Why the Swamp Hates Trump

Imagine that you were elected to a federal office several years ago and had a safe seat with all the perks attached, including salary, expense account, and influence with corporate CEOs and other titans of industry. Suppose further that you knew that the future would be prosperous when you left office because the connections you made would make you a fortune as a lobbyist. Moreover, since unseating an incumbent is a herculean task, you felt that you were set for life. In fact, as soon as you got elected, you began raising money and preparing for re-election. Governing and legislating became an afterthought – something you might engage in after your next campaign was carefully planned. Suddenly, a guy runs for office with a lot of ideas about "draining the swamp" and making rules that include a prohibition on lobbying for at least five years after leaving office. As if that's not enough, he criticizes the "establishment" of which you are a significant part. To add insult to injury, this upstart comes from the private sector with no record of elective office, yet he has the audacity to run for the highest office in the land. You, and most of your colleagues, got where you are by starting in local elections, from city councils to mayor to state rep, and on to your currents spots at the national level.

You didn't take him seriously throughout his long and vociferous campaign, often refusing to endorse what he said and what he stood for. When he shocked the world with a strong win against a candidate the polls said would win easily, all you could do was feign approval and acceptance. You didn't dare speak publicly about your disdain for the man who was elected to actually make America great again! Not only did this newcomer speak bluntly, eschewing politically correct tap-dancing around issues, but he spoke forcefully about the venal nature of politics and those who use it for personal aggrandizement. He didn't use lofty rhetoric and eloquent phrases like his predecessor. Instead, he spoke in a language rarely heard in a country weaned on Pied Piper-style oratory. He merely told the truth in plain words that would resonate with the proletariat, the people who made this country the envy of the world. The voters were thrilled to finally have a leader who uses common sense, rather than a wet finger in the air before making decisions. However, those who have been entrenched in their private little fiefdoms in the nation's capital began to wonder how they were going to deal with this brilliant maverick who had captured the imagination of millions of Americans who had given up on government. Democrats hate him with a ferocious intensity that comes from seeing their plans for party dominance collapse under the weight of this new spirit of patriotism. Republicans hate him for beating all their veteran politicians and for proving how ineffective they've been at improving the lives of their constituents. After all, if neither party can win with the customary bromides, spewing from the mouths of the usual suspects, they must have lost touch with the people who once lapped up their verbal vacuity, believing that it was the only pabulum on the shelf. Why would voters reject prominent names like Jeb Bush, Lindsey Graham, John Kasich, et al., political veterans all, in favor of a neophyte? Those questions continue to haunt the inhabitants of that sewer on the Potomac. They don't appreciate being forced out of the darkness, where greedy deals are made and concern for the people gets thrown under the grinding wheels of political expediency. These are not exactly profiles in courage. With rare exceptions, these are people who arrived at the "shining city upon a hill" with the intention of making a career, and if that meant going along to get along, it was fine with them. They weren't about to step out of their comfort zones by addressing controversial topics that might make them unpopular during the next plebiscite. Hence, when an intrepid leader emerges and abandons caution in favor of keeping his campaign promises, he's treated like an anomaly. The fact that he's fighting for the principles voters elected him to fight for is lost on those who got elected with one thought in mind: to feather their own nests. President Trump is reminiscent of the Founding Fathers – the type of statesmen who surmounts incredible odds to build the greatest country in the world. Now, after many years of being led by a man who apologized for our country, we have a leader working indefatigably to make America great again!