Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host
When Donald Trump first announced he was running for President of the United States, I took little notice. As far as I was concerned it was just another arrogant stunt by a flashy businessman known for creating an egocentric environment through his circus-style antics that benefits him and his vast variety of businesses. It was the ultimate promotional tool. If there was anyone who didn't know who Trump, or his products, was, after a boisterous campaign where he was as controversial as possible every chance he got, they would know him well by the end - whenever that might be. And, even if he was losing badly, he was going to ride the wave as long as he could, squeeze every bit of boosterism out of the situation, and get his name (which is connected to all of his products) out there to every segment of society. After all, not everyone watches reality television, nor knew that the phrase "You're Fired" was now practically yet another product sold by, or perpetuated by, the obnoxious, narcissistic billionaire who I first took notice of when he bought a USFL team in New Jersey way back in 1983 - selling it shortly afterward so that he could concentrate on building casinos (probably knowing the USFL wouldn't last as long as some people hoped, and getting his money out of the team before everything collapsed).
My wife was born in Mexico. Her parents immigrated to the United States legally when she was just a baby. Her father took advantage of a guest-worker program back in the sixties to make enough money to save up for the cost of legal immigration. When we married back in 1984, my wife still had a green-card. She became a citizen in 2007 at a tear-drenching naturalization ceremony in Los Angeles. When it comes to the immigration issue, she takes being an American, and assimilating into American Society, very seriously. "Come one, come all, but with the intent of being an American, not with the desire of turning the United States into Mexico," has essentially been her mantra. About halfway through the Obama regime's two-term reign, she said to me, "What we need is a Great Wall of China between us and Mexico, with a mote and alligators. Send the dirt from digging the mote to Louisiana so that they can fix those levies near New Orleans, and grab the alligators from Florida so that they don't have the infestation anymore. Everyone's happy."
She and I were experiencing one of those rare occasions where we watch television together when the news of Trump's announcement hit the airwaves (or should I say "cable-waves"), and the moment the word "wall" came out of Trump's mouth, my wife said, "That's my candidate."
"He won't last through the primaries," I said.
"I think he'll be the next President," she said, confidently.
I laughed.
As the campaign progressed, I made statements like, "I am not sure he believes what he says," and "I think he is running to bring attention to issues the Republicans refuse to talk about."
Early on, as my wife rooted for Trump, I backed Scott Walker. He, in my opinion, was the perfect candidate. A governor, which means he has executive experience. Conservative, yet the establishment was willing to stomach him. He took on the unions in his State of Wisconsin, and won; and then fought off two Democrat Party orchestrated attempts to recall him, and he won both recall elections despite the unions and Democrats doing everything they could to demonize him, which included them shipping in protesters to fortify their attack. In my opinion, Walker had steel cajones, and large ones, at that.
Of the original 17 candidates, Scott Walker was my number one, and Trump was number fifteen, with only Kasich and Christie ranking lower, and Jeb Bush barely above him on the list.
When it came to Jeb Bush, two years before the launch of the 2016 presidential campaign season, on my radio program, while I was still on KCAA, when I heard that Jeb may run for president in 2016, I quipped, "We had Daddy Bush and Dick Armey, George Dubya Bush and Dick Cheney - the last thing we need is another Bush surrounded by a bunch of Dicks."
I did not want Bush to do well in the race, and I had Trump ranked even lower than him.
Scott Walker enjoyed early popularity, but by September of 2015 he was the second candidate of the original 17 to say "I quit." He urged other anti-establishment candidates to do the same so that they could all unite behind one candidate so that the GOP could defeat the leading candidate at the time, Donald J. Trump.
I really didn't have a second favorite candidate, so I remained pretty agnostic when it came to my opinion on who should win. I just knew I didn't want the final prize to go to Christie, Kasich, Bush, or Trump.
The two candidates who exhibited constitutional knowledge closest to my own was Rand Paul and Ted Cruz. Rand, however, began to sound more like his father, and less like a team player as the campaign moved forward, and Ted Cruz (like Rubio and Jindal) is simply not eligible for the Presidency. My research has found that it takes both parents being citizens at the time of one's birth in order to be a Natural Born Citizen. Don't get me wrong, I think Ted Cruz is a fine Senator, and would be a fine judge, but his history of Canadian birth to a father who was not yet an American Citizen simply makes him not eligible to be President of the United States.
As time passed, Trump's popularity continued to grow. His anti-establishment position was more than a campaign. It became a movement. Trump is what the Tea Party fought for the last eight years, but never had a person to pin their hopes on. Now, here he was - a stick in the spokes of the establishment. A brass-knuckles fighter willing to take down the leftist and GOP establishment, while also socking the globalists in the eye. Trump is the bigger hammer in the rock yard. He was, as far as his supporters were concerned, the only person capable of defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton.
The experts kept saying that he would fizzle out. That Trump's ridiculous statements were going to be his undoing. That people would realize he's just some boisterous, racist, billionaire with no experience, and no skills when it comes to leading the country. Conservative Never Trump folks even claimed that Trump is something worse than Clinton, just another New York liberal who will use authoritarian techniques not unlike Obama's unconstitutional actions to get what he wants. And, on top of that, the Never Trump folks argued, his unpopularity as a candidate would cause the Republicans to lose the Senate and the House of Representatives.
When the smoke of the primaries settled, Donald J. Trump was the last one standing.
I reasoned that he was number fifteen on my list at the beginning, but Hillary was nowhere from being on my list. Therefore, it was important for me to put my support behind Donald Trump. "Hopefully," I said to myself, "he is who he says he is, and not who the liberal left and the GOP Establishment says he is."
My progress towards eventually supporting Donald Trump as a candidate caused a rift on my radio program and on this website. My partner in political news for years, Jim JASmius Sondergeld, was a Never Trump guy. His articles on Political Pistachio were becoming vicious, using deceptive tactics similar to what the liberal left uses when they attack conservatives, so we parted ways.
After the professional split, it made me realize that I was all in for Donald Trump. So, if I was going to support this guy, I needed to make sure I was indeed behind someone who would be the kind President I desired . . . or at least within the ballpark.
I found a video by a former Trump employee, a female Hispanic, who explained how the charges of racism and sexism against Trump were wrong. The Melania interview with Greta on Fox News helped me realize that Melania is more than a pretty face, and that the relationship between her and The Donald is pretty spectacular. A black woman who was an employee of Trump made a video that again reminded us that the charges of racism was ridiculous, as was the allegations that he is sexist.
And as I was beginning to lean Trump-ward, I began to realize that his candidacy was not only a movement, but it was becoming a worldwide revolution.
As the election approached, I began to belief the Donald could win, and possibly win big. The day before the election I called Trump would win.
So, Trump won, and he was the guy I wanted. That doesn't mean that the work is done. He must be our responsibility. We must hold his feet to the fire no different than we would a Democrat. I just hope the job will not be a difficult one. I am hoping he is what he says, and not a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Time will tell.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
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