At first, I must admit, I enjoyed the rise of Trump.
As a Democrat, I loved seeing him skewer his fellow Republicans and cause chaos in his party. Yes, his behavior was grotesque and absurd, but I could laugh it off because, after all, there was absolutely no way he could actually win. So sit back and enjoy the ride, I thought. It won't last long.
A part of me also respected the fact that Trump spoke his mind. In a world where almost every politician is corrupt and lies through their teeth, Trump's brash honesty felt refreshing. Sure, his words are racist and hateful and divisive, but at least he's telling you what he really believes.
As summer turned to fall, it became increasingly clear that Trump was here to stay. And amazingly, the more outrageous his rhetoric grew, the more popular he became. Mexicans are rapists. John McCain isn't a war hero. Megyn Kelly had blood coming out of her whatever. It didn't matter. Trump was defying political convention, rising higher in the polls with every controversial statement. It was almost too surreal to comprehend, too unbelievable to grasp.
Soon, every interview and campaign rally became must-see TV. You felt compelled to tune in just to see what Trump would say next. It quickly became a game of "how far can he go?"
This week, we may have finally found the answer to that question.
With his proposal to ban all Muslims from entering the country, it's now clear that Trump has gone off the deep end.
All of a sudden, his act is no longer funny. It is shameful, sad and dangerous.
Normally, I cringe at Hitler comparisons. But with the rise of Trump I fully believe we are witnessing a Hitler-like movement take hold in our country.
A highly nationalistic strongman is rising to power by stoking racist hatreds and paranoia. He speaks in apocalyptic terms and promises to restore the country to its past greatness. He uses minorities and immigrants as scapegoats. He vilifies large groups of people based on their religion. This is the playbook of a fascist.
Sadly, we are already starting to see the results of Trump's highly-inflammatory, anti-Muslim rhetoric. In Texas, heavily-armed citizen mobs are stalking mosque-goers. In Philadelphia, pigs heads are being thrown at mosques. And all across the country, Middle-Eastern-looking American citizens are being harassed in schools and on busses.
It's scary to think where this dangerous path will lead.
At first, Trump was just giving the GOP a bad name. But now, with his proposal to ban all Muslims, he is giving us all a bad name, Democrats and Republicans alike. He is tarnishing the image of America. He is making us look like ignorant, bigoted laughingstocks on the world stage.
If a bright side exists, it's that only 10-15% of the population supports Trump. And although he very well could win the nomination, Trump's Hitler-like antics have made him unelectable in a general election.
But between now and November, Democrats can't just continue to sit back and watch the show. We must turn off the TV entirely.
