Trump terrifies me.

I think that pretty sums up my feelings on him. I have some pretty liberal friends who seem determined to think of him as a joke, but all I can think is that, if he's supposed to be a joke, it's the least funny one I've ever seen. One of my primary concerns with US political leadership is how they interact with the rest of the world and the way he talks about closing our borders and deporting immigrants gives me nightmares, nevermind any of his other "platforms".

I don't think he can actually win, but the fact that he's been considered an actual candidate for this long just...

Yeah. He terrifies me.

Apparently, he terrifies a lot of foreign governments too. I've been reading about how lobbyists and other people who work for foreign governments in the United States have been getting calls from their clients, demanding to have obscure election maneuvers explained to them--like what exactly a contested convention would even look like.

And apparently the other day when Obama was hosting a group of world leaders to talk about nuclear weapons, a bunch of them asked him about Trump with concern.

It should definitely be giving more people pause, the fact that so much of the world is just as disturbed and and confused by Trump as we are.

✯I don't know anything with certainty,
▮▯

The more I think about this abortion snafu the more absurd it becomes.

I think (who can tell for sure with this guy?) that his views are more that he just doesn't care, rather than pro-life or pro-choice. He seems to change his view point and since he doesn't believe men have any responsibility to be involved in the abortion proceedings this isn't an issue that he sees as effecting himself. It's hard to picture Trump spending much time thinking about an issue that he doesn't see as effecting him in any way.

So maybe he just hasn't spent much time thinking about it and he panicked? Except that, WHY did he not prepare for that question? Did he think it wouldn't be asked? That's stupid.

However, there's a more disturbing possibility. Recently an interviewer asked him if he'd ever been involved with someone who had an abortion. He deferred to answer, saying "Interesting question. So what's your next question?"

Now, any politician worth their salt will tell you that's an answer that's pretty much guaranteed to get follow ups. If he hadn't, why wouldn't he just say no? If he had, who was it? What were the circumstances? Was this person his current wife, the possible future first lady? Don't the American people have a right to blah blah blah. I mean, these are the kinds of questions reporters cannot help but ask. A better politician would have had an answer prepared for that question months ago, or at least days ago when this whole current controversy started.

Even George W. Bush, who was not exactly known for eloquence, understood this basic fact of politics. He had a great line for when reporters asked him about his past drug abuse and drinking habits. He used to say, "When I was young and irresponsible, I was young and irresponsible." Great answer and totally discourages any follow up questions.

So what if, and I shudder at the thought, but what if Trump's sick twisted incomprehensible views on abortion are actually based on real life experience? If the only part of his position on the issue that's stayed the same throughout the years is that it doesn't effect him, was that what he thought in real life too? And THAT--a basic and indefensible inability for someone to even recognize their own responsibilities in one of the most important decisions a person can make in life--is actually something I think the American people have a right to know about.

Yeah, normally I wouldn't be interested in looking at a candidate's personal life so much, but with Trump there isn't really a distinction between the personal and the public.

Which is kinda gross...

Normally I can overlook political differences pretty easily...but I have a hard time understanding why he's so popular. When he talks about how our country needs more discord, more violence...he's just insane.

I had hoped he was kidding, too, but at a certain point, pretending or not, he's become what he's presented himself as. Terrifying.

He seems to frighten a lot of people. According to some polls, a plurality if not a majority of Americans would be frightened if Donald Trump won the presidency. As unpredictable as this election has been, I don't see those kinds of numbers being turned around.

Then again, no one has been right about anything for months now so...who knows? Life is chaos.