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‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ and Donald Trump

By Christopher Curran
Posted 3/10/16

In 1837, the great Danish author and storyteller Hans Christian Andersen wrote his iconic short story “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” The tale told the story of two weavers who convinced an …

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‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ and Donald Trump

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In 1837, the great Danish author and storyteller Hans Christian Andersen wrote his iconic short story “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” The tale told the story of two weavers who convinced an emperor that a new invisible garment he was to adorn himself with would only be unseen by the unworthy, the unintelligent, and the unfit for position and station.

Similarly, those who support Donald Trump’s quest for the White House cannot believe that others who are critical of the real estate mogul cannot see what they see. They perceive Trump as a strong leader who is beholden to no one and would equalize international trade, resolve the immigration problem, restore the middle class, solve our difficulties overseas, and reinvigorate well-paying job growth.

Trump’s numerous detractors, including the GOP hierarchy, see the frontrunner as naked in his misogynistic and demeaning mindset, exposed as a foul-mouthed, intemperate charlatan who is no ideologue but merely a political opportunist. More precisely, Trump’s galvanizing of the common man who feels betrayed by the stagnancy of government and the erosion of their quality of life in America have willingly blinded themselves to the personality defects of an egotistical, self-possessed showman. The displaced see the emperor’s clothes as a suit of armor protecting their champion as he fights for them. They reject his nakedness, and they reject his con-artistry, and they reject the conspicuous truth of who he really is.

Before the start of the primaries and caucuses, despite how Donald Trump was polling, the fathers of the Republican Party were reluctant to realize that Trump could actually win delegates to the GOP convention. They believed as others did that Trump’s venture might have been a grand publicity stunt.

Following the first primary contests, these same strategists thought Trump’s early successes would fizzle out. They were wrong. After “Super Saturday,” the March 5 primaries and caucuses, the leaders of the party intensified their worry upon the realization that Trump’s coronation was now within his grasp. The Donald now holds 392 delegates in pursuit of the 1,237 needed to lock in the nomination. His closest competitor, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, holds 305 delegates. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio holds 138 delegates, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich has a mere 35 delegates committed.

Perhaps too little, too late, the former standard bearers of the party – former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Arizona Sen. John Mc Cain – have now expressed their dismay aggressively.

In an attempt to expose the true nature of Donald Trump, Mitt Romney eviscerated the frontrunner in an acerbic speech given at the Institute of Politics at the University of Utah.

Romney harkened back to the heady days of Ronald Reagan and his “Time for Choosing” speech. This speech orchestrated the benefits to our society of true Republican conservative values. Furthermore, Reagan, as he did in virtually all his public utterances, talked about optimism and opportunity. Romney tried to contrast the context of “The Great Communicator” to the adolescent self-possessed podium burps of Trump, which are all about insults toward other candidates, how only he can remedy all the nation’s ills, and rancorous assertions about his phallus size and how everybody but him is an idiot. Trump’s devotees refuse to see the nakedness of his crudeness and his self-absorption.

By comparing our 40th president with the cheap imitation Trump, Romney artfully demonstrated how Trump’s fitness was more than questionable. Romney stated the following: “On the other hand, if we make improvident choices, the bright horizon I foresee will never materialize. Let me put it plainly, if we Republicans choose Donald Trump as our nominee, the prospects for a safe and prosperous future are greatly diminished.”

Furthermore, to disrobe the cloak of success that Trump exaggeratingly wears like a badge of honor, Romney spoke of Trump’s many failures: “And what ever happened to Trump Airlines? How about Trump University? And then there’s Trump Magazine and Trump Vodka and Trump Steaks, and Trump Mortgage? A business genius he is not.” These endeavors failed miserably, and in fact a class-action suit involving 5,000 plaintiffs versus Trump and Trump University is yet unsettled. Yet, voters still support the illusion and refuse to accept the truth.

Additionally, Romney illustrated Trump’s recklessness regarding foreign policy, when he alluded to a “60 Minutes” interview in which Trump said: “Let ISIS take out Assad and then we can pick up the remnants.” Equally foolish has been Trump’s stated admiration of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has stated that the former murderer for the KGB is a strong leader and someone he could deal with.

Along with an example of his many business failures and his obvious inexperience in regard to matters foreign, Romney pointed out Trump’s problem with veracity. In a CNN interview, Trump claimed not to have an opinion in regard to the endorsement of his campaign by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, because he did not know anything about him. This canard was contradicted by an interview on the “Today Show” several years ago in which Trump spoke at length about Duke.

Also, Trump’s reluctance to release his tax returns sparked a question in Romney’s examination. Is he not forthcoming because he claims a net worth of $10 billion to $11 billion, and most experts believe it is more accurately around 4 billion? Is he so vain that he does not want his embellishment of his assets revealed? If so, what does that tell us about his character?

Upon learning of Romney’s speech, the guttural Trump horrifically implied that Romney would have “got on his knees” to get Trump’s endorsement in the 2008 election.

McCain also stated his “many concerns about Mr. Trump’s uniformed and indeed dangerous statements on national security issues.” McCain was speaking to Trump’s growing, uneven intemperance in regard to the Middle East conflicts.

In an open letter to the New York Times, several notables were signatories to a document, which called into question the validity of Trump’s coat of competency. Affirming the adverse information about Trump and the substandard evaluation of Trump were Robert Zoellick, former president of the World Bank; Michael Chertoff, former secretary of the Department of Homeland Security; Robert Gates, former defense secretary; David Shedd, former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency; and many others with substantial government gravitas. The letter stated the following in its critique of Trump:

“His advocacy for aggressively waging trade wars is a recipe for economic disaster in a globally connected world.”

“His embrace of expansive use of torture is inexcusable.”

“He will alienate partners in the Islamic world making significant contributions to the effort [toward stabilization in the region].”

“His vision of American influence and power in the world is wildly inconsistent and unmoored in principle.”

Along with these reasonable expositions that soundly remove the Donald’s coat of credibility, Trump freely taunts others in a base fashion unworthy of a potential president. He has called his competitors “losers,” “little,” “liars,” “stupid,” and of questionable manhood. His comments are more akin to a petulant adolescent than a 69-year-old candidate for the highest office in the land.

Like the subjects of the emperor in the Andersen story, Trump’s followers believe that this would-be emperor’s clothes are real. They to date have not allowed themselves to witness the nakedness of Donald Trump’s lack of fitness for office. They do not see him accurately as the flip-flopping, self-consumed, uncouth bully he actually is. They do not contemplate his various failures, or his over exaggeration of his accomplishments, or the recklessness of his ridiculous assertions about what he could do as president.

In the Andersen story, an innocent child speaks up at a public gathering and exclaims: “But he isn’t wearing anything at all.” Thus, the emperor is revealed to be stark naked and not adorned in a luxurious and desirable robe.

Hopefully, before the nomination is settled, Trump will be disrobed and will be forced to drop his false cloak of credibility. Then he will be exposed to his followers for what his truly is, a man unfit to be president.

Comments

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  • Justanidiot

    Haters are going to hate.

    Don't like the idea of President Trump? Move to Canada or North Korea.

    Thursday, March 10, 2016 Report this

  • Straightnnarrow

    Trump attributes: "misogynistic and demeaning mindset", "foulmouthed, intemperate charlatan", "political opportunist", "egotistical, self-possessed showman", "con-artistry", "adolescent self-possessed podium burbs", "rancorous assertions", "crudeness and self-absorption", "vain", "guttural Trump horrifically", "uneven intemperance", "petulant adolescent", "flip-flopping, self-consumed, uncouth bully", "recklessness of his ridiculous assertions" and finally "a man unfit to be president".

    Mr Curran has not yet endorsed the liar Hillary, but he should get a ticket to Cuba, just in case she loses.

    Friday, March 11, 2016 Report this