Las Vegas Debate
It's almost over. Some questioned why they should have watched the third debate after all that went down in the last, but its importance cannot be underestimated. The debate provided us with a final view of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump side by side, physically, emotionally and intellectually. In the end, we saw Trump come out as a man with more regard for himself than the basis of our democracy. With Clinton now in the lead, he refused to say he'd accept the election results.
After all these months, it's hard not to believe that Trump has viewed becoming president as just another notch on his belt. He has done the real estate business. Tried the tie, wine and steak businesses for diversion. Why not go for the highest office in our country which brings along with it the most esteemed title?
Donald Trump never expected to win the primary elections. He was admittedly surprised with his success as he noted in his Republican Convention acceptance speech:
"Who would have believed that when we started this journey on June 16th last year, and I say we because we are a team, would have received almost 14 million votes ... Who would have believed this? Who would have believed this?"
His surprise should have been our major clue to all that has gone on since he first announced his candidacy. It becomes clearer that Trump's grand plan has, in all likelihood, been to make a run for the presidency, see how it goes and go from there. He never put together a real campaign staff, fundraising apparatus or ground game that is necessary to win a national election. His campaign has run on few specifics and a lot of Trump personality.
The Republican nominee has simply winged much of this campaign, winning the hopes of many and losing the minds of many more. In retrospect as well as today, too little has been about making things better for anyone or for our country. It has been about making things better for himself. That's been Trump’s pattern throughout his business career. Remember this is the Donald Trump who declared business bankruptcy four times while walking away with millions for himself and thousands of lost jobs for others. But always figures out a way to say he was the winner.
At this point with polls showing an overwhelming Clinton victory, Trump won't view his loss in the same way as any other Presidential candidate did who came up short in the final tally. No matter what, he’ll see the real victor in this campaign as himself. You can almost smell those words now.
Losing is not part of Donald Trump's vocabulary. That's one of the main reasons he could go where no other presidential candidate has ever gone, Including Al Gore. In the 2000 presidential election. Gore waited for the votes to be counted against George Bush before challenging the results, Trump is calling the results of the 2016 election into question before it’s even taken place. With total disregard for the ramifications of his words, he shot an arrow into the bedrock of our democracy. "I'll keep you in suspense" was said almost flippantly at the end of the debate.
Less than 24 hours after the debate, Trump told an audience that he would accept the election results ... if he won. Playing games with the peaceful transition of power as the election nears is dangerous business. Beyond anything globally imaginable. It borders on the disqualification of Donald Trump as the Republican nominee.