The District Magazine Volume 1 Issue 1, 2016 | Page 46

missed at their desk or on the loading dock?
Not so possible.
On the Republican side, the man leading all
the polls is an actual billionaire who professes
no end of braggadocio about it and uses it
as his main qualification to lead the county
despite not an hour of experience in elective
office or the military. Millions of Americans flock
to him because he has nothing whatsoever to
lose by saying the most outlandish things that
can be highly entertaining and is a vicarious
release of voters’ powerlessness, anger and
frustration. Because he has “F.U. Money” he’s
insulated from the ramifications of his words
and because even if he loses he’ll still be
Donald Trump why not drop malicious gossip
bombs hither and yon? What can anyone do
to him?
The Wall Street Journal on January 15th
reported on the sale of a penthouse Mr. Trump
owns personally in his Trump Park Avenue
condo building in Manhattan for $21 million
the week prior. He sold another unit recently
for $14 million and he’s got another apartment
on the market for $35 million. Mr. Trump’s
daughter Ivanka in replying to a question
whether Mr. Trump’s increased visibility
because of the presidential campaign has had
any effect on these sales said “the [Trump]
brand has never been stronger.” Nothing
to lose. Meanwhile, more worthy and more
qualified candidates languish at the bottom of
the polls while Mr. Trump entertains himself,
the media and the country.
On the Democratic side, the woman leading
all the polls has earned vast sums of money from
accepting huge speaking and consulting fees
from giant corporations and from enormous
book advances. She and her husband have
pulled in nearly $230 million since 2001.
Talk about profiting from public service.
(http://www.forbes.com/sites/
danalexander/2015/10/13/how-theclintons-made-more-than-230-million-afterleaving-the-white-house/#55ae31f6791e)
Having been Secretary of State bolstered
the Clinton, Inc. brand and now being a top
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candidate hasn’t slowed down the flow of
cash to her and her husband. If she wins the
presidency the money will literally be Mount
Gushmore. Mrs. Clinton because of her wealth,
fame and privilege also is quite insulated from
reality which is why she doesn’t see it as any
kind of problem whatsoever that she had
her own private hackable email server while
working at Foggy Bottom in total violation of
the laws for public officials handling sensitive
and national security matters.
Like Mr. Trump, Mrs. Clinton hasn’t driven
herself to work or to the market in years. They
both have retinues of aides and staffers to fill
their every need and cater to their every whim.
How can either of these two people ever hope
to really understand the needs, thoughts and
hope