Trump's blares drown out serious GOP contenders

With Hillary Clinton in free fall and Joe Biden poised to gum up the works in the Democratic primary for president, you would think the GOP would be awash in glee over the prospects.

Unfortunately for the Republicans -- and I count myself in the conservative wing of the GOP -- it's all Trump, all the time.

I have never agreed with the Huffington Post on any issue large or small, but their definition of Donald Trump as a "sideshow" is tragically accurate.

Trump is well-versed on the fiery rhetoric that is red meat for the masses.

Everyone is sick of the endless flow of illegal immigrants permanently rupturing the culture of this great nation.

Everyone is sick of the massive debt and the explosive growth of the federal government.

And above all else, everyone is sick of this trend toward absurd political correctness that is beyond the imagination of most average Americans.

But once the catchphrases are uttered, Trump falls far short of specifics.

I truly wish that were not the case.

Lost in the Trump hysteria is the calm, common sense, intelligent voice of Dr. Ben Carson. Lost is Scott Walker's formula for shrinking government. Lost is the brilliant reasoning and massive intellect that is Ted Cruz.

With full apologies to my fellow conservative travelers, I cannot jump onboard the Trump wagon. That could well change when his team -- assuming there is one -- hones his message with more specifics and fewer bombshells.

If Trump believes that building a "big beautiful wall" will solve the issue of immigration, then we're in trouble. If he seeks to dismantle Obamacare and replace it with some hybrid single-payer health system, we're in trouble.

The obvious advantage of the Trump campaign is his success is steering the conversation in the direction of those hot button topics that dominate the coffee shops.

Yet, when you drill down below the surface of the rhetoric, there is a lack of specifics and a limited grasp of the subject matter.

Is this the very best that America deserves?

On today's snapshot, we have a choice between highly damaged goods and blustery sound bites. These are dismal choices especially considering the massive damage inflected by the Obama years.

When the Democrats are seriously considering the choice of a card-carrying socialist in Bernie Sanders and the extreme far left of Elizabeth Warren, it would seem the GOP should be in the driver's seat.

But Trump is an oddity -- a one-trick pony who can fire up a crowd but who would be challenged by an 8th grade civics test.

I will entertain no discussion on a third party. I will retain faith in the American public to make the best choice for this great nation.

At this point however, I so wish our choices were greater.

America today yearns for leadership. Thus far, I have not seen that leader.

Michael Jensen is the publisher of the Sikeston Standard Democrat.