Ben Richter is a sophomore telecommunications major and writes 'The Ben Richter Scale' for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. Write to Ben at brichter@bsu.edu.
Leading up to and following the New York primary, Donald Trump’s campaign has worn a different set of clothes. They’ve shed the aggressive, personal rhetoric and have adopted a more becoming character. Examples include his re-characterization of his stance on abortion — which now allows for exemptions in cases of rape, incest and health of the mother — and a push back against the new legislation in North Carolina, which requires people to use the bathroom corresponding to the sex on their birth certificate.
Trump, when asked in an interview on NBC’s “The Today Show” stated “leave it like it is,” meaning allow transgender people to use the bathroom they prefer. The reason ostensibly being “they’re paying a big price, and there’s a lot of problems,” most likely in reference to the numerous boycotts in response to the legislation, which according to many publications in North Carolina are responsible for millions in lost revenue.
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These positions are at odds with many he has taken in the past, though in previous debates he has let it slip that he would not defund all of Planned Parenthood, as it provides necessary medical benefits for women across the country.
Given just these platform points in combination with his “anti-political correctness” rhetorical style, Trump could appear to be a candidate worthy of consideration to a fair number of people.
He’s not.
Let’s not forget his incredibly ambitious (to use the most charitable word) plan to build a wall and force another sovereign nation to pay for it. Let’s not forget his recommendation to profile Muslims in America and his call for surveillance of mosques. Let’s not forget his abhorrent implication that he himself helped to clean up the rubble after 9/11 when there are a plethora of accounts to the contrary.
These brief sparks of social progressiveness and “good” character shine only so bright against a backdrop of ignorance and traditional right-wing rhetoric. Ted Cruz has used these moments of revelation to highlight his characterization of Trump as a liberal “con man” masquerading as a true conservative. This, of course, comes from a man who argued before the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals that “there is no substantive due process right to stimulate one’s genitals for non-medical purposes, unrelated to procreation, or outside of an interpersonal relationship,” as a defense against sex toy stores in Austin that were seeking the redaction of a ban on selling “obscene devices.”
Such are the two options on the political right in this election cycle: a man who explicitly expresses xenophobia and scapegoats the “other,” and a man who believes touching yourself is a sin. Here I note the godlessness. Trump doesn’t usually finish speeches with “God bless you, God bless the U.S,” and he invokes god, relatively speaking, much less than his opponents. Often it so blatantly appears that social conservatism draws its policies from the Christian bible that a politician who breaks this mold seems genuinely refreshing.
That being said, we should not take the fact that he has not demonized masturbation as a sign of enlightenment. It does no good to be 10 miles ahead of your opponent on social issues when the majority of America is already 50 miles ahead of that.
So as we near the Republican National Convention, I predict that Trump will behave in a more presidential manner. I believe he will renege on previously expressed beliefs and reveal more conciliatory positions. Be aware of this conscious change. Be aware that he will only look good in the future compared to how he looked in the past and how Ted Cruz insists on looking now. Given two bad choices, the lesser bad is still not a good choice.
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