Finneran: Finding Character In A Cathouse

Finneran: Finding Character In A Cathouse

The political purity sweepstakes is hard upon us. So now we have unmatched hilarity and astounding hypocrisy in equal and large measures.

The political purity standard imposes the requirement of flawless behavior and flawless judgement in flawed human beings. Unless of course you are Donald Trump where your many flaws in both behavior and judgement are accepted as the necessary price for “strong leadership” and “greatness."

Do you ever wonder why it is, that in a nation of more than three hundred million people, we are so often left with such limited candidates? I suspect that our insistence on an impossible purity deters lots of good and talented people from entering the public arena. Who among us could withstand a microscopic examination of our teenage years? Our high school report cards? Our college transcripts? I don’t know about you but I cringe in thinking about how idiotic I was from about age 15 to about age 25. Most of us are jerks in both behavior and judgement for a considerable period of time. So who would want that stuff dredged up and spread coat-to-coast in tabloid fashion?  Most normal folks would say “thanks, but no thanks” to the idea of running for high office………….

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Consider these ironies---

Donald Trump is a thrice-married self-admitted serial womanizer and cheat who enjoys the vocal support of “evangelicals”! Huh? I know that forgiveness and reconciliation are a big part of Christian or evangelical beliefs but three broken matrimonial vows and publicized bragging about how many women he has “had” seems a bit much.

Trump University—a bust. Trump Mortgage---a bust. Trump Casinos---a bust. Multiple business bankruptcies. Yet to his many supporters he’s an “unbelievably successful” businessman whom we simply must have in the White House! Huh? Wow. Who knew that fleecing one’s customers and creditors and driving businesses into the ground were strong qualifications for the presidency?

Marco Rubio has one big flip-flop in his career. He has moved from the “Gang of Eight” immigration proposal to a very strict border and visa enforcement policy. Ted Cruz has changed his stated position on immigration as well. In addition, Cruz has accepted a large loan from Goldman Sachs. For these isolated and limited sins they are relentlessly skewered as Washington sellouts, as RINOs, as fakers. Apparently no mistakes, none whatsoever, are to be allowed. Yet Trump’s dozens and dozens of flip-flops, contradictions, and embellishments create no similar disdain. Only Trump’s supporters could conclude that Rubio and Cruz are liberal sellouts to the Washington “establishment”. And when President Hillary Clinton makes her multiple Supreme Court appointments perhaps those Trump supporters might wish to consider what a President Cruz or Rubio might have done in her stead……………….

In spite of his many glaring faults, I must give Trump credit for two things.

First, his attacks on political correctness are most welcome. He is neither timid nor passive in puncturing the many myths of the media and political elites. More power to him in that regard. Almost 70 % of the general public thinks that the nation is on the “wrong track”. For such a reasonably astute observation the media will cite racism, xenophobia, and bigotry as rampant American traits. Trump rejects that and simply points to the world’s many tumults as the legacies of our last three Presidents. Such legacies can lead a rational citizen to conclude that “the best and the brightest” of the political class are neither.

Second, Trump’s full-throated roar and defense of the need for any serious nation to control its borders captured the imagination and sentiments of many ordinary and sensible Americans. It is on this issue of a badly broken and horribly politicized immigration system, more than on any other issue, that Americans are justifiably angry. This is where the Marco Rubio death watch began. And it is highly insulting that the privileged and insulated columnists for the New York Times discern a bigotry gene in America’s DNA as the moving force behind pleas for immigration enforcement. Such elite accusatory libels create resentments to which Mr. Trump gives ample voice. People seem to love him for it.

Let’s face facts. We find tarnished folks in every habitation, every household, and every occupation, from the silent and serene halls of monasteries to the raucous bedrooms of brothels. Politics is not immune from such facts. Political purity does not exist and sterling character is not to be found in a cathouse. We get to choose from highly flawed creatures…….it has never been otherwise.

Sanders, Clinton, Carson, Cruz, Kasich, Rubio, or Trump……….none were born in a manger in Bethlehem. Nor were we.

Tom Finneran is the former Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, served as the head the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, and was a longstanding radio voice in Boston radio.