Lesser Evil

I spotted this on line.  I couldn't embed the video, but it is pretty revealing.  I'll type out the transcript.

http://www.businessinsider.com/footage-things-donald-trump-claimed-did-not-say-hillary-clinton-2016-6

Hillary Clinton gave a speech in early June in which she quoted Trump.  It seemed a clever way to let Trump's own words reveal him to America.  Obviously people have been listening, but lots of people aren't hearing.

Clinton (in her speech) - He says he has foreign policy experience because he ran the Miss Universe pageant in Russia.

(cut to Trump speaking to interviewer) - I know Russia well.  I had a major event in Russia two or three years ago.  The Miss Universe contest which was a big, big incredible event.

After the speech Trump tweeted - In Crooked Hillary's teleprompter speech yesterday, she made up things that I said or believe but have no basis in fact.  Not Honest! 

Clinton tweeted back - You literally said all those things.

Clinton - He says he doesn't have to listen to our generals or admirals, our ambassadors, or other high officials because he has quote, "A very good brain."

Trump (on Good Morning Joe) - I'm speaking with myself number one because I have a very good brain and I've said a lot of things.

Clinton - He has said that he would order our military to carry out torture and the murder of civilians who are related to suspected terrorists.

Trump - (on Fox "NEWS")  Torture works, OK folks?  You know you have these guys [mocking feminine voice]..."Torture doesn't work."  Believe me.  It works, OK?...  They asked me the question, "What do you think of water boarding?"  Absolutely fine.  But we should go much stronger than water boarding.  That's the way I feel...  When you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families.

Clinton - And he said if he were grading Vladimir Putin as a leader, he'd give him an A.  

Trump - I think in terms of leadership, he's [Putin] getting an A.

Clinton - And he has the gall to say that prisoners of war like John McCain aren't heros.

Trump - He's not a war hero...  [Host - He's a war hero...  five-and-a-half years...]  Trump - He's a war hero 'cause he was captured.  I like people who aren't captured, OK?  I hate to tell you.

Clinton - He also said, "I know more about ISIS than the generals do.  Believe me."

Trump - I know more about ISIS than the generals do, believe me.

Clinton - Or he says he'll stay neutral on Israel's security.

Trump - I don't want to be in a position where I'm saying to you - and the other side now say [sic], "We don't want Trump involve [sic], we don't want."  Let me be sort of a neutral guy.  Let's see what, I'm gonna give it a shot.

Clinton - And he said this about a war between Japan and North Korea, and I quote, "If they do - they do.  Good luck.  Enjoy yourselves, folks."

Trump - And if they fight, you know what, there'll be a terrible thing.  Terrible.  Good luck.  Enjoy yourselves, folks.  If they fight, that would be terrible.  Right?  But if they do, they do.

This is a serious question.  Do you think he really didn't realize he said those things?  Because if he really thought Hillary Clinton was lying on him - then we are in for some serious trouble indeed if he becomes president of the United States.  Perhaps he doesn't realize that everything you say on camera is a permanent record.  You can't unsay something you blurted out on FOX "NEWS", or MSNBC, or CNN.  You can't pretend you can take back something you said on the TODAY Show.  Or maybe he thinks HE CAN.  Sort of the "BECAUSE I SAID SO!" thing.

In David Brooks most recent op-ed for the New York Times he said, Occasionally Trump will attempt a sentence longer than eight words, but no matter what subject he starts the sentence with, by the end he has been pulled over to the subject of himself. Here’s an example from the Mike Pence announcement speech: “So one of the primary reasons I chose Mike was I looked at Indiana, and I won Indiana big.” There’s sort of a gravitational narcissistic pull that takes command whenever he attempts to utter a compound thought...

It’s hard to know exactly what is going on in that brain, but science lends a clue. Psychologists wonder if narcissists are defined by extremely high self-esteem or by extremely low self-esteem that they are trying to mask. The current consensus seems to be that they are marked by unstable self-esteem. Their self-confidence can be both high and fragile, so they perceive ego threat all around...

And one of his most important points...  This is a unique moment in American political history in which the mental stability of one of the major party nominees is the dominating subject of conversation.

I am not surprised that he has his followers, people who will look past his very apparent mental instability and side with him anyway.  What surprises me is the sheer number of followers.  Because he speaks his mind?  Because he isn't politically correct?  Because he speaks for the working stiff?  Because he's not Hillary Clinton?  

None of this really makes sense to me.  He seems to offend almost everyone.  On purpose.  I get that Hillary Clinton is not a great choice.  Despite her experience on the world stage, she has truthiness issues.  She can be caustic.  She landed on the wrong side of the war in Iraq.  There is a long list of ideas I can't agree with and foreign policy blunders on record.  

But she is not mentally unstable.  

Don't you hate it when an election comes and neither candidate seems appropriate?  But this one for me is a no brainer.  I love my country too much.  

This time - it's lesser evil.