Letter: Americans see role of money in politics
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, left, and son, Eric Trump, are seen at a rally in Biloxi, Miss., Jan. 2, 2016. Credit: AP
Donald Trump has built himself up to be a populist folk hero [“Let’s count Trump virtues,” Opinion, March 6]. He’s achieved this, in part, because of his willingness to say things that people have thought but that politically correct culture makes taboo.
In part, Trump’s meteoric rise is a rebuke of the American polity. To me, the most important reason for Trump’s success is that he is an outsider to the system. That goes hand in hand with a rebuke of American politics. But what I find most worthy of attention is Trump’s self-financing.
Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina were also political outsiders, and Sen. Ted Cruz says what’s on his mind. Yet none of them have been able to topple Trump. These candidates were still playing politics.
Trump is truly beholden to no one. So how does the GOP combat this? Unequivocal support for campaign finance reform. It is time for the political elite to realize that Americans are smarter than we were in the last century. We see big money and understand the political game that is being played.
Benjamin Strongin, Levittown
