Trump wants chump

It’s no secret that I oppose the Trump presidential run and it’s not solely because he has the tact of a wrecking ball. And it’s not because he refuses to yield to the PC language police. It’s because of where he stands and were he has stood (these places are related) on a number of issues that I have detailed many times, often in Trump’s own words.

Some of you are angry at me for that. You think I am attacking Trump because he speaks truth to power. But that is not so and demonstrably false. If you listen to my show, you would hear me defend Trump when I think he deserves defending and condemn his comments when they need condemning.

I think Trump is the Bizarro-Obama of 2016. Bizarro-Superman was a DC comics character that was from an alternate reality. He reflected Superman, but was a distorted version. Trump is like that with Obama. While Obama sought to be the happy, hopeful “blank slate” on which his liberal progressive followers could transpose their own dreams, Trump seeks to be the angry, defiant “blank slate” on which conservatives, who see the world going to hell in a hand-basket, can transpose their own frustrations and fighting spirit.

Only Trump doesn’t stand for what they think he does. Yes, he will say whatever comes to his mind, but his policy pronouncements are decidedly not conservative. Trump is a man of the moment and his political prescriptions have the same shelf-life. People who are angry, frustrated, and sick of politicians believe they have an outsider who is willing to fight the status quo and will not cave to a howling media or protest mob. But the man they’ve chosen will cave to the whims of his own temperament, which, more often than not, agree with the howling forces that currently condemn him.

Trump has taken stands before. We know what they are. They should inform, not determine, but inform our opinion. Encouraging listeners to do that is not a betrayal of those who are Trump supporters but a fulfilling of my duty to my listeners as I see it. I tell them what I think even if I think they will disagree or be angry.

Here is a recent exchange:

PLEASE, DAVE.
Your assault/ hate narrative against Donald Trump so early is so insulting- I don’t like you or your show anymore.

You and the other radio guy (one who recently got out of hospital) yammer and rail against D. Trump so curiously early, you’ll both find out shortly that myself and many, many thousands of your ex-loyal listeners LOVE D. Trump. Yes we all actually do love the guy and his REAL/ brutally honest message. He’s the only one going against the grain of p.c.ness.

Yes, he’s very loud and brash but he HAS TO BE.
I’m sick and tired of hearing your negative vitriol against him, give the guy at least a verbal benefit of doubt. Give him a chance.

No more of your custom made on-air hate collages,
We’re all listening, now no hatred, no Mocking, give him a friggen chance- or watch your stats plummet.

Steve from Shoreline

My reply:

Here is what is confusing about your email: You write that I don’t “give him a chance” that my opposition to Trump is based on “hate” and that I am filled with “vitriol” (cruel and bitter criticism) and that I created a “hate collage” against him.

1. I gave Trump a chance. More than one. I looked at his potential candidacy back in 2012 as well, so I didn’t just wake up and decide that I’d hate Trump today.
2. I don’t hate him. I differ with him and oppose his presidential campaign. There’s a difference, and conservatives especially should recognize that since liberals so rarely seem to.
3. The criticism I have against him are entirely his past actions and advocacy. How is that vitriol? How is that hate? Should I pretend he wasn’t for government-run health care? That he didn’t say he was “strongly pro-choice”? That he didn’t advocate a sweeping new wealth tax? That he didn’t slam Romney for being “too harsh” on immigration yet now claims to be the hardest on illegal immigration? You’re asking for a willful head-in-the-sand approach to politics. I can’t do that and be honest with my listeners. You are mad at the message and taking it out on the messenger.

If you can’t listen anymore, I find that sad because it means you’re acting like a liberal who is angry about hearing evidence that disagrees with your world view. I can’t give in to your demand that I pretend Trump is something that he isn’t.

Should you change your mind, you’ll always be welcome to listen again.

Best wishes,

Dave Boze

PS. The Trump collage was not “hate.” It was Trump speaking about Trump – and it was made by Meet the Press.

You may still choose to support Trump, but you cannot maintain that all the criticism that goes against him is fantasy–it is the stuff of Trump’s own making.