A Scary Pledge

 

"I pledge to the greatest president in the history of the United States that loves us so much he can't even breathe. That I will go out with my family, my friends. I'll do it anyway…I don't care if I am registered or not, I am going to cheat like hell like they do. There have never been bigger cheaters,…And if you don’t vote, you go to hell." An excerpt from President Trump’s speech at the Republican Rally/Convention 10 September 2026

               I understand political theater and rallies. They do not intend to inform or educate. Their purpose is to generate enthusiasm among party-faithful, to stoke the fires of partisan fervor in preparation for the upcoming election. Normally the speakers employ extreme rhetoric and hyperbole. This is to be expected and should surprise no one; however, such reckless speech quoted above makes one pause. There are some boundaries that politicians and other leaders should not cross.

               Leaders at all levels must set the highest moral standards. The content of our character matters, and our public utterances go far in revealing our character. Part of leadership is understanding, setting, and as required, enforcing standards of public behavior. When a leader publicly encourages, even as a joke, lying and cheating, we must stop and consider whether that person is fit for the trust required of public office and service. For a sitting president, who continually accuses his political opponents of cheating to encourage his own followers to cheat, even in jest, does nothing to either bring the nation together or to foster a properly functioning political and electoral system.

               While it is in the nature, the DNA, of political parties to separate and organize to gain power, a sitting President serves the entire nation. The President must work to draw our nation together, not increase the national divide. Sending out members of his party with the instructions to “cheat like hell” does not improve the national dialogue. It sows discord and mistrust among fellow citizens. Republican, Democrat, or Independent must work together to solve the problems we face. Accusing the other side of cheating without evidence works against true problem solving. We need leaders who understand that.

               True leaders work to build consensus not tear it down. Leaders understand that there is often more than one acceptable solution to a problem. Leaders also understand that usually we solve problems with some level of compromise. After all, the problems we face are complex and must answer the needs of multiple constituencies. Our nation is large, sprawling and filled with many diverse groups. True solutions, true progress, comes with multifaceted solutions. Continually demonizing “the others,” even in the context of a political rally, serves to make true broad-based solutions much harder to reach. Such language may serve to stir up the audience in a rally; however, it will not lead to the hard work necessary to build consensus and craft executable legislation. And isn’t that the ultimate political goal for our leaders, answers to the problems that so vex us.

               This is why we, as the electorate, need to hold leaders accountable for the words that they utter. When they use language to divide and alienate, we must reject them. We cannot let them sway us with such meaningless pandering. We are better than that. Of course we like to have our prejudices stoked. That does not take any real thought. We want and desperately need leaders that articulate a clear convincing plan for moving forward. Those who cannot, or will not, muster the intellectual courage to provide convincing options for the future require our “no” vote. Let the men and women who show the willingness and ability to work hard for our support and for our nation once elected step forward and seek our approval through the election process.