Beware of false equivalence. Two imperfect candidates are vying for your vote. One of these candidates will win. They are not equally flawed.
One of these candidates wants to deport 11 million immigrants, declares that he will no longer honor US treaty obligations to NATO allies, encourages his followers to physically assault dissenters at his rallies, expresses enthusiasm for the use of nuclear weapons, boasts about grabbing women by the pussy without their consent, refused to pay hundreds of contractors (i.e. plumbers, dishwashers, waiters, real estate brokers, pollsters) for services rendered, urges the expanded use of torture, has advocated war crimes (killing terrorist’s families), mocked a handicapped reporter, claims that he saw “thousands of thousands” of Muslims celebrating in New Jersey when the World Trade Center was attacked, declares he is “the only one” who can fix America, has avoided paying taxes on more than $916 million in income, launched a scam university that extracted millions of dollars from trusting students, argued that the judge investigating that university is intrinsically biased because of his “Mexican heritage,” has been endorsed by the KKK, was declared “unfit for the presidency” by USA Today, has failed to earn the endorsement of 49 of the nation’s top 50 newspapers (including several newspapers that have always endorsed the Republican nominee), boasts that he knows “more about ISIS than the generals do,” believes that global warming is a hoax “created by and for the Chinese,” launched his campaign by arguing that Mexican immigrants are criminals and rapists, bragged about the size of his penis in a presidential debate, proposed a ban on all Muslims entering the country, urged Russia to hack his opponent’s e-mail messages, argues that the United States should close down mosques, suggests that the United States should seize Iraq’s oil fields and use the profits to cover costs of the war (also a war crime), lies about having supported the Iraq War, has been criticized by ten former nuclear-launch officers who stated that “he should not have his finger on the button,” has been denounced by 50 Republican foreign policy and national security experts who say “he would be the most reckless president in American history,” has been criticized by a group of 370 economists (including Nobel Prize winners) who warn that he is “a dangerous, destructive choice for the country” and has been accused of sexual assault by at least 12 different women.
The other candidate has been criticized for being “extremely careless” with her e-mail.
Aaron Delwiche is a professor of communication.
