The Curious Mr. Trump

Published in Semana
(Colombia) on 25 January 2016
by Julio Londoño Paredes (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Natalie Harrison. Edited by Helaine Schweitzer.
The United States presidential campaign is moving forward along with the candidacy of Trump, who previously was not taken seriously as a factor that would dramatically affect the electoral process, but is now beginning to be attentively considered.

Donald Trump has had great skill in channeling discontent against the “establishment” and political parties. He brusquely expresses what apparently is on the minds of many people. He lashes out against immigration, warns against Muslims, and censures what some perceive as a decline in the power and prestige of the United States, similar to what occurred during Jimmy Carter's era. Trump’s campaign slogan is: “Let's make America great again.”

He utters insults that do not affect his popularity, but which would be unforgiveable if expressed by other candidates. When he criticizes something, he does so by throwing darts. Take, for example, his remarks that “Cruz is not eligible for the presidency,” or that “Hillary talks a lot about women but her 'adviser' is Bill, one of the great woman abusers of all time, and she enables him.”*

He is a narcissist and a buffoon, but he is very effective and has the advantage of financing his own campaign; he does not compromise with anyone as is usually the case in American politics.

It is very doubtful that he has a chance to be the next president, but it is possible that he will be the Republican nominee. Since Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Democrats have not won election to three consecutive administrations. Moreover, the re-election of Roosevelt occurred before the Constitution was amended to limit presidents to one re-election, or two terms.

Many are not content with President Obama despite the fact that he introduced important social changes, like the health care law known as “Obamacare,” which Trump and the Republicans have challenged.

Furthermore, the same Republican “establishment” is attacking Trump in order to find an “acceptable” candidate like Marco Rubio. If Trump does not win in Iowa, New Hampshire or South Carolina, he could make a theatrical exit from his candidacy. In any case, he has nothing to lose and has gained a lot by expressing the discontent of many, the discontent which Sanders is using in much the same way but in his own fashion on the Democratic side.

The people want change. There is an interesting psychological reality: It doesn't matter which party they belong to whether or not they detest Trump. When it comes to any relevant matter, from beauty contests to the nuclear agreement with Iran, the primary question that the average American is asking, “And what does Trump say about this?”

It is a form of “national entertainment.” A figure who is equally discussed and who has many followers on the right, former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin recently endorsed Trump, while her son, an Iraq veteran, was arrested for threatening his wife in their house with an assault gun.

In the British Parliament there was a debate about allowing Trump to visit the U.K., an event reminiscent of the time of Henry VIII. It would not be strange that as a consequence of the renewal of “nationalism” promoted by the candidate, some Americans recall the confrontation between England and the United States in the 19th century over geopolitical control of the Caribbean and the opening of the inter-oceanic canal. This was a dispute that ended in favor of the United States with the signing of the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty of 1901. This was a treaty that opened the door for President Theodore Roosevelt, someone whose attitudes were similar to Trump’s. Roosevelt was to say later, “I took Panama.”

Nevertheless, after his presidency, Theodore Roosevelt volunteered to command the American forces that intervened in Europe in World War I, although his successor was to plead against such intervention. Later, he undertook an excursion to Brazil amid mosquitoes and snakes, where he discovered a tributary to the Tocantins ending in the Amazon that was called “the River of Doubt.” Trump does not appear to be someone of Theodore Roosevelt’s caliber.

To his xenophobic and Ku Klux Klan-like commentary about Mexicans that caused worldwide indignation and that was criticized by our former Miss Universe, Paulina Vega, Trump added his “Solomonic solution” for the fool who made the mistake in Las Vegas: a crown for the elected, and another for Ariadna Gutiérrez.

* Editor’s note: The quote about Ted Cruz, while accurately translated, could not be precisely verified. The quote about Hillary Clinton, also accurately translated, could not be exactly verified but is substantiated by similar remarks here.


Avanza la campaña presidencial en los Estados Unidos y la candidatura de Trump, que antes se tomaba como un factor que imprimía colorido al proceso electoral, se está empezando a considerar con atención.

Ha tenido gran habilidad para canalizar el descontento contra el "establecimiento" y los partidos políticos. Expresa bruscamente lo que aparentemente está en la mente de mucha gente: arremete contra la inmigración, previene contra los musulmanes y censura lo que algunos perciben como una declinación del poder y prestigio de los Estados Unidos, tal como sucedió en la época de Jimmy Carter. Su lema es "Let's make America great again".

Profiere ofensas que no afectan su popularidad, que si fueran expresadas por otros candidatos, no se lo hubieran perdonado. Cuando critica clava dardos: por ejemplo "Cruz no es elegible para la presidencia"; “Hilary habla mucho sobre las mujeres pero su 'asesor' es Bill, que es el hombre más abusivo con las mujeres y ella lo apoya".

Es un narcisista y un bufón pero muy efectivo y tiene la ventaja de que financia su propia campaña y no adquiere compromisos con nadie como generalmente sucede en la política norteamericana.

Es muy dudoso que tenga chance de ser el próximo presidente, que es posible que sea republicano. Los demócratas, fuera de Franklyn Delano Roosevelt, nunca han logrado la victoria en tres administraciones seguidas. Las reelecciones de Roosevelt además, fueron antes de que se modificara la constitución en el sentido de que solamente eran posibles dos reelecciones.

Hay muchos descontentos con Obama, no obstante que ha introducido cambios importantes en la parte social, como el plan de salud “ObamaCare”, contra el que Trump y todos los republicanos, se han ido de frente.

Además el mismo “establecimiento" republicano lo está atacando para lograr un candidato que sea "aceptable" para ellos como Marco Rubio. Si Trump no se perfila como ganador en Iowa, New Hampshire, o South Carolina, podría darse un “retiro teatral” de su precandidatura. De todas maneras, no tiene nada que perder y ha ganado mucho al lograr expresar el descontento de muchos, lo que Sanders, por el lado demócrata y en forma muy distinta, está logrando.

La gente quiere el cambio. Hay un hecho psicológicamente interesante: no importa el partido al que pertenezca o si detesta o no a Trump, frente a cualquier hecho de alguna relevancia, desde un concurso de belleza hasta el acuerdo nuclear con Irán, la primera pregunta que se hace el americano medio es "¿y sobre esto que dice Trump?".

Es una especie de “entretenimiento nacional”. Una figura igualmente discutida y con seguidores en la derecha, la ex candidata a la vicepresidencia Sarah Palin lo apoyó recientemente, mientras su hijo, veterano de Irak, amenazaba en la casa a su esposa con un fusil de asalto.

En el parlamento británico se hizo un debate sobre la visita de Trump, como evento sacado de la época de Enrique VIII. No sería raro que como consecuencia del renacimiento del “nacionalismo” impulsado por el precandidato, algunos norteamericanos recuerden la confrontación entre Inglaterra y los Estados Unidos en el siglo XIX, sobre el control geopolítico del Caribe y la apertura del canal interoceánico. Pugilato que se definió a favor de los Estados Unidos con la firma del Tratado Hay-Pauncefote de 1901, que abrió la puerta para que el Presidente Theodore Roosevelt, de actitudes similares a las de Trump, dijera luego “I took Panama”.

Sin embargo después de ser Presidente, Theodore Roosvelt se ofreció como voluntario para comandar las fuerzas norteamericanas que intervinieron en Europa en la primera guerra mundial y su sucesor se vio a “gatas” para evitarlo. Más adelante emprendió una excursión al Brasil, en medio de zancudos y culebras, para “descubrir” un río afluente del Tocantis, que desemboca en el Amazonas, que se denominó “el Río de la Duda”. Trump no parece ser de esa línea.

A sus comentarios xenófobos tipo Ku Klux Khan sobre los mexicanos, que causaron indignación mundial y que fueron criticados por nuestra anterior Miss Universo Paulina Vega, siguió su “solución salomónica” para el “oso” de Las Vegas, una corona para la elegida y otra para Ariadna Gutiérrez.
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