The King is dead; long live the outsider candidate

To The Daily Sun,

In 50 years, we’ll look back and see Donald Trump’s 2016 victory as one of the best things that has happened in this country. In this landmark election, Trump became the first Constitutionally qualified president of the United States, which could be be a game-changer for our struggling democracy if we make a habit of electing Constitutionally-qualified candidates. (I use the term “Constitutionally-qualified” to mean the candidate qualified to run for president according to Article II, §1, clause 5 in the Constitution: a natural-born citizen with 35 years’ life experience,14 of which living in the States).

The Founding Fathers fought the American Revolution so that America wouldn’t have a king, then wrote Article II of the Constitution to make sure we never do. We have not been obeying Article II, §1, clause 5. Instead, we’ve let the media narrative and party line talk us into an unwritten rule that president needs to be a previously elected, high-level government official, preferably senator or governor, or a war hero (who, typically, will finish their term before turning 70. We’ve elected just 5 presidents over age 65). Where today no military officers are household names, that leaves only former — and serving governors and senators meeting the imposed-criteria to run against Trump.

Meanwhile the Constitutionally-qualified field is 70 million, Andrew Yang among them. Most of these superiorly qualified 88 are, at the same time, unreliable public servants, because so rarely do elite politicians get to where they are without help from wealthy donors; and the public have no way of knowing where their loyalties lie.

In today’s broken system, only the rich or well-connected can make a run for president. They call on their rich friends to get things rolling, but what’s different to each candidate is how their connections to the rich originated.

Career politicians formed connections through fundraising in previous runs for office, whereas Andrew Yang made connections working in law, business and tech. Politicians raise money from wealthy elites keen on putting that person in power, whereas entrepreneurs raise venture capital from angel investors keen on that person’s idea. Venture capitalists expect their investment to make money, and the entrepreneur aims to please. It’s less clear if campaign donors expect some kind of payout, or doing it for the common good. It’s less clear the politicians’ priorities of whom to serve.

Look at it this way: The more races the politician has run, the more times he’s fundraised on behalf of himself ascending to power. The more fundraisers he’s held, the more relationships he’s made with people invested in his ascension to power. The longer he’s held office, the more longstanding are those relationships and (likely) the more loyalty is owed. This makes me wary of giving this person power. I think someone without the strings attached will do a better job in public service, someone like Andrew Yang.

It was never intended that the President be an elite anointed by elites. Trump killed this trend. The King is dead, long live the outsider.

Portia Wright

Gilford