I think it’s pretty much over.
It’s time for people like me to accept it. I’ve worked for every Republican candidate on election day since Reagan. This will be my toughest challenge as I would never believed I would vote for someone as vulgar as Trump, but if it’s him or Hillary, I have to try to swallow my standards and get to work.
On the other hand, Trump has some advantages. The last Republican convention was a disaster. Chris Christie’s keynote address was the worst I had ever heard and then there was Clint Eastwood. I’m hoping Trump will put on a show that no other Republican is capable of.
Trump also has an amazing ability to brand things successfully. You ever watching tv and you notice yourself humming a song from a commercial a half hour earlier? Trump has that amazing ability. Listen to his supporters and they will repeat his slogans over and over. That’s an amazing talent and I can’t think of any other candidate who’s had that same ability.
Of course he has a long list of weaknesses too, but the time for that is past. It’s time to hope for the best.
Unfortunately Trump comes across as vulgar to a lot of people. I hope that Trump is able to turn that perception around as we move into the general campaign as right now he's leaving a lot of Independents and Reagan-Democrat votes on the table.
Having been a Trump supporter since the summer I've gotten to know quite a bit about the man and I think that in real life, he's a very competent and driven individual who sets high standards for himself and others.
Early in my career, I had a manager who was very similar to Trump. He dressed like a million dollars, held his people to high standards and would never let anybody rest on their laurels. In fact, he was rougher on his high achievers than those who were mediocre. For the latter, he treated them with such indifference and contempt that they either got the message and moved on or they decided to up their game. He would ridicule publicly others who he felt were slackers or not achieving to their potential. In today's environment, his management style would probably not cut mustard with our HR department.
I hated working for that man at first! Nothing was ever good enough. And I worked hard and gave it my all. I got really pushed out of my comfort zone and as a result, I started realizing that I was capable of much more than I had been contributing. As I began to work closer with this man, I realized that he was actually a very personable guy who truly wanted his people to be successful. But he realized that most people needed a push to realize their full potential and that being a "nice guy" wasn't going to get it done.
Eventually I worked myself into his "circle of acceptance" and as a result was given even more challenging assignments and pushed even harder. Today I am at the VP level and run technical operations for the entire New York market - the largest market in my company. I do not believe I would be where I am today if not for having been "mentored" by that rather demanding and "vulgar" man!
For all his warts, Trump might be the medicine we need.