OMG! Just when I thought American politics couldn’t get ruder or cruder. After losing the first debate, The Donald gets worse instead of learning from the experience and trying to recover and improve for the second debate. Instead, he insults women and most men with women in their lives – especially those with daughters. What is wrong with this man? He claims he wants to be President of the United States yet he spends between 3 and 5:30 in the morning tweeting about a former Miss Universe and a sex tape and encouraging people to watch pornography.  

Several friends of mine who are hard-core Republican women got together this week and moaned loudly. “After his performance last night, there is no way I can vote for him,” several said. Of course, the problem is that they haven’t figured out how they will vote. A few have decided on voting for Hillary just because a vote for anyone except Hillary equals a vote for Trump, but they will do so holding their noses. Others will not vote for President and will vote the rest of the ticket in their state.

It is a conundrum for a great deal of rational people. Many feel the US has been gradually going down hill. Many families have been hurt by trade policies, constant wars, lost jobs. There is a huge hunger for change and new leadership. Those of us who are steeped in foreign policy feel that the current Administration has failed on many fronts. Unfortunately, however, the Republicans have come up with a lousy option for this country. A bigot and spoiled brat who denigrates women and doesn’t seem to even understand that if he had just kept his mouth shut, he could be President.

I had become immune to Trump after the Republican Convention. I expected him to do stupid things after his inability to realize and apologize for his mistake of attacking Mrs. Khan. But to triple down on criticizing a former Miss Universe for gaining weight in a time when we have realized how damaging promoting the image of emaciated women can be to our friends and daughters just blew my mind. How can his daughter who is successful and seemingly a very modern, competent woman tolerate this attitude in her father? How does he not see how he demeans his wife and daughters by his attitudes toward women?

I guess if Trump becomes President, he will only hire Barbie Dolls and not care about competence, intelligence, or thoughtfulness. Or perhaps he just won’t hire or work with women, Hispanics, or Muslims? And he’ll lie in his bed in the White House tweeting about how wonderful Putin is and how terrible a former Miss Universe is – which, by the way, will make it even easier for the Russians to hack into the Presidential communications.

And, for those of you who do not know me, I am a registered Republican who spent years of my life in Republican foreign policy. I am mortified by the Republican candidate. The only thing that makes me feel slightly hopeful about the future is that although he won the nomination, he only got 35 percent of the primary votes because other egos had to run and split the sane vote amongst the party. I know, I am digging for a grain of hope for the future of a two party system which is what has kept a balance in this country for years.