The Republican National Convention took place from July 18-21 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Before I discuss Trump's acceptance speech, I'd like to devote attention to the introductory speech delivered by his daughter, Ivanka. In a Time transcript of Ivanka Trump's speech, Ivanka described her father in glowing terms as a family man, an enlightened businessman, and a true-blue American. Let's dissect some of her statements, shall we?
"My father taught my siblings and me the importance of positive values and a strong ethical compass."A man who advocated for the killing of noncombatants, encouraged torture, called for a ban on Muslims entering the U.S., and demonized Mexican immigrants is not a man with a "strong ethical compass".
"My father values talent. He recognizes real knowledge and skill when he finds it. He is color blind and gender neutral. He hires the best person for the job, period."A man who has a history of misogynist comments spanning decades, defends a man accused of sexual harassment, and is himself facing sexual assault allegations is not "gender neutral". A man with a dubious history on the subject of race is not "color blind".
"One of the reasons he has thrived as an entrepreneur is because he listens to everyone. Billionaire executives don’t usually ask the people doing the work for their opinion of the work. My father is an exception. On every one of his projects, you’ll see him talking to the super, the painter, the engineers, the electricians, he’ll ask them for their feedback, if they think something should be done differently, or could be done better."Trump listens to everyone? According to the New York Times, during a March appearance on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Trump said that, "I’m speaking with myself, number one, because I have a very good brain ... My primary consultant is myself and I have a good instinct for this stuff." According to NPR, Art of the Deal ghostwriter Tony Schwartz described Trump as "reactive whenever he feels threatened" and expressed concerns over "the limits of his attention span" in conversations. Trump does not strike me as a man who listens thoughtfully to others.
"Politicians ask to be judged by their promises, not their results. I ask you to judge my father by his results. Judge his values by those he’s instilled in his children. Judge his competency by the towers he’s built, the companies he’s founded, and the tens of thousands of jobs he’s created."If we are to judge Trump by his business results, we should also judge him by his four bankruptcies, which do not reflect well on his business acumen.
Ivanka Trump's speech was meant to humanize Donald Trump by depicting him as an ethical, fair, and magnanimous man. Unfortunately, Ivanka's rosy portrait bears little resemblance to the man running for president. Since Trump's public image is that of a sexist, cruel, self-absorbed man, Ivanka's speech may have been an effort to dispel that unsavory image. However, a quick look into Trump's statements and actions reveal the truth about the Republican nominee.
It is unfortunate that the Trumpenstien has incorporated so many companies. Some bankruptcy judge should force all of his corporations together so he can't file bankruptcy and is forced to cover his losses by his "profitable" companies (if they are.)
ReplyDeleteJerry -- Thanks for stopping by! I wonder how his status as a businessman will mesh with his status as a president, if (heaven forbid) he wins the election.
DeleteHe listens to the painters and electricians he then stiffs.
ReplyDelete•sniff• 'Merka.
Paleotectonics -- :: chuckles ::
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