“Once you’ve heard the truth, everything else is just cheap whiskey…”–R. Lee Ermey, “Switchback” (1997)
While Donald John Trump continues to prove that he’s a buffoon–as if we didn’t already know–Barack Hussein Obama would do well to ignore him. The president shouldn’t waste time commenting on Trump’s tirades, which only serves to enhance the relevance of the filthy rich real estate tycoon.
Although the soon-to-be-65-year-old Trump clearly has gotten under Obama’s skin, the president has much bigger fish to fry. The most recent example was his decision to order the killing of Osama bin Laden by Navy SEALs–the success of which was not a given. Indeed, the mission could very well have gone bad.
Just think back to April 1980 and the botched attempt to rescue 52 Americans held hostage since November 1979 in the American embassy in Tehran, Iran. The ineffective President Jimmy Carter ordered the mission, during which three of the eight helicopters employed were damaged in a desert sandstorm.
The night rescue operation had to be aborted and eight American servicemen were killed during a fiery evacuation. The hostages were finally released from captivity after 444 days when the tough President Ronald Reagan took office in 1981.
Thus, Obama’s success with the bin Laden mission prompted a temporary boost in his poll numbers and cannot be minimized. Despite evidence that some intelligence leading to bin Laden came from enhanced interrogation of terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay–which Obama publicly opposes–the president’s action was a gutsy call.
To his credit, by inviting President George W. Bush to join him at Ground Zero to honor those killed on Sept. 11, 2001, Obama acknowledged the contribution of his predecessor in tracking down bin Laden. Only head-in-the-sand ideologues and incurable Bush-bashers won’t endorse the need for the counter-terrorism intelligence procedures initiated by Bush following 9/11, which Obama clearly has continued.
Indeed, such issues trump the curveballs Trump threw at Obama–such as producing a birth certificate showing where he was born and his need for affirmative action concessions to get into Columbia and Harvard. The soon-to-be 50-year-old president should simply ignore “The Donald.”
For example, to avoid the ignominy of becoming a one-term president, Obama would be better served to concentrate on pocketbook issues that threaten his tenure. Foremost is the ongoing bad economy, continued high unemployment–currently at 9 percent–and soaring gasoline prices now exceeding $4 per gallon for regular in some areas.
Obama has negatives: no business experience or military service, questionable associates (Rev. Jeremiah Wright, terrorist Bill Ayers, insensitive race-baiting rappers), overusing teleprompters, aloofness, too many vacations and gaffes like “working-class people clinging to their guns or religion” and America’s “57 states.” And by appearing on TV shows such as “The View” and “Oprah Winfrey,” he diminishes presidential dignity.
But compared to Trump, that stuff is outweighed by his advantages. Included are his youth, skilled oratory, fundraising ability, see-no-evil backing by a fawning, left-wing news media and liberal entertainers, first lady Michelle Obama, strong support by Black, Latino and young voters, his appeal to independents and, of course, that he is America’s first Black president. In addition, Obama’s Black-white racial mix connects to people of color throughout the world–including millions of Muslims.
On the other hand, the egomaniac persona of the plain-speaking Trump–a wannabe Republican presidential candidate who never held public office–is festooned with negatives. Nobody can doubt his business acumen and success, especially in New York, but his know-it-all rich boy attitude turns off multitudes. I won’t even mention his hair.
Trump is so full of himself he feels his top-rated “Celebrity Apprentice” TV show on NBC, brazen threats directed towards China and Iran and vicious put-downs of Obama qualify him for consideration as a presidential candidate. In addition, he probably feels his three beautiful blonde wives and a beautiful blonde daughter give him the perfect anti-Obama image.
Why did Trump bolt his Democratic leanings to become a Republican? And why did he proudly say “motherf–er” several times during a recent, high-profile speech? And why did he use the term “the Blacks” when talking about African-Americans? Ugh!
Finally, I firmly believe Black people in New York won’t forget how Trump got with the Central Park Jogger rape case in 1989. I was with the New York Daily News at the time and wrote often about the assault on the white jogger, Trisha Meili.
In my editorials and on “Showdown”–the national TV show on CNBC I co-hosted with the late Morton Downey Jr.–I took Trump to task for his full-page ads in the city’s white newspapers calling for the death penalty for five accused Black and Latino teens. Although innocent, each was convicted and served eight to 13 years in prison. They were vindicated in 2002 when the real rapist confessed, and are currently suing the city for $250 million.
Trump has yet to apologize for these scurrilous ads, which bordered on racism. This part of his past may be unknown to independents or Republicans nationally, but should be.
Bottom line: Obama should ignore the phony Trump–who should stick to real estate and leave real politics to real people with real smarts. And that’s the name of that tune.