Recently I had occasion to visit Las Vegas and delighted in the opportunity to engage in election dialogue with Americans from across the melting pot. What fascinated me most was the divergence of opinion on the Republican candidate who just so happens to own a tower with his name on it. He also owns office towers in other cities.
Bastions of capitalism and entrepreneurialism, Trump towers, aside from the obvious egocentrism, reflect the level of financial success achieved by their namesake. From a strategic location that had the golden Trump edifice in clear view, I asked several passersby what they thought of his presidential candidacy and to share views on the primaries thus far.
From media darling through his “Apprentice” TV show and appearances on SNL to media devil with his often glib, provocative, and racially charged rhetoric on building walls, there are compelling arguments why some folks see Donald as the next president while others see him as a pretentious self-entitled pretender. Mr. Trump precipitates a plethora of polarizing opinions!
‘He is tenacious, and willing to fight for the economy’ was an emerging theme from many of the men and women I spoke with. While I encountered many Cruz, Clinton, and Sanders fans as well, the overall trend suggested that ‘Mr. T,’ as one person called him, has a proven history of economic success. Interestingly, an NBC online survey, indicated that Trump’s “support from Republican voters tends to come from men, seniors, and those having a high school education or less.”
It was priceless on a few occasions to see how angry some people got when I asked what they thought of Trump as the next possible president. One delightful lady from Boston flipped the bird at the Trump Tower and indicated that there was some element of truth in people who would seek to leave the U.S. for Canada should Trump take office.
There were more than a few folks who said they view Trump as ‘divisive, intolerant, and overly aggressive.’ While some folks were indifferent or possibly oblivious to any of the recent debates and primary results, they hoped that the best person would win. The majority of women I spoke with indicated that they were hoping to see the first female president take office. When pressed the self- identified Democrats who seemingly admire both Sanders and Clinton, were more often than not, learning towards Hillary as the front-runner.
The sunlight, scintillating in golden hues off of the Trump Tower, began to wane into the late afternoon and the exercise of speaking with Americans, something I simply took on as a litmus test of opinion for my own education but more so entertainment, came to an end. What did I learn?
Politics in America is a very different animal than in Canada. We are so very vanilla compared to the Rocky Road and Tiger Stripe that is the U.S. process. The Democrats will unite behind their chosen one but the variance between Trump and Cruz is the race to watch.
So the word from the ‘Strip’ is that the stakes are high, all bets are still on, and that one of the candidates seeking that highest office, holds the trump card!
Tim Cusack is an educator, writer, and member of the naval reserve.
