Thursday, May 19, 2016
Trump And The Five Stages Of Grief
Since Donald Trump became the presumptive nominee for the Republican candidate for president, there has been considerable angst among a large segment of the Republican Party. Twenty percent of Republicans say they will support Hillary Clinton over Trump. His fitness for the presidency has been openly challenged by many party regulars. Republican leaders such as Romney and both the Bush presidents are refusing to attend the convention in Cleveland. The leader of the Republican Party and Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan has so far refused to endorse Trump, in part, out of fear that with Trump on the top of the ballot the Republican candidates for the House of Representatives and the Senate will be put at risk.
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in her 1969 book, On Death and Dying, proposed what is now called the Kübler-Ross model to describe a series of emotional stages experienced by survivors of a traumatic experience such as the death of an intimate. These five stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The Republican Party is currently in the “bargaining” stage of dealing the grief of Trump being the likely party nominee. Trump’s closed-door meeting with Paul Ryan and senior Republican members of the Congress is just one indication of the bargaining taking place. Eventually most Republicans will coalesce behind Trump’s candidacy not out of love for him but out of fear and loafing of Hillary Clinton.
Trump was able to secure the Republican nomination by appealing to the basest atavistic fears and instincts of the bulk of right-wing activists who vote in the primaries. He accomplished this with three promises:
1. Build a wall along the US/Mexican border
2. Round up and deport twelve million illegal immigrants
3. Band Muslims from entering the United States
None of these proposals would ever be approved by Congress, and even if they did, they would be struck down by the courts. The West Point Honor Code states, “A Cadet will not lie, cheat, steal or tolerate those who do.” I hereby offer the Rationalist Voter Pledge. A rationalist will not endorse, support, or vote for Donald Trump or tolerate those who do.
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You can build an electronic wall. He said to have a ban until "Congress figured out what to do" (that is always omitted). The illegal immigrant problem is a big problem. We are Mexico's social security system. Do away with all cash and go to electronic money which you have to prove you are a citizen to have and that solves that problem. I will never vote for Hillary. She is a lying bitch.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your "electronic money idea." I have advocated for a cash-less society since 1963. All politicians lie or shade the truth--how else could they ever get elected? With Hillary's public record of over forty years, one can predict what she would do in office. With Trump it is anyone's guess.
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