As an undecided voter, a label I wear proudly, I was scouring the recent GOP candidates with derision. Who were these guys? Then that wanna-be, but always lost feminist teased in me “hey where are the Conserve ladies?!” As I was volleying with continued indecision and remorse for being an American voter, a former student of mine walked by me and said, “vote Trump.” Considering the angst the Don Juan of Hair has been facing in the media, I scoffed. Yet, I stopped him and asked why.
It seems this young future mind of America is not alone. Recent numbers indicate Trump is actually making an impression on millions of voters. So, I decided to tune in and ask this student and many others who were interested in the former “You’re Fired!” mogul. It seems the same three reasons led much of the pack.
1) He is a businessman. Previously in the world of presidential candidates having military experience or understanding social activism led the way, but voters are becoming disillusioned with this common theme between the two major parties. There are those third parties…but that’s a story for another time. Trump has a history of being able to haggle deals and acquire money to build his empires. This finagling could go a long way, says the students I interviewed. Much of the current infrastructure is becoming unstable and budgeting a concept of rebuilding is necessary. They believe Trump can do it.
2) Trump knows bankruptcy. How could this possibly be an advantage? It was one I questioned vehemently to a local student at another college who also is leaning towards Trump. While millions across the globe believe the U.S. could never go down this path because, well, the world markets would turn upside down and around, these young minds want it to happen. The student explained that America just continues to print money and we are stuck in this vicious cycle of debt that continues to build until, maybe, one day we just run out of trees or the cycle. This student is socially liberal and believes if the U.S. went bankrupt, it can remove our soldiers from overseas, and reduce the dependency on created wealth, while developing a market for exports, rather than just consumption.
The rationale seemed lost on me, but I digress.
3) The financial drain of immigration will end. It might surprise many of you how many times Democratic and Republican-minded students agree. This one had a general consensus. Speaking to several students considering Trump for president showed one distinctive situation - many were not Republican or conservative in the last election, and claim they were undecided. Eight out of the fifteen students I spoke to explained that America building a great wall doesn’t sound ethically sound but would be fiscally responsible. When I questioned one, a student piped up and mentioned “America is at odds on a financial scale right now. There are storefronts closed across America. Schools are closing. We are at a financial end, and even the rich aren’t as rich as they used to be. Even if temporarily, we need to halt this drain and reformulate a lucrative plan of migration.”
Could Donald Trump be good for America? I am still on the fence on this one, but it was illuminating to see how young minds perceive the ideology of The Hair.