This week Donald Trump is set to become the nominee of the Republican Party for the presidency of the United States of America. I grew up in Arizona, a historically Republican state, where I was influenced by many intelligent, insightful, and passionate conservative thinkers. I grew up watching both political conventions. And while I did not always see eye to eye with the brilliant conservative minds surrounding me, I am thankful for them. I’m thankful because they have made it easy for me to make a very important distinction today: Donald Trump is not one of them. He is a con man. A charlatan. A snake oil salesman. If all the world is indeed our stage, then it is important to remember that we have seen this “Trump” character many times before. He is the egoist manipulator - the opportunist who’s political “policy" will sway from one side of an issue to the other to always align with the fears of the disenfranchised and overwhelmed. He is the strongman anti-intellectual - the nativist who has learned to exploit the nostalgia and xenophobia made famous by the fascist playbook. He is the tycoon buffoon - the conspiracy theorist with cash who innately understands how to market a narrative but not how to govern a people.
Trump’s rise to political relevance can be directly tied to his incendiary tribalist remarks. As the American born son of an immigrant and a refugee (both from Iran), I fear the impact and consequences of his rhetoric on both a global and personal scale. As a citizen and a patriot, I mourn the state of an educational system which has failed to provide our citizenry the tools to identify and disarm such rhetoric. Which has failed to ingrain in people’s minds that America was founded and flourished as a land of refuge from such totalitarian thinking. Which has failed to teach that leaders and empires who willingly adapt such a thinking fall soon after. The very foundation of democracy begins to crack when education is not a priority, when voters are uninformed.
America has a proven track record of thriving when we’ve embraced our natural disposition as a beacon of inclusion. When we have allowed thinkers and creators who are persecuted in their own lands to come and think and create in ours. Due to their political and religious affiliations, it is very unlikely that my parents would have met, married, or had children in the country in which they were born. But in America, they were given the freedom to do so, even as the Iranian hostage crisis played out on the international stage. They were allowed to befriend and engage their Arizona community, build businesses, and to raise two children who have moved to New York City and Los Angeles to influence their chosen industries in meaningful ways. In that sense, my very existence is as much an American innovation as Google, AT&T, and eBay (all founded by immigrants) are. Perhaps most important is the fact that my existence is not unique. Second generation immigrants have been woven tightly and seamlessly into the fabric of a 21st century America. In 2008, Pew research reported that 24% of all children born in America that year were born to immigrant parents. Census data finds that we are more educated and have greater economic impact than our parents. That we watch Donald Trump's “introduction" of Mike Pence and their first joint interview on 60 Minutes and think to ourselves “No, this can’t be a real. This can’t be a real person that really wants to lead the free world”. Okay maybe that last one was just me - but I felt it was worth mentioning because anyone who is thinking of voting for Trump/Pence in the spirit of party unity must watch that footage in its entirety and behold the "unity" on display.
And so it must be said plainly: conservatives are burdened with a greater responsibility than progressives in this election cycle. But in acknowledging that it is just that, a four year cycle, they also have a larger opportunity than progressives. The opportunity to reject demagoguery and not only uphold their party reputation, but also the American one. The Democrats have proposed a candidate, while certainly far from perfect, who upholds the ideology of their platform and understands the politics of politicking. The Republicans have not. They have proposed a candidate that vilifies political ideology and, more appallingly, dehumanizes his opponents. He has normalized the repulsive - the dangers of which can not be understated. Conservatives, you must reclaim, reorganize, and re-educate your party. You must not let this man make a mockery of your legitimacy. Your values - and your brilliant thinkers - deserve better. He does not have the support of any living President, Republican or Democrat. Nor should he have any of ours.