Marc Yacht: Donald Trump, comedian or serious candidate?

Donald Trump understands that when running for office any news is good news.  A campaign manager will argue that garnering media attention will improve name recognition and such attention means votes. Voters will rarely remember why a candidate’s name is front-page but will remember the moniker.

No candidate gains more successful press attention than presidential hopeful Donald Trump.

More legitimate candidates such as, Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush and lesser lights like Bernie Sanders, Ted Cruz and the list of other Republican and Democratic wannabes must be awed at Trumps ability to make headlines. Trump is a bigger-than-life personality whose oddball hairstyle and politically incorrect jargon have created his own three-ring circus. The world awaits the next outrageous uttering from the man who gave respectability to, “YOU’RE FIRED.” The guy is a thousand laughs and he knows it. The media and general public lap it up.

One of Trump’s most recent leaps into the absurd pertains to the denigration of Sen. John McCain’s war hero status. The Donald said to a conservative group at the Ames, Iowa, Family Leadership Summit, “He was a war hero because he was captured; I like people who weren’t captured.”

There are many political detractors of John McCain, but that’s is the nature of the beast. But none would ever question his hero status, including his constituents who continue his ongoing elected service. Senator McCain was shot down over Vietnam, seriously injured, and further endured torture. When offered the opportunity to be released, he refused and stayed with his men. This highly decorated war hero deserves respect wherever he goes. He earned it and a lot more.

Democrats were wise to quickly lash out at such impertinent comments. Hillary Clinton, speaking at a Democratic dinner in Little Rock, Ark., called Trump’s assertion “shameful” and described McCain as “a genuine war hero.” Other Democrats chimed in.

Donald talks a lot about his Web pages and Twitter account. Topping the list of outrageous tweets must be the following. “It’s freezing and snowing in New York — We need global warming!”

Any scientist would be outraged at the suggestion that we need global warming.  There are arguments about how it’s occurring, but seeing the advantage of it would not be a major item in the debate. It’s Trump humor at its best.

As the GOP works hard to get the Hispanic vote and show it’s not just about white America, Donald comes up with this: “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re sending people who have lots of problems (which include) drugs and being rapists.”

“I will build a great, great wall on our southern border and I will make Mexico pay for that wall.”

The immigrant issue is a tough one for both parties. Solutions are elusive and a balance must be met that satisfies the law and the need for humane policy.  Donald cuts right through all of that suggesting that Mexico sends us their criminals then takes a nasty swipe at (for the most part) hard-working migrant workers. The GOP can only throw up its arms. Serious efforts to reach out for the Hispanic vote are now set back by Trump’s wildly insensitive remarks.

China represents a conundrum for the U.S. The communist nation has been building its economy and is heavily invested in America. Although its economy has been rocky of late it has been tagged as an economic success story. U.S. conservatives who are hardcore anti-communists push for less reliance on China. They are seen as the enemy. But here’s why Trump likes China.

“I like China. I just sold an apartment for $15 million to someone from China. Am I supposed to dislike them?”

Take that comment literally and one would conclude that this is no guy who should have anything to do with foreign policy. If he could do business with ISIS, their lopping off heads and other terrorist actions would be fine with The Donald.  After all, he made a few bucks selling a condo.That’s off-the-cuff glib Donald.  One has to wonder what kind of thought he would give to issues if president.

Donald would give Jerry Seinfeld a run for his money at the comedy clubs. As a serious presidential candidate, though, the nation would fare better if he keeps his day job.

Marc Yacht M.D. is a retired physician living in Hudson, Fla. This column is courtesy of Context Florida.