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Mike Hendricks

Mike at Night

Mike Hendricks recently retires as social science, criminal justice instructor at McCook Community College.

Opinion

Conspiracy theories, Donald Trump and the presidential election

Friday, October 21, 2016

The Omaha World-Herald, in endorsing Hillary Clinton for President last week, said the following:

"The risk of a Donald Trump presidency is simply too great. His alienation of so many groups-women, the disabled, Muslim-Americans, former prisoners of war, the family of a Muslim American soldier killed in action, Mexican nations and Mexican Americans-is too divisive.

"Trump shows a lack of statesmanship that is fundamental to serving in the oval office."

This is the first Democrat Presidential candidate to be endorsed by the paper in 84 years-going back to the World Herald's endorsement of FDR over Herbert Hoover in 1932.

They're joined by over 100 other city newspapers with populations over 20,000 people, including Republican supporting papers in the past like The Desert Sun, The Houston Chronicle, and The Dallas Morning News. Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate, has six endorsements and Donald Trump one; The Santa Barbara News-Press in California.

Of course, Trump supporters pay no attention to this because they agree with their spokesman, Mr. Trump, that the press can't be trusted.

We're experiencing something in this election never before witnessed in Presidential politics and that is a candidate who has adopted a perspective believed by people on the outer fringe of electoral politics and made it mainstream by saying the same things they believe. A recent research team found that Trump subscribes to at least 58 conspiracy theories and they're still counting. Trump supporters obviously dismiss this too because they don't trust researchers.

Many of those theories have been around for a long time, like the government taking everybody's guns during a midnight raid in their black helicopters and instituting nation-wide Martial Law after everyone is disarmed. I heard this theory discussed openly and seriously at the now defunct Overtime Bar and Grill in McCook around Christmas time in 1999 by a table of survivalists. They were told by a person who was obviously their leader that New Year's Eve was the day of reckoning and that they needed to have their weapons cleaned, loaded and accessible so they could defend themselves and their families to the death when the invasion occurred. Of course there was no invasion, people still have their weapons and some of those people are still around continuing to issue failed prophecies about the future of our country.

There are millions of people in this country, including Donald Trump, who believe that President Obama wasn't born in America, that he is a Muslim, and that he wears a secret Muslim ring. These people also don't believe in any of the things that America has consistently relied on since its founding like the media, research, education and scientific evidence because they believe it's all being changed and manipulated to support those in power against those out of power. Some of Trump's beliefs that he's stated publicly include the belief that Obama didn't write his first book, that Supreme Court Justice Scalia was murdered, that Obama either never attended Columbia University or was a terrible student there because he's said both. He has said repeatedly that he watched thousands of Muslims in New Jersey celebrate the terrible events that occurred on September 11, 2001, although no one else apparently saw it and there is no audio or video evidence to support his claim. He has repeatedly said that Syria refugees are pouring into this country with no vetting process when in fact we have the most restrictive vetting process of any country, often taking up to two years before a Syrian refugee is admitted. And he has belittled his political opponents in ways never done before.

On the other hand, Trump was a registered Democrat in the state of New York from April 2001 through September 2009 and invited Bill and Hillary Clinton to his last wedding in 2005 which they attended. So who's he friend or foe to?

But since we live in one of the most Republican states in the country and in one of the most Republican districts in the state where President Obama and Clinton are regularly characterized as evil or even devils, few of you will believe this column any more than you believe anything else written or spoken that is pro-Clinton or anti-Trump.

But to the best of my knowledge, every word written here is true. It's up to you to decide what to do with it.

Comments
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  • Mike, you do have good points. However, I believe there are extremist views from both political parties. I like it that you have data to support some of your points. I have said before that I am not crazy about any of the choices we have this year for president. Both have major flaws. I am disappointed in Gurn's statement about being thankful those in in his/hers political circle dying off. Not very tolerant! Who selects the next few Supreme Court justices is important. Looking at the major cities and the states that have had a history of Democratic mayors or governors would indicate how that party handles the economy. Most are in very sad economic shape...of course there are a few that are not facing bankruptcy and have avoided violence. I agree that looking at the facts is extremely important. God help us in this election as the facts are clear that we have very weak choices this year.

    -- Posted by dennis on Mon, Oct 31, 2016, at 9:16 AM

  • Dennis,

    It seems like your one major argument for voting for Trump is the Supreme Court justices. Yes that is an important reason to vote for him, but is more than cancelled out (for me) with his treatment of women, minorities, and the handicapped. His business dealings like declaring bankruptcy at least 4 times to avoid paying taxes, and his bilking of contractors and suppliers gets him a no vote from me.

    You seem to think that democratic mayors and governors are the only ones that have terrible records handling the economy, guess you have not paid attention to what has happened in our neighbor to the south....the State of Kansas under a REPUBLICAN governor. Trickle down economics and big tax cuts for the wealthy sure did not work in Kansas. Now you want Trump to run the country after not paying taxes for 20 years, will not show his tax returns, (why?), and has declared bankruptcy at least 4 times. Some economists suggest his ideas on paying down the national debt will plunge the country into a depression. Good luck with him, if somehow he manages to win the "rigged" election.

    -- Posted by fit2btied on Thu, Nov 3, 2016, at 1:10 PM

  • The points that you bring up fit2btied are accusations that have been magnified and/or misrepresented by the media. Let's not forget the accusations against Hillary. Murdering American Special Forces in Benghazi, buying off foreign leaders and, of course, the email situation just to name a few. Your claim of the bankruptcy to avoid paying taxes is also a claim that can be disputed. I've been a democrat since I was old enough to vote. I cast my last democratic vote for Obama and his "change" message. The beauty of the USA is that we are each entitled to vote our choice. I'm not going to convince anyone to vote for either party, most minds are made up. Min is, I'm voting to make America great again.

    -- Posted by 82er on Thu, Nov 3, 2016, at 10:25 PM
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