Op-Ed: America wants a dad

This past summer, I spent a great deal of time watching a show called "The West Wing" (1999-2006), and during the last two seasons, there is a presidential election. One of the fictional campaigns' staffers noted that Democrats are seen as the mothers of America and Republicans the fathers, and that citizens tend to vote on whether they want a nice warm hug or a threat to their prom date, health care or security. Donald Trump is an angry father, figuratively and literally. Considering the international dilemmas we are facing, it’s no wonder that people are drawn to a tough, ambitious celebrity. People are scared and looking for someone who will protect us. They’re looking for a stereotypical dad.

Examples of "fatherly" presidents include George W. Bush and Andrew Jackson, both hell-bent on protecting the "ideals of America." During their presidencies, the nation was more aggressive on defense policy and spending. A motherly president can be seen in Barack Obama or Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression; these are presidents whose legacies involve healthcare and job creation. It’s no coincidence that during periods of economic downturn, Democrats are elected, nor is it a coincidence that Republicans are elected during times of conflict. We’re children calling on our moms and dads to help us.

Since 9/11, tensions around the world and in the United States have risen. Once the economy recovered after the recession, the focus switched from healthcare back to security, and the number of elected "dads" increased, splitting those in power into two groups. This polarization envelopes the world in fear; one side tells us to be afraid of one thing while the other tells us to be afraid of another, and so the public is now afraid of everything. This fear is the main cause of polarization and the main cause of Donald Trump.

In the past few decades, immigration has risen on the list of things Americans are afraid of. Questions such as “How many people do we allow in?” and "How can we best respect their cultures?” seem to be becoming increasingly difficult to answer with lingering fears of job competition and terrorist activity. Fear of immigration’s effect on our economy and security has taken over our politics, causing an increasing number of Americans to vote based on issues like security, where Republicans almost always dominate.

Donald Trump’s conservative immigration policies and xenophobic speeches make him a knight in shining armor for those who fear the people immigrating to this country. Many Americans don't want their government to exhaust diplomatic effort with nations they perceive as potential threats, nor do they want to spend the country's resources helping a minority of citizens out of poverty; they want to cut these problems off at the source and they believe that they need a Conservative to do this — a dad if you will. The multitude of Republican candidates in this year’s primary was indicative of this, and the support from a consistent third of the party is indicative of a desire for an aggressive Donald Trump as their commander in chief.

This Republican nominee has interesting policies, many of which do not align with his party’s conservative base, but his campaign’s core planks focus on what the base fears. He’s manipulating the public into going along with whatever he says. If Donald Trump wins this election, it won’t be because of his great politics or because he ran on the message of the people; it will be because Americans were too terrified of what would happen if they didn’t vote for him.