Fareed Zakaria: Trump is a cancer on American democracy
(CNN)CNN’s Fareed Zakaria delivered an impassioned monologue Sunday, in which he underlined why he would not be voting for Donald Trump on November 8.
Zakaria has made no secret in the past of his opposition to the Republican presidential candidate, but he emphasized in an op-ed for The Washington Post and on his show “GPS” that he wanted to explain “one last time why Donald Trump is worth special attention.”
“I am not a highly partisan person. I have views that are left of center, but others that are conservative,” Zakaria said.
“I think well of many Republican politicians, including the last two GOP presidential nominees, John McCain and Mitt Romney, both of whom are honorable men and would have been good presidents.”
“Donald Trump is different,” Zakaria said.
“Not just because he is obnoxious, tacky and vulgar, or that his business dealings show him to be a scam artist. He is different because of what he believes.”
Zakaria insisted that Trump’s views on policy issues, from social security to taxes, were “insincere” and simply “reflections of what he thinks his supporters want to hear.”
Instead, he said, voters should look at his past in order to understand his true beliefs, values and instincts.
Referencing Trump’s years as a property developer and his treatment of “The Central Park Five,” Zakaria condemned what he called Trump’s history of “racism.”
“Trump seems to believe deeply in ethnic stereotypes,” he said.
In addition, Zakaria continued, Trump has “also always been a protectionist.”
“The common thread is that Trump is quick to tell Americans facing economic hardship that they should blame their problems on foreigners,” Zakaria said.
The CNN anchor also criticized Trump’s attitude and behavior toward women.
“He has said and done dozens of things over 30 years that confirm this demeaning view of women — in interviews with Howard Stern, during his ownership of the Miss Universe pageant, when describing working women and when debating female candidates like Carly Fiorina and Hillary Clinton,” he said.
In addition, Zakaria said, Trump has “contempt for many of the foundations of liberal democracy,” from banning Muslims from entering America to threatening to jail his opponent if he is elected.
“Donald Trump is not a normal candidate. He is a cancer on American democracy,” Zakaria concluded.
“And that is why I will vote against him next Tuesday.”
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/06/opinions/fareeds-take-on-trump/index.html