What Kind Of Role Model Is Donald Trump?
by John Russell
We sometimes hear, on the occasion of a star athlete being caught cheating, doing drugs, or engaging in off the field violence , that athletes are not "role models" for children, no matter how much the children idolize them and want them to be.
We hear somewhat the same about entertainment stars, actors and musicians who reach the heights of vast fame and riches. They also lack the sufficient moral and ethical character to be role models for kids (or others) in many cases.
What about the president of the United States? Is he or she a role model for the nation's youth? And if not, what does that say about our country?
When I was a kid my mom took me and my brothers and sisters downtown to wait in front of the Palmer House hotel for a very fleeting glimpse of John F Kennedy when he visited Chicago as president of the United States. The glimpse of the crowd of secret service around Kennedy as he entered the hotel was all of about 10 or 15 seconds.
In those days the president was supposed to inspire kids to be like him and want to grow up to be a smart, honest , and mature person who serves the community in some way. Kennedy was a hero, especially to the Irish Catholic families like mine.
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Whatever Kennedy's faults, or any of the other president's faults, they were men who acted in a way that brought honor to our country, in least in the way they comported themselves. Yes, there were failures, particularly Nixon and Bill Clinton, who disgraced the office. But even they had qualities that made them somewhat acceptable as role models for the nation's children.
What about Trump?
Is he a good role model for the nation's 100 million children? Can teachers stand in front of the class and proudly announce and discuss what Donald Trump was up to today?
I don't think so. Never have we seen a president who lies, bullies, and cheats like Donald Trump. It is almost past anyone's ability to parody it or mock it.
So I have a question-
What kind of role model is Donald Trump? And on what basis would you use him as a role model for children?
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I have been curious about this question since it became apparent Trump would be the GOP nominee.
Starring Robert Young and Jane Wyatt?
He is the kind of role model you would point to if you wanted your child to grow up to be a money grubber who has failed at every business they have ever been involved in, has constantly gone bankrupt and has only finally succeeded because he has sold his soul and his country to a foreign power just so he thinks he is a winner. He is the kind of role model you would point to if you wanted your child to grow up to be the kind of person who would slither through the filthiest mud and literal shit and sell out his own nation to make himself feel better and to gain more power. He's the kind of role model you would point to if you wanted your child to go down in history to make Benedict Arnold seem by comparison as Abraham Lincoln.
An overachiever that beat the Clinton machine while spending a fraction of the cost. Kids can see how an underdog can achieve their goals with hard work, determination and wise decisions. A man who isn't afraid to take on the deep state head on with no fear. He represents everything liberals hate. He isn't perfect but there certainly is a lot to admire.
The "Deep State" is a right wing paranoid fantasy. Nothing more. Just a mental illness of the alt-right. Brought to you by Breitbart, FOX and Alex Jones.
You are seriously bringing up mental illness with conservatives? Really? I didn't think you would go there.
Why wouldn't Randy go there. The RW is loaded with crazies. From Alex Jones to the Evangelical nuts like Bryan Fischer.
The RW holds all the cards when it comes to crazies.
An overachiever that beat the Clinton machine while spending a fraction of the cost.
Trump is an incompetent buffoon, completely unsuited for the Presidency.
A fool who, despite getting 5 billion dollars of free media and the illegal help of a hostile foreign government, managed to badly lose the popular vote, getting soundly rejected by the majority of American voters.
Did The Media Help Donald Trump Win? $5 Billion In Free Advertising Given To President-Elect
Two weeks out from the election, Trump had spent $74 million on advertising, about a third of that spent by Clinton and less than half what Republican Mitt Romney had committed at the same time in the 2012 election cycle when he lost to then-incumbent Barack Obama. But Trump has been anything but absent from television screens in the 17 months since he announced his presidential bid.
According to data-driven analytics firm mediaQuant, Trump received around $5 billion in free media coverage, more than twice that garnered by Clinton . From detailing his constant stream of headline-grabbing comments to regularly accepting phone-in interviews, Trump has been a virtual ever-present on cable news media for the past year and a half.
Kids can see how an underdog can achieve their goals with hard work, determination and wise decisions.
That he is President today just teaches kids that "Good things often happen to Bad people " or perhaps, (because of the damage he could do in the next 3.5 years), the lesson our kids will learn is how "Bad things often happen to Good people".
American kids will just have to decide in 2020 which lesson a Trump presidency has taught them.
American kids will just have to decide in 2020 which lesson a Trump presidency has taught them.
IMHO he won't be on the ticket. He will be impeached and pardoned by Pence...or Ryan, by then.
He will be impeached and pardoned by Pence...or Ryan, by then
From your lips to Forseti's ears Randy.
Though Pence, (as President), would likely pursue his dream of an American, Christian based, theocracy while Ryan, (as President), would be hell bent on inflecting his dystopian vision of America based on the babblings of Ayn Rand but the truth is both of those men would be a step up from our current "moron in chief".
America has dealt with theocratics like Pence and fools with unsound dogma's like Ryan in the past and we can do so again but Trump?
Trump's starting to look like a real blight on our country.
Make no mistake, I hate most of what Pence stands or. However he would be easier to foil as at least he is sane and therefore predictable and would move in standard political manners.
Trump, on the other hand, is a puppet of Vladimir Putin and besides that is insane. I am a person with an acknowledged mental illness who hates the idea of the stereotype or stigma being propagated or exaggerated concerning mental illness. That said I have in my travels in and out of the mental health systems, including forced "incarceration" for my own good on a couple of occasions, have seen "Trump's" before and I have also worked as a counselor at a psychiatric ER and was an EMT on a rescue squad for two years and know him well. I do not have to have a degree having spent time being a person who has helped treat and control people like him and then later being treated alongside of those such as him to know that he has an extreme narcissistic personality disorder, combined with with a deep antisocial personality disorder.
To him the entire world revolves around him and what pleases him and other people, even his immediate family, exist only to give him pleasure and are completely disposable. He is simply incapable of empathetic thought or caring for any one or thing other then himself. This also applies to the United States of America and the American people. He simply could not care less about us all.
Actually an underachiever considering the huge start and phony education his father paid for who, what little success he had, was bought for him by his father in his earlier years and then in his later years by Russian Oligarchs when American banks would no longer finance his failures and repeated bankruptcies. In fact if you read the book that was written for him (I mean come on, no one thinks he wrote it! LOL) "The Art of the Deal" all of the ventures he talks about in it failed. Consider, when was the last time you sat at a restaurant in a Trump Casino in NJ, eating a Trump steak, while sipping Trump vodka and at the same time admiring the fact that you achieved it all because you graduated from Trump University? Everything he touches turns to a pillar of salt and only when salt prices are low and he is up to his neck in debt to Russia.
Whether or not Trump is a role model isn't the question we should be asking. The real question is what type of role model are those who chose this guy. How fucked up does a person have to be to choose Trump. If a person would choose a lying sexual assailant bigot misogynist racist bully and praise him what does that say about them........
That they themselves are either a lying sexual assailant bigoted misogynist racist bully or aspire to be but just don't have the guts or just have not drunk enough booze to have lowered their inhibitions to do so. Or are themselves gutless cowards.
I tend to lean toward the gutless cowards myself.
Ooh, feel the hate. It feels so good. The hate and vitriol from the left toward Trump and his voters as well as those supporting his policies now is a badge of honor. We welcome and relish it. Feel the rage, express the hate and realize that you lost we won and there's nothing you all can do about it as we repeal the obama agenda and reshape the courts. Read this and weep!
''Ooh, feel the hate. It feels so good. The hate and vitriol from the left toward Trump and his voters as well as those supporting his policies now is a badge of honor.''
Wow, that's a pretty sick comment. What I see is a lot of ignorant babbling coming for the RW....Praise the Lord.
The response of the progressive left to their surprise defeat at the hands of Trump has been sad, pathetic, demented, and showing signs of mental illness. The actions in the streets, on campus, and the attacks on others, property damage, demands for safe spaces, warrant nothing but derision, contempt, ridicule, cyber mocking, and laughter. Want respect, grow up, admit that Trump is our President, and work together to make America great again.
Isn't what your saying that dems are saying about Trump the same thing that the republs said about Obama.
You can't give respect if you don't respect yourself XX....Deal with that first.
BTW, please show me where I've ever said that Trump is not the president?
Let's get another thing straight. I don't hate Trump or RW... Hate requires energy and I don't waste energy on anyone or anything that are babbling on with no real idea of reality.
I think they definitely have some issue whether it's low self esteem themselves like the President or whether they hold one of the character flaws I mentioned as does the President. They disguise it or hide behind it through the MAGA slogan.
I enjoy watching how they try to reason away and make attempts to distance themselves from Trump's character flaws by saying how they don't approve of this or that, they don't agree with him on this or that..... but then they follow it up with "But he's getting things done". It's sad that they think they are different then the President when the only difference is that he's been successful conning so many whereas they are still losers who got conned.
They just haven't bought into the liberal medias lies. If he's a sexual predator why hasn't he been charged and convicted? The reason is it's all bullshit.
They could easily see he was the better choice over Hillary and a continuation of Obamas harmful socialist agenda. His budget proposal is a huge improvement over what Obama was sending to congress. He is still working to free us from Obamas theft and redistribution Obamacare failure. His tax plan is a huge improvement over our current tax structure. He's delt a smashing blow to the PC crowd that have been stripping us of the freedom to call a spade a spade. There is a lot to support if you just open your eyes.
attempts to distance themselves from Trump's character flaws by saying how they don't approve of this or that, they don't agree with him on this or that..... but then they follow it up with "But he's getting things done".
Also - your method of determining whether a person is guilty or not is purely selective. I'm not interested in getting your perspective anymore. I've come to realize that most right leaning members on this site are disingenuous at best.
Dean, you've always been free to call a ''spade a spade''....All it takes is a bushel full or ignorance.
Dean,
I think it's astounding that the same people who supported a lying sack of shit like Hillary Clinton can wonder if Donald Trump is a role model for our children. If you can dive deep enough into a dark cloud to find Hillary's silver lining, then you can easily do the same thing with Trump. But if you have to do a deep dive to see virtue, then that person is obviously not a role model. The days of the president being a role model are long gone and will not return until honesty becomes a basic requirement for high office.
The days of the president being a role model are long gone and will not return until honesty becomes a basic requirement for high office.
I agree. The days in which we can look to the President to try and represent all of the people has been destroyed thanks to this President and those who voted for him. We now have to contend with our children being raised by those without moral since they aren't capable of holding this President to an ounce of ethical or moral behavior. These people have no moral compass themselves and neither will their children. The country is thoroughly fucked.
Thanks for the deflection to Hilary Clinton who is NOT the President. This comparison is old and not relevant but as I said in my earlier post - apparently this is all the Trump supporters have left - excuses without merit or facts.
By electing Trump we kept the real immoral sexual predator Bill from slipping his greasy butt back into the White House and the public eye.
Who elected him? The vast majority of people who voted, by some 9 or 10 million, voted for someone else?
Dean - Your comment is exactly why I said that it's pointless to try and have an intelligent conversation with Trump supporters. You are incapable of looking at the current situation but rather justifying your support through speculation and deflection. Never discussing the "real" situation. Trump supporters are why this country is fucked. Never admitting that the President may be wrong. Incapable of looking at each situation but digging in your heels because like the President you view it as a personal affront if you admit a situation could have been handled better. You say fuck you to me so I say fuck you right back.
"You say fuck you to me so I say fuck you right back."
Progressive version of debate.
The irony of your typical four word response is stunnning.
I think you're just easily stunned.
You say fuck you to me so I say fuck you right back.
Exactly.
Progressive version of debate.
Only progressives? I think that is pretty true of anyone.
PJ, Perrie banned the use of F--- Y-- directed by a member at another member. Flagged.
I always knew you were one of those kids who tattled on other kids. I bet you had a ton of friends growing up.
I never squealed growing up. Here though dealing with you liberal progressives, it's a whole different environment.
It is a whole different environment for you XX...It's called the real world where members have a brain, are not lemmings that seed article after article full hate for anyone different than themselves.
There must be a lot of self hate with the RW.
Sad, but true.
So what exactly is this seed but a hate screed against Trump and conservatives? You liberals convinced that your hate is reason and our reason is hate are sad.
I don't have to convince myself of the hate you have for anyone that doesn't think like you do XX...You show it everyday in most all of your seeds and comments.
Guess you'll have to live with it.
I live and let live. I simply find all the anti Trump rants going on in this country as well as the resist movement to be idiotic, childish, immature, and that many in the resistance have mental issues from the DNC chairman to the Alexandria shooter. Trump was elected. Hillary wasn't and the mature adults will move on and work on the issues affecting our exceptional country.
Trump was elected because enough citizens let themselves be swayed by fake news, enough to turn their relative distaste for Hillary into full on irrational hatred. They will eventually see the carnage they contributed to.
Keep in mind the Republican Party is in it's strongest position at all levels of government since the nineteen twenties. This would indicate there has been a shift from the left to the right that extends well beyond the office of president. Don't underestimate the other factors that contributed to his election. Most people are not one issue voters.
Puh-lease, as much as I see you squealing on this site, you put rats to shame. You and your brethren here can have fun circle jerking each other off. It's really rather pathetic.
You and your brethren here can have fun circle jerking each other off.
If you want to offer them a hand, then say so.
Ewwwww! hahahahahaha
I'll pass......I don't think any of'em are kosher.
Are you going somewhere?
We can dream...
Cerenkov - I'd be happy to go if that's what everyone wants. I know you've expressed that a number of times already. so may I'll think on it..........
Fuck that. I have a better idea - stay and contribute twice as much. You're a good member, and you add unique perspectives, Pj.
If nothing else, these seeds provide a great window into the worldview of the left wing extremists here on NT. I'ts always amusing to watch members act in complete contradiction to what they preached just a day or so ago. Only on Newstalkers can you claim partisan posts are ruining the site one day and turn around and claim seeds premised on the claim that "Republicans are destroying America" is just civil, honest discussion.
And the veterans who claim that attacks on Democrats are attacks on veterans are mighty quiet when the seeder claims that Republicans (which would include Republicans who bled for this country) are destroying America. But that silence didn't surprise anyone, it was easily predictable.
The left's replies are nothing put personal invective, imaginary facts supporting bizarre conspiracy theories, straw men arguments and hypocrisy demonstrating a staggering lack of self awareness.
It's truly depressing how detached some of the people here are from reality, and their bizarre, hate filled extremist vision demonstrates that no matter how bizarrely Trump acts, the country is better off with him in the Presidency than anyone sharing the ignorant, destructive worldview championed by the hypocritical lunatics who fill with this form with their fantastic conspiracies.
Sean, you hit the nail on the head exactly right. Your post nails our progressive leftists and those who claim to be moderate but side with liberals every single time there is a right/left dispute. What you direct at our liberal members here is so
. 
It's truly depressing how detached some of the people here are from reality,
That's for sure. You and your ilk are trying to foist this abomination of a president and an administration off on the rest of us as a normal , commendable man who just want to make America great again and those treasonous liberals are being petty and obstructive.
Unfortunately some of us know what Trump is , a vain, deceitful, paranoid, blowhard whose idea of "winning" is whatever makes him look good and his enemies look bad. He is COMPLETELY unqualified to be president of the United States and he will never be accepted.
Time for the deplorables to go to hell too, if they are going to keep trying to normalize this travesty.
Now you know how we felt when we had to fight Obama and the leftists for the last eight years. I'm sure you won't be nearly as upset if a rodeo clown wears a Trump mask now that the tables have turned.
Donald Trump is not qualified to be president of the United States , and proves it every single day. His supporters are the political version of this
they can't handle the obvious truth and so pretend not to hear it
it's not going away.
Liberals with their fingers in their ears lecturing conservatives about doing the same thing. That's funny.
We are going to normalize Trump no matter what, come what may. He is President and we will simply laugh at and mock all who try to deny the reality that deplorables elected him and are proud they did. Given the choice of standing with him or his deranged opposition, I'll stand for and with Trump.
Nice of you to confirm that Trump isn't normal......You have a lot of difficult work ahead of you.
Carry on XX.
He doesn't need validation from liberals whose failed ideology was rejected by the states. He has been normalized by the electorate.
XX seems to think so Cerenkov....
He felt the Christian need to reach out to the violent liberals. I don't feel any such compunction after hearing the calls to violence from our liberal members.
Are you doing XX thinking for him Cerenkov? Shouldn't he answer for himself?
Ah, the old fall back about liberals calling for violence, all the while avoiding the violence and killings by the far right.
This whole thing is like a bad Saturday Night Live skit.
We are going to normalize Trump no matter what, come what may.
Absolutely hilarious.
Exactly. His winning the election normalized him.
''We are going to normalize Trump no matter what, come what may.''
You seem to be confused about it XX...Better regroup and make a decision one way or the other.
The only person who could ever "Normalize" Trump is Trump and that ain't happening. Once upon a time (a few weeks ago) it was probably possible for Americans in general to "Normalize" him, however he is way too far gone for that. I believe it was George Will who recently wrote that all Americans of all political persuasions need to contact their Representatives and strongly urge them to "Quarantine" Trump as much as is possible, especially when it comes to Foreign Policy being as he has shown a complete lack of ability to think.
Sounds just like XX seeds Sean...
You make the claim that the dems are bias yet your unable to see you own bias...
''And the veterans who claim that attacks on Democrats are attacks on veterans are mighty quiet when the seeder claims that Republicans (which would include Republicans who bled for this country) are destroying America. But that silence didn't surprise anyone, it was easily predictable.''
What's predictable is your inability to understand comments. If you feel that I don't respect republicans that bled for this country your full of it. Perhaps if you served you would understand it, but being a keyboard warrior leaves you out in the cold.
Without people like me on the home front building the tanks, planes and ships your military would be useless. Just as Henry Ford did more good as a supplier I'm in the same boat as him.
I'm sure you are in that boat with old Henry Ford, Dean. Without a doubt Dean, without a doubt.
You're aware that old Henry was a flaming anti-semite aren't you Dean...Probably not the best role model..
I'm sure you are in that boat with old Henry Ford, Dean. Without a doubt Dean, without a doubt.
I agree. I have no doubt that he and Henry Ford have almost exactly the same feelings about everything.
pointless
. . . Thanks for the deflection to Hilary Clinton who is NOT the President. This comparison is old and not relevant but as I said in my earlier post - apparently this is all the Trump supporters have left - excuses without merit or facts.
The comparison may be old but it continues to be relevant as a means of helping it sink into thick liberal skulls that many people find their values as repugnant as liberals find theirs. Donald Trump is president, in large part, because liberals were too thick headed to see that lots of people find Hillary worse than Trump. If you want a better president, then nominate a better fucking candidate. If liberals are waiting for conservatives to wake up and see how stupid they are, then they need to realize that conservatives are waiting for liberals to do the same damn thing.
pointless
To them Trump is GOD!
A Russian god, right? Lol.
Such a role model.
One crying baby in the room is enough....
The baby should go to a liberal rally and join a chorus of cry babies.
At least the baby would be raised with morals rather than turning into what Trump supporters have become.
Or What Trump himself has become. A scared spoiled little boy in a man's suit.
At least the baby would be raised with morals rather than turning into what Trump supporters have become.
If being raised as a gender confused spoiled brat reflects morals, then the baby will be liberal perfection.
lol - Not every liberal is gay 1ofmany. BTW your homophobia is shining through as usual. There is no doubt in my mind that you picked the right team to be on - Team Trump. (pj - shaking her head)
lol - Not every liberal is gay 1ofmany.
But most liberals believe that gender confusion is normal and then think their insanity makes them more moral.
BTW your homophobia is shining through as usual.
The term "homophobe" is a slur that homos use to imply that disagreeing with their insanity is, itself, a disorder. In my case, it doesn't need to shine through because I proudly wave my disagreement as a banner.
There is no doubt in my mind that you picked the right team to be on - Team Trump. (pj - shaking her head).
I'm not on a team. I think for myself.
I'm not on a team. I think for myself.
You're on a team - just be a man and admit it.
What's this "just be a man"? Is that another slur?
I'm not on a team. I think for myself.
You're on a team - just be a man and admit it.
Leave what I think to me and worry about sorting your own thoughts.
I'm sorting my thoughts on here. If you don't want me to consider your thoughts then don't post them! Walked right into that one old man. hahahahaha
I'm sorting my thoughts on here. If you don't want me to consider your thoughts then don't post them! Walked right into that one old man. hahahahaha
I assume that you can tell the difference between commenting on opinions and telling other people what to think . . . or maybe not.
Don't be mad. :0( We're just mentally sparring. If you need a rest just let me know.
I am resting. Let me know when you're ready.
I am the Mother of two grown sons. Even being totally active in politics, I have NEVER used a politician as a role model. Their role models were their Dad, grandfathers and other gentlemen who entered their lives while growing up.
In days past it was said "you can grow up to be POTUS". That doesn't seem to be the way It is these days.
The "on the street" world is Donald Trump. I do not condone his behavior at all. I am, indeed, a conservative person and still believe in ladies and gentlemen. Honesty, integrity and ethics are not just three words as they sum up a person's worth.
There are only two politicians who I would even consider being role models. They are Senator Dole and VP Joe Biden.
Great role models!
I totally agree Magnollaave!
Anyone who thinks the president has not historically been a role model is kidding themselves.
Of course this has been eroding for years , but Trump puts a thousand nails in the coffin.
Lol. Like Bill teaching kids about a new use for cigars?
It's kind of funny watching liberals, who literally insist that "bust the doors off the asylum" abnormality is normal, turn around and complain that Trump is unacceptably abnormal just because he's a lout. If Hillary had announced that she was chopping off her breasts, growing a beard, and renaming herself Bill Too/Two, the same people would applaud her/his/its courage to stand up to lead this country as a complete fucking mess.
People had a choice between a loutish buffoon and a lying liberal loon and they picked the lout. Trump is already working on his reelection. And liberals are hard at work trying to make sure he succeeds by saying the same stupid things that helped elect him in the first place.