What Should We Think About Donald Trump?

Unless you’ve been living in Outer Slobbobia for the past twenty years, you probably know who Donald Trump is: multi-billionaire New York businessman, boss the of the reality show “The Apprentice” and other offshoots, big hair, big mouth and now candidate for president of the United States.

You’re also probably aware that since announcing his candidacy. Trump has taken off like a shooting star to the top of the national polls. That despite some gaffes, straight talk, and denials and hand-wringing by GOP insiders and the drive-by media.

So what should we think about Donald Trump?

To keep my thoughts organized and hopefully keep you reading, here is my ten point analysis of the “Trump Card” now being played in US politics.

1.  We should give credit to Donald Trump for being a very successful businessman over the past few decades. He’s created thousands of jobs, amassed a personal wealth of over 10 billion dollars, and been a fighter for free enterprise, honest currencies and “Making America Great Again” in the world.

Yes,  there have been some close calls with bankruptcy and some debatable enterprises (the Miss Universe Contest?), but his balance sheet is much better than the politicians who’ve guided America into eighteen trillion dollars of debt with no end in sight.

America is bankrupt–it just has the advantage of printing more currency when it runs out. Donald Trump, (like Mitt Romney might have done), could bring some real economic expertise back to the USA.

2.  Trump has always been a ladies’ man with three marriages to model-like women. But he’s probably been less manipulative and cheating than Bill Clinton who did two terms in the White House. Trump is not a good example of til death do us part, but he’s also not a serial philanderer. 

3.  He’s brash, oftentimes speaks before thinking, and got in trouble in his presidential announcement message that illegal aliens are murderers, rapists etc. The media pounced on those statements and began writing his political epitaph. But instead of dying politically, he surged. Trump’s rating are higher now than before the gaffe.

Donald Trump’s brashness and honesty are his strengths–not his weakness. Americans are tired of lying, sniveling, politically correct wimps in national public life. Trump is riding high at the moment because he is a fresh breath of air in the political smog.

4. Rush Limbaugh believes that Trump has the elites and PC police wetting their pants because no matter how hard they try to bring him down (which worked with Republican candidates in the past), nothing so far is slowing his momentum. 

Even the 25-year old deposition that he raped his first wife Ivana was met with a current statement of hers that it wasn’t true, she still loved him, and that she thought he would make a great president.

How’s that for deflating a political hit piece? As Limbaugh says, I wouldn’t get on the theme of rape regarding Trump because it only brings up images of Bill Cosby and, in a round-about way, Bill and Hillary Clinton and the 1990’s Bimbo Eruption Unit in the White House.

Oh yes, Hillary is also running for president and Bill could be tagging along.

5.  Donald Trump is not beholden to any interest groups in this nation because he is a self-made man who will fund his own campaign. Some say this is a bad thing because he’s “buying” the election through his personal wealth and influence.

But, actually, it’s the other way around. Trump is a populist rock star because the America people are sick and tried of Republican and Democratic politicians groveling to K and Wall Street lobbyists while getting nothing done on behalf of the people.

One example of corruption is the recent renewal of the Export-Import  Bank in which (Ted Cruz was right!) Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell lied to the Republican causus then followed the money by introducing and approving one of the most corrupt entities in current political life–the Ex-Im Bank.

It’s not Donald Trump who’s in danger of buying something. The current occupants of the Congress are the ones being bought off–to the shame of our republic.

6. This is the main reason for Trump’s success.  The electorate are so angry at politicians in both parties who say they will solve problems and do what they promise–and then don’t do it–that they are willing to consider hiring a trash-talkin’ businessman to run the nation’s affairs.

Money is buying us bad leadership these days. But it’s not Trump’s money. It’s the corrupt system of the entrenched oligarchy. To the American voter, Donald Trump using his own wealth to say what he wants, what he will do, and the fact that he can’t be manipulated by PAC or corporate donations, is a positive change they’re willing to consider.

7.  At this point, Trump appears to be conservative on most issues such as pro-life, traditional marriage, free enterprise, lowering taxes, created jobs and, and dealing with terrorism. But it’s also true that he must have “evolved” on these issues because not long ago he was a social liberal who donated to many Democratic politicians and causes.

I know when you’re a pragmatic businessman, you need to hedge your bets and give to both sides because you don’t who’s going to win. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt on that. But we really don’t know what Donald Trump really believes because of his lifetime of different positions. If he were ever elected president, I believe he would be fairly good on the economy and peace through strength, but I’m not so sure about the great moral issues of our day.

8. Donald Trump needs to get right with his Creator and develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He was asked in a recent town hall meeting about asking God’s forgiveness for his sins and he replied: “I’ve never asked God’s forgiveness for anything.”

That’s quite a tragedy. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 1:7) and humility and repentance are essential to reconcile us to our Maker through the death of Jesus Christ. Sounds like Donald Trump is spiritually lost–despite his billions. Like all people, he needs to be saved from his sins which begins with honesty and brokenness before God.

Pray for Donald Trump.

9.  How should we analyze Trump’s candidacy?  The same way we look at all other leaders for public office. Three things are paramount:

1) Character. Donald Trump is a mixed bag on this one. He has good character is his work ethic, business habits, and philanthropy. He is weak in some moral areas (broken marriages and adultery) and loose with his lips.

2) Competence – he’s high on this chart because of his vast and successful career as a businessman. It’s true, he’s never been in political office, but these days, that’s an asset, not a liability. The POTUS is really the CEO of the world’s biggest corporation. Trump is well qualified for that role and could lean on many others for the political nuances that are required for running a government.

3) Policies or Worldview – At the moment, he appears to be like every other Republican with a limited view of government, a biblical orientation toward life and marriage, and a strong commitment to national security and defeating evil in the world.  The question is if he ever attained high office, would he revert to some of his past positions?

Overall, Donald Trump gets pretty high grades in these areas. By comparison, Barack Obama is low on character (he lies alot) and promotes immoral practices, he is incompetent and had never run anything before becoming president (lack of experience), and has a thoroughly secular worldview.

How about Hillary?  Low on character (she also lies alot), has some experience as a Senator and Secretary of State (though she did those jobs fairly poorly), and is also secular in her policies.

So Trump scores higher than both of them. He’s probably lower than some other Republican candidates who possess greater consistency and breadth of character, equal competence (many as governors, Carly Fiorina as a businesswoman, senators, etc.), and a conservative worldview.

So even Donald Trump versus Hillary Clinton is a no-brainer. He wins on character, competence, and issues.

Others might win even bigger.

10. I actually think Donald Trump is good for the GOP and nation. He’s caused us to focus on the issues of immigration, terrorism, and “making America great again.” By sucking all the oxygen out of the political room, he’s forcing everybody else to raise their game.

I would liken him to the John Wayne of politics. Maybe Rambo is a good image. Yet, the policial power brokers and liberal media say he’s too brash, too extreme, too gaffe-prone to ascend to the highest office in the land.

Brash? You’d want him to stare down Putin, the Iranian Ayatollah and ISIS. Former NY mayor Rudy Guliani complimented Trump recently: “What America needs right now is a guy who can fight for us.”  

Extreme?  Barack Obama gave us changing the definition of marriage, Obamacare, and nukes for Iran.

Gaffe-prone?  “If you like your doctor, you can keep you doctor” (Barack Obama), and “What difference does it make?” (Hillary Clinton when four Americans died in Ben Ghazi, Libya and she blamed an Internet video).

Could Donald Trump be elected the 44th president of the United States? 

Only God knows. And He never tells.