Kremer’s Corner: The sad legacy of Donald Trump

The Island Now

Over the past 50 years the political world has been exposed to many names, some of which have left a long term impression and others that have faded into obscurity. Carter, Dukakis, Clinton, Dole, Gore, McCain, Romney, Palin and the Bushes are just a few.
Some will be remembered for their campaigns or their post-campaign activities. Others have faded into the mist never to be in the public spotlight again.
When the final 2016 votes have been counted, it is fair to ask whether Donald Trump, win or lose, will have left his mark on the political sands of time and what exactly that mark was.
Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, independent or whatever your political persuasion, you will acknowledge that the candidacy of Donald Trump will be remembered for quite some time to come.
It is stunning that Trump has built a coalition of over 12 million people.
Many of those people are sincerely desirous of change in any form. Others want change for all the wrong reasons.
Should Trump lose, as it seems inevitable, many of them will continue to feel left out of the political system with no place to go for consolation as neither political party is the answer to their prayers.
Everybody has the right to run for public office, whether rich or poor.
Quite a few rich men have made the plunge into politics.
Michael Bloomberg was able to parlay his wealth into three successful terms as mayor of the City of New York.  
Lewis Lehrman, the heir to the Rite Aid fortune, was the Republican candidate for governor, but somehow all his money did not translate into victory.
Ronald Lauder, the heir to the cosmetics fortune, bankrolled the campaign to force term limits for New York City Council members.
Donald Trump, with little thought, decided that his money and media visibility would propel him into the White House.  
So less than a month from now what will be the legacy of Donald Trump?  I doubt it will be a good one.
To start with he has incited hatred of a massive number of hard working people, just because they practice their own religion.  
We live in a world where we are surrounded by terrorists, both homegrown and living in other parts of the world. Does that mean all Muslims are bad? His derogatory comments about women have brought shame on him.
His embrace of the Klux Klux Klan types is a throwback to some of the worst times in our history.
School personnel around the country have reported a sharp increase in bullying and no doubt, statements by Trump at his campaign events have fueled that type of thinking.
His appeal to the minority community has been insulting and derogatory.
Revelations about his past “locker room” statements  don’t just hurt his image, they are a stain on the political system.
Attacking a judge with a Hispanic heritage, who was born in this country, has incited numerous incidents where other minorities have been maligned.  
The society we live in won’t be the same after Election Day and it will take us a long period of time to recover, if that ever happens.
The whispers of intolerance and hate are not like passing clouds.
They linger and linger for long periods of time and it could take years for the Trump legacy to be erased.
The two-party system, that I respect and have been a part of, will be in shambles for the next two election cycles.
The Republican Party will be forced into exile to figure out how they can create a more open and inclusive party.
The right-wing elements of the party will have been reduced to nothingness.
The Democratic Party will have to do its own soul searching. And sadly,the image of America and its  political process, will be badly bruised by the Trump legacy.

By Jerry Kremer

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