On 8 March, Michigan voted for Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. Having just written that, I feel like Lewis Carroll who wrote “Alice in Wonderland.” Who could have even imagined this present reality six months ago? Now Donald Trump seems destined for his party’s nomination.

My last two columns have criticized first Hillary Clinton and then Donald Trump. My opinion hasn’t changed — I still think they both merit severe criticism.

Look what has happened since those columns were published.

Clinton has done well in the caucuses and primaries. However, the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s e-mail server became more serious when the Department of Justice recommended that Clinton’s server administrator be offered immunity in return for his testimony.

What does Clinton say about that? She says that she is glad that he will be able to testify in the “security review” of the e-mail. Lewis Caroll aside for the moment, it’s not a security review of her e-mail. It must be a criminal investigation because immunity is not offered unless investigators believe criminal charges will be brought.

The questions now should be when will charges be brought and against whom?

I am amazed that any American would seriously consider casting a vote for her. By her disregard for the security of our classified information entrusted to her care, she is not competent to hold the office of president.

Leaving the case of the stupid and possibly criminal lapses by Hillary Clinton, I go to the case of Donald Trump.

Since I published a column on him, Trump continued to attack his opponents with school yard taunts. Ted Cruz is a “liar.” Marco Rubio is “Little Marco.”

If both Trump and Clinton win their nominations, I shudder to imagine what insults he will hurl at her. Considering the vulgar, disgusting things he said about Mitt Romney and Megyn Kelly, our political culture will sink to unimagined depths.

I won’t write what Donald Trump said about those two, and I’m sure that the paper wouldn’t publish his comments.

I can write that Donald Trump refused to repudiate David Duke and the KKK until sometime after he was asked. Except for hate-filled people, what reasonable person would hesitate to say that he repudiates the KKK?

After his handlers got to him, he tweeted his repudiation. He blamed his failure to immediately condemn the KKK to a bad ear piece. But he repeated what his interviewer said. How gullible does Donald Trump think we are?

Mitt Romney spoke before the Michigan primary. I thought his speech was the most forceful political attack I’ve ever heard. If you can, please view it on YouTube. His speech combined powerful rhetoric with rock-solid logic. Point-by-point, Romney demolished each of Trump’s claims of greatness. Then he exposed the nasty personality and character of Donald Trump. I believed Romney when he described Trump’s weakest flaw — his character. Yet, Trump won Michigan.

Of all a presidential candidate’s traits, character is the most important.

Consider Harry Truman. When he became President upon President Roosevelt’s death in 1945, he wasn’t even aware of the existence of the Manhattan Project to develop an atomic bomb. He was a small-scale politician who happened to be vice president. He had never led anything since WWI.

Nevertheless, Truman made the correct decision time after time. He possessed a sterling character. It served the United States well.

If either Trump or Clinton becomes president, I guess it’s time for me to play crochet with live flamingoes.

 

Michael Waldron is a retired lieutenant colonel, U.S. Army, who was born and raised in Niles. He previously served on the Niles Community School Board of Education. He can be reached at ml.waldron@sbcglobal.net.