Continue to
believe that rhetoric, promises and arguments elect leaders and keep them in
office and you have the lost the ultimate key to the doors to power. Hit by a ball
on the head it dawned on me Donald Trump’s views have become irrelevant. He has
gained the trust of a significantly large number of the electorate who will
vote for the next President of the United States of America.
On Irish radio
the woman defending Trump said that without his golf club at Doonbeg, Co. Clare,
there’d be no jobs, butcher or other shops nearby. That’s important but not
critical. He has earned her trust. No matter what he has said on anything her
vote is now for him. She doesn’t care what views he expresses -about Muslims,
Mexicans or anyone in the United States of America. It’s not new but her point
struck home.
The hole-in-one
was the realisation that the most important thing is: he has earned her trust. In
her case it may indeed be he has earned it by seriously contributing to the local
economy. Having earned that trust she will leave the best approach on other issues
up to him. If he thinks a wall should be built – in Ireland or on the Mexican
border – then either it should be built or he has his reasons for saying so.
The rhetoric of politicians, commentators, friends, neighbours - even the
hurler on the ditch, become irrelevant once allegiance has been won.
Lose the trust of
the electorate however, or anyone significant and you are on marshy ground.
Gain that trust, however you do, and you have gained significant advantage. Of
course arguments, promises proffered and delivered play their part but
ultimately the voter is deciding on who they can trust.
Once won trust can
be lost. It takes quite a lot to lose but lost it is much harder to win back
than it was to gain in the first instance. Hilary Clinton has ground to win
back. Church leaders might take note. Brexit campaigners, beware. Enda Kenny
and Micheal Martin should be learning that lesson. They lost the trust and allegiance
they’d long had. A new again politics– we’ve had similar in the past - ensuring
Government is kept accountable to the Dail is the result. The Dail must honour
that trust.
False promise will
eventually come home to haunt you. To those of you trusted for the first time
and now elected to office don’t think that you, either, will be forgiven if you
don’t keep your eye on the ball of honouring and keeping whatever trust you’ve
won.
Donald Trump may
be winning now but he has set himself up. He’d better deliver or expect a great
fall from grace. Much more importantly: every time trust is betrayed it becomes
harder to trust again. Trust in politics and democracy itself is at stake.
Already a lot of ground has been lost. Tread with great care.
