establishment candidates whose business as usual rhetoric comes off as colorless against Trump's fiery lexicon.

I don't know if Trump would be able to follow on all or any of the bold proposals he has made, but he sure has a large swath of Republican voters who believe he can and will.

America wants action, they're sick of rhetoric and cheap talk and politicians who all look as if they were cut from the same mold.

Regardless of what your impression of Trump is, you simply cannot just ignore him, which is more than I can say for most of the candidates running on both tickets.

Try this, try to remember how many things you can remember that have been said by the other Republican candidates.

Now see how many you can remember that Trump said.

See what I mean?

Trump may or may not be the guy, but some of the other candidates could learn a thing or two from him.

What do you think?

Pray for our troops and the peace of Jerusalem.

God Bless America