Holes in Trump's Platform

While I was reading through Donald Trump’s platform I naturally came across some issue and beliefs that I disagreed in. Some were outright wrong and others even hypocritical coming from Trump. Here’s a couple of his flawed points.

Second Amendment Rights: Donald Trump argues that guns are necessary for self-defense and that gun control will inhibit this right. This is the typical Republican argument for gun rights usually made by the NRA. But what I don’t understand is defense against what? The other guy with a gun? Right. Let’s allow everyone to have a gun so we can defend ourselves from each other. It’s like fighting fire with fire. But how about we just don’t start any fires to begin with? Trump claims that background checks will prevent criminal from obtaining guns because they tend to steal them instead of trying to pass the check. But this isn’t true at all. A study of mass shootings in the U.S. (link here) shows that the majority of guns used were obtained legally. Trump is even a proponent of people owning semi-automatic rifles, saying that the media makes them sound scary. But the same study shows that this is the most common gun used in mass shootings. 

U.S.–China Trade Reform: Trump mentions the fact that China manipulates its currency by intentionally undervaluing it. This is true. But in his super-egotistical, ethnocentric mindset he believes he can influence the global trade between China and the U.S. simply by calling China out. But Trump should know that it’s easy to get away with cheating. Here’s anarticle explaining how he stole millions of dollars from investors of one ofhis casinos that was bound to fail from the start. China isn’t going to stop devaluing its currency just because the U.S. called them out. Everyone knows that China does it. It makes international news every time China does decides to set the value of their Yuan. But China does what China wants to do. And what’s the U.S. going to do? Stop trading and outsourcing with China as Trump proposes? Good luck. Where are all our cheap Chinese products going to come from? America? Sure, it’ll create new jobs here at home, but who’s going to want to do them? Not the illegal Mexican immigrants because Trump doesn’t want them around either. The reality is (and Trump himself mentions this in his platform) that the U.S. can’t compete with China because of their squalid unregulated work conditions and underpaid workers. The cost of making anything in the U.S. is going to be greater than making it overseas, even more so if wages are increased to make the work more appealing to the “average” American. Therefore, in order for manufacturing companies to remain profitable, they will have to carry the extra cost over to the consumer. Therefore, the value of the dollar will become weaker within the U.S. economy because an overwhelming majority of products that were once created in China will become more expensive. 

Insight on Kasich as the Republican Candidate

Steve M. from the liberal blog Crooks and Liars voices his concern about the next Republican candidate for those who vehemently oppose Trump in his post Your Liberal Media: New YorkTimes Ed Board Begs Republicans to Back Kasich. The post seems to be geared towards more liberal republicans or independents who are borderline between voting democratic or republican. Steve M. mentions the two potential Republican candidates Ted Cruz and John Kasich. He explains that Kasich has been portrayed by the media as a less conservative “nice guy” and a different type of Republican. He then goes on to show the pure hypocrisy of this claim.

I agree with Steve M. and appreciate him for posting this. The policies that Kasich supports are textbook Republican G.O.P.  Kasich’s support for anti-abortion legislation definitely does not make him pro-choice. His desire to cut the top tax bracket from 39.6% to 28% sounds like the conservative ideology of less taxes (especially since most Republicans tends to be wealthier). And Senate Bill 5, which Kasich signed, prevents methods for worker unions to gain increases in wages which doesn’t seem the slightest bit democratic.  

But when it comes down to it, the G.O.P.’s desire to find the “best” candidate is just a heated fight amongst Republicans within the Republican Party. All three candidates have the same conservative ideologies but in different shades. The important choice is in the presidential election. Hardcore Democrats will vote Democrat; hardcore Republicans will vote Republican. However, the real decision will be made by the independents and moderates.  

Republican Party won't necessarily lose the Hispanic vote

While I by no means agree with Donald Trump’s policy towards Mexicans, I do not agree with the outcome concluded by The Editorial Board in the New York Times in the article The G.O.P.’s Latino Crucible. The article is aimed towards the general population of the U.S. who have a surface level interest in politics. It takes a relatively non-partisan perspective, perhaps leaning a little left due to explaining the potential negative ramifications Donald Trump’s policies will have on the G.O.P. 

The author claims that Donald Trump is alienating the Hispanics from the Republican Party and will lose the majority of their votes in the upcoming presidential election. The author, however, lacks some crucial facts. Donald Trump’s policies are directed primarily towards illegal immigrants, those who are not citizens of the United States. These illegal immigrants tend to compete with first generation Hispanics who are born in the United States for jobs. Therefore, it would be beneficial for the population of the Hispanics in the U.S. who are citizens and have the ability to vote to remove their illegal competition from the U.S. 

In addition, the author fails to mention that while the portion of the electorate that is Hispanic has certainly risen, Hispanics have historically voted in lower percentages than whites and blacks. In order for the Hispanic vote to truly count against the Republican Party, the new Hispanic voters, the majority of whom are likely to be those just turned 18 and therefore probably have more democratic ideologies due to their age, will have to be mobilized.