The Gift

There is not a doubt in my mind that Hillary Clinton is one of the worst candidates ever to run for the Presidency.  Her penchant for lying has become so clear that it practically defines her. She has lied her way through all of her husbands political campaigns, denying truths she knew about her husbands infidelities. Time and again. 

I am not going to mention all the women the former President ‘hit’ on; had affairs with; or sexually assaulted. There were too many to count - culminating with a tryst with a White House intern near the end of his second term. But I’m sure his wife knew about at  least some - if not all of them. And yet she continually denied knowing about them – and worse protested his innocence while smearing his female accusers on camera – most famously during a 1992 interview on 60 Minutes!

This doesn’t even take into account all of her shady business dealings as an attorney before her husband became President.

Her lies have more recently come up in her comments about missing e-mails. And her denial of giving preferential access huge donors to her charitable foundation when she was Secretary of State. There are lies with respect to political issues she claims not to have ever supported when there is clear evidence that she did (e.g the Trans Pacific Partnership). Or some of her foreign policy decisions that turned out to be disasters. Like overthrowing Ghadafi resulting in making Libya a home for terrorists who can roam free and her really terrible attitude with respect to the terrorist attacks in Benghazi that took the lives of the American Ambassador and some of his staff.

I could go on. Suffice it to say that she was an eminently beatable Presidential candidate in this transitional Presidential year. Just about any Republican candidate will have very likely beaten her in the upcoming general election. But this candidate has been given a very substantial gift. It’s huge! So huge that she will very likely win the Presidency. His name is Donald J. Trump. He is the gift that keeps on giving.

The Republican nominee has caused almost all media to focus their attention on himself. There is hardly a day goes by that he doesn’t say something that is so abhorrent that it sucks the air out of the room. What would ordinarily be a ceaseless attack against a candidate like Clinton – who brings with her so much baggage, turns out to be practically ignored.

The fact is that  the media lack of sufficient attention to Mrs. Clinton’s sordid record is eminently understandable. Because her opponent is so bad that he makes her look like Mother Teresa by comparison.

So I don’t blame them at all. The latest revelation about him is a case in point. His repulsive vulgar comments made about women over ten years ago while visiting the set of a daytime soap opera for a cameo appearance, were so disgusting that even his vice presidential pick, Indiana Governor  Mike Pence wouldn’t defend them. He canceled a campaign appearance after learning about it. Other prominent Republicans in office that have supported him have withdrawn their support. He was dis-invited to an appearance with other Republicans at a rally in Wisconsin yesterday. The calls for him to drop out of the race – and to be replaced with a substitute candidate have been increasing. For his part Trump has apologized (I don’t believe his apology – is there anyone that does?) and vowed to stay in the race. No surprise there.

I’m absolutely convinced that this is one area of agreement between Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump. Both are overjoyed about Trump being the Republican candidate for President. That is practically a guarantee that she will be the next President. (Although in this crazy election year – I would still not rule out the possibility that Trump could win!)

Do the Republicans that voted for him in the primaries regret it – knowing what they do now? I’m sure some do. But I suspect that a lot of them don’t care about what Trump says now or ever said in the past. They just want change in Washington. And if this is your main concern, then Trump is definitely your candidate. Because Clinton is the quintessential insider that will in all likelihood follow in President Obama’s footsteps on a great many issues. She is the antithesis of change.

What is truly troubling to me is the number of Orthodox Jews that have indicated to me that they will vote for Trump. It doesn’t even matter what side of the Hashkafic spectrum they reside. Whether they are Chasidic, Charedi (Yeshivish), or Centrist,  - with the possible exception of the Left Wing of Modern Orthodoxy.

The mere mention of the name Clinton begets a response filled with venom about her. Some of my coreligionists are so oblivious to how unqualified Trump is - it makes me wonder about the vaunted Jewish intelligence we are all painted with. They hate Clinton so much that they will vote for a dangerous erratic self centered and vengeful narcissist that has been nothing but a constant embarrassment to this country and to every decent human being. A man that has insulted his way into being the Republican nominee.

A man who believes he can solve every problem effecting mankind because of his brilliance. A man that has knee jerk reactions to every perceived slight no matter how minor. Reactions that are so fierce; so over the top; and so determined - that he will tweet out a huge series of comments at 3 O’Clock in the morning in pure revenge.

As he did recently with a former beauty contest winner that turned against him – exposing the way he treated her after she gained some weight. He even asked his supporters to dig up pornography about her in order to smear her and undermine her credibility! Can anyone imagine the President of the United States tweeting tons of vengeful comments about someone at 3 in the morning in the White House?!

And yet, there are far too many Orthodox Jews that tell me they are voting for him anyway. This is mind blowing! Religious Jews that hate Clinton so much they are willing to put a man that is anathema to their religious values in office!  

Some will explain that it isn’t only about Clinton hatred. They will also point to his very pro Israel comments and the commitments he said he will keep as President.

I cannot understand how they can believe a man that has proven himself to be an even bigger liar than Clinton and whose values are so anathenmatic to us? He may have warm feelings for Israel and the Jewish people. But that does not make anything he says believable. Nor does it make him qualified to be the leader of the free world. A man whose behavior is so impulsive with a penchant for quick revenge that he cannot be trusted to have his finger on the nuclear trigger.

So I have one question to ask all of my Orthodox co-coreligionists who say they will still vote for Trump. What’s the matter with you?! If there was ever a person that should be completely rejected as a future President, it is Donald J. Trump. That there are so many Orthodox Jews that say they are going to vote for Trump anyway mainly because of their hatred of Clinton gives lie to the reputation Orthodox Jews have for any intelligence at all!