The Trump analogy
Dear editor:
Here’s a make-believe but often real nightmare scenario: You have just received the terrible and terrifying news, “You have cancer.” After biopsying your mass, your surgeon wants to refer you to a medical oncologist (a cancer treatment specialist). Many are available in your area. He then asks you, “Do you want a medical oncologist with a good bedside manner who is barely competent and will probably not successfully treat your cancer? Or do you want one that has little bedside manner but is extremely competent and can put you into remission thereby giving you many good years of life or even cure you?” In reality, there are many who are extremely competent and also have a great bedside manner, but not in this hypothetical analogy.
Who in their right mind would choose bedside manner over competence if given the choice?
Why do I tell this hypothetical story? Because I hope it will answer the question that many liberals keep asking evangelical Christians: “How did you ever vote for Donald Trump and why do you keep supporting him?”
Because we are realists! It would be very idealistic and even wishful thinking to believe we could find an individual who is presidential and additionally has all the skills, ability and knowledge necessary to be a great and effective president. The closest to our ideal may have been Ronald Reagan. Those of us who support DJT see him for who he is as well as for who he is not. We have made peace with that.
As a person, most of us who support President Trump consider his personal style to be at times annoying, crude and bullish. But so what? We didn’t elect him on his ability to look and act presidential. We saw in him a man who had a vision for America that fit our vision. His personal flaws were annoying but he seemed like a man who could get things done; things we liked and wanted for America.
He was unabashedly patriotic, pro-capitalistic, America first, anti-illegal immigration, pro-life and pro-Christianity, unwilling for America to be taken advantage of, willing to take on our enemies and not whimper in their presence and had the willingness to use hard and crafty negotiating tactics to achieve his (America’s) goals.
In the present analogy, he was and is the competent cancer doctor. To us, he is in the process of putting America into a great remission and improving its health.
Now to finish the analogy! Every great medical oncologist needs an equally competent team of other professionals such as surgeons, radiotherapists, oncology nurses, physical therapists, pharmacists and I could go on and on. It’s a team effort.
Likewise, President Trump needs to have an ever-increasing competent group of advisers along with a conservative Supreme Court and also the support of a Congress where fellow Republicans continue to have the majority and see and support his vision. With it, he can continue to “Keep America Great and Make It Even Greater.”
Jack Sternberg, M.D. Retired medical oncologist Hot Springs