Smith: What caused Donald Trump?

Attendees during a prayer at Donald Trump's town hall campaign event in Sandown, N.H., last Thursday.
Attendees during a prayer at Donald Trump's town hall campaign event in Sandown, N.H., last Thursday.

What caused Donald Trump?

With that question, so much is communicated.

First, Donald Trump, as a nonpolitician, billionaire real estate developer, completely shattered the science of politics by disrupting patterns, polls and predictions. His message hit the Republican Party primary like a meteor: His platform conveyed the need for immigration laws to be enforced, for trade with reciprocal nations to be fair regarding human rights, for wage controls or currency manipulation, and for giving voice to Americans who hunger to see their nation protected and prosperous. Trump's message exposed the years of elections with promises either abandoned with no effort or broken as a result of Washington, D.C., bureaucracy and incumbents protecting their re-election bids.

Second, Trump blasted the typical pattern of political alignment. In this year's presidential election, voters have abandoned familiar ranks of party identity, ethnic voting blocs and single-issue litmus tests because of a sense of desperation and anger.

Polls, surveys and online tracking capture the historic level of mistrust and anger of the electorate toward their government across all demographics. Voters are seeing a bifurcated set of outcomes where law-abiding, tax-paying citizens bear the burden of unparalleled federal government spending that is adding unsustainable debt, which typically benefits a growing welfare state. Government program recipients get subsidized health care, food stamps, cellphones, internet service, transportation and housing.

The energized working public is not married to a party platform; it's not concerned about partisan conformity; it's not preoccupied with a set of talking points. The bipartisan working class that is driving the 2016 federal election cycle sees through the bias of national media outlets. It's walked away from abusive incumbents who have repeated the same promises year after year to cut spending, enforce our nation's borders and protect America from terrorists.

The difficult answer to the question, "What caused Donald Trump?" (if we're honest) is that government - the massive bureaucracies that suck the life out of America's vibrant economy for the sake of special interests- has failed. It's the politicians who said one thing in their home states while reciting poll-driven talking points, but governed in our nation's capitol by conforming to the corporatist and globalist belief that America must compete by mirroring the policies of failed economies and governments.

Folks, this presidential election, sadly, has devolved into a reality show that has a sleazy voyeuristic appeal.

No, we've not yet seen tea bags thrown into the harbor to demonstrate the level of voter fury and frustration. But we are seeing an awakening to the fact that America is not as safe today as it was five to 10 years ago. Barack Obama's health care program, the Affordable Care Act, is on life support and is costing hard-working Americans more than anyone thought it would. His plan to accept refugees from terror-laden nations has infuriated much of the electorate.

Fire requires certain elements to burn. Remove one of those essentials and it is extinguished. Donald Trump - translation, this unparalleled burning anger - exists because the elements to fuel this electoral combustion are present. Will leaders learn and listen or do we all risk getting burned?

Robin Smith, a former chairwoman of the Tennessee Republican Party, owns Rivers Edge Alliance.

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