The sight of the brightly colored tents brings smiles to our faces. The smells of peanuts, cotton candy and large animals stir memories from our childhoods. The applause erupts as soon as the crazy clowns tumble into the center ring.

Sure, Americans have always enjoyed a good circus.

But we shouldn’t have to endure one when it comes to choosing the next leader of our great nation.

However, that is exactly what we are getting right now — with GOP candidate Donald Trump playing the role of shameless ringmaster, hypnotizing the most closed-minded of our masses.

The Republicans deserve better. The American people deserve better. Trump’s antics, ongoing for months but really culminating with this week’s call to essentially ban Muslims entirely, continues to be nothing more than a funhouse spectacle that allows the media and nation to take their collective eyes off of the real issues facing our country.

You know, the small stuff like public education, the economy, health care and finding realistic solutions to terrorism that aren’t built on bigotry and persecution.

So far no candidate has offered anything of substance that I feel will make my life better here in southwest Michigan or help us break this cycle of negativity and partisanship. If they have these ideas they have simply been drowned out by all the grandstanding and noise.

Although Trump is certainly intelligent and could have some solid ideas about forcing government to operate more like a business, his public persona is nothing more than a grotesque caricature of a blowhard politician.

He is making America a joke to the rest of the world.

This really isn’t a partisan issue at all and should raise the ire of citizens sitting on either side of the political aisle. Trump is hurting both parties because he is taking the focus away from the other candidates and any legitimate ideas they may have for moving our country forward.

Our current president has certainly made mistakes and many missteps, just as did his predecessor. And the Bush before that and the Clintons  and so on.

No candidate is perfect and both political parties are inherently flawed because of unwavering ideology that blinds members to compromise and common sense.

We have to bring some seriousness to this race before is too late. Trampling the Constitution and destroying the bedrock of a nation founded on religious and ethnic freedom doesn’t constitute a political platform.

Trump and his ego wouldn’t fit into a clown car, but it is time for this circus to leave town.

 

Michael Caldwell is the publisher of Leader Publications LLC. He can be reached at (269) 687-7700 or by email at mike.caldwell@leaderpub.com.