Miles: Yes, it’s another article about Trump

It’s not like I enjoy writing about Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump. Yes, he’s an endless source of hilarity. Yes, he’s also a stinging reminder of the fact that the American political process has gone completely insane. Yes, you could write books—and I’m sure many people are—illustrating exactly what is so ludicrous about nearly everything he’s done. However I don’t like writing about him anymore. It’s been over a year since the first Republican debate, and in that time Trump has only gotten worse. On the other hand, many would argue that his opponent, Democratic Presidential Nominee Hillary Clinton, is just as bad. That’s why I’m writing about Trump. Actually, it’s not just about him; it’s about her too.

The general consensus has somehow become that Trump and Clinton are equals. Neither are seen as fit for the presidency by many Americans, and it comes down to a lesser of two evils scenario. This makes some sort of sense, until you actually consider it for more than 10 seconds. This is a completely and utterly false equivalency. It’s absurd. Trump has thrown the entire political process into disarray, completely maligned nearly every single group there is and is tapping into veins of racism, xenophobia and isolationism that have been ignored in this country for decades.

This isn’t to say that I don’t think Clinton should be scrutinized or challenged. The email scandal is worrisome and although she has been repeatedly cleared of wrongdoing with regards to the event in Benghazi, it’s understandable that people are upset. These things are very important, especially for a presidential candidate.

However to compare them to the loudmouthed bombast of Trump is ludicrous. As a liberal, I hardly find Clinton to be an ideal candidate, but at the very least she’ll protect the dignity of the highest office in the United States. Electing Trump is spitting in the face of the global American image.

Consider, for a moment, everything that Trump has said he would do in office: erect a literal wall between the United States and Mexico, repeal the milestones that President Barack Obama has achieved over the last eight years, possibly exit NATO and endorse President Vladimir Putin’s claim to Crimea. These are among the more reasonable policies Trump has endorsed, and any of these alone have the potential to shake American foreign policy to its core, let alone all of them together.

In contrast, Clinton’s policies fall in line with Obama’s—in fact, several of her positions fall to the left of his. Many conservatives warn that electing Clinton will be four more years of Obama, but at this point is that not what we want? Is the alternative—becoming the laughingstock of the modern world—better?

I’m tired of writing about Trump. I’m tired of reading about him and seeing him on the news. I’m tired of seeing Facebook posts about him and arguing about him. I’m tired of all of this, but until we can ensure that a man so antithetical to American values stays out of the White House, I’ll have to grin and bear it. This is important.

Danny Miles is a third-year student who, at this point, is really questioning his interest in politics.