The Problem With Trump-esk Type Candidates

February 27, 2016 By Beth Baumann 5 Comments

Donald Trump SNLFor months, I’ve wondered why people are attracted to Donald Trump. Is it his celebrity status? Is it his business savvy? Or is it his pure crassness?

While his fans cite all of these as their reasoning for supporting him, one point has been excluded: most Americans feel doomed and hopeless. They want someone who is a Washington outsider. They want someone to be a beacon of hope.

Sound familiar?

We had that same problem in 2008. People, especially those who are politically apathetic, began flocking to Obama. They were dazzled by his desire for “hope” and “change.” Others wanted to make history by voting for someone who could become the first African American president. Not only did they want to watch history, but they wanted to be a part of it.

Obama gained momentum and followers who blindly supported him without knowing what policies he advocated for.

The same thing is happening on the right side of the aisle. People are flocking to Trump without knowing why. My guess? They like his tell-it-like-it-is attitude and his bold policy idea of building a wall along Mexico and making the Mexican government pay for it.

Americans favor someone who is willing to be bold and present new ideas. Americans want a president who is willing to do everything in his or her power to protect the American public. I can get behind those ideas. The problem I see in a Trump type candidates: the ability to appeal to the “ignorant masses” (a political science coined term), something both Trump and Obama have in common.

Both men made the average American feel as though they have a personal connection with each and every one of their supporters. I met a Trump supporter last month who told me Trump called her “darling,” something that had her grinning from ear-to-ear. The glow in her eye was similar to that of an expecting mother. She had no other care in the world at the moment, other than reminiscing on The Donald swooning her.

When the Trump type of candidate comes along, they smile, wink and they’ve solidified a vote. Look what that got us over the last 8 years.

Conservatives complain about the people who flocked to Obama without knowing what he stood for, yet those same people are doing the exact same thing, but with Trump.

Trump scares me just as much as Obama did in 2008. I believe he is just as likely to pick up his phone and pen when he doesn’t get his way. After all, he can’t fire the other 535 people he’ll have to work with to run this country.

Beth Baumann is a public relations professional in Southern California, a contributor at PolitiChicks and former Communications Assistant at the American Conservation Union, who sponsors CPAC.

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Why conservatives should favor assisted suicide

October 7, 2015 By Beth Baumann 2 Comments
assisted suicideGov. Jerry Brown recently signed the “assisted suicide” law, which came with significant criticism from those on the right. Many say life is sacred, from conception to natural death. What do these conservatives fail to realize? They should be in favor of this legislation.
As conservatives, we’re always talking about how the government needs to step out of our lives. This a prime example of when government intervention is unacceptable. If an adult wishes to end his or her life, they should have the ability to do so. It’s their life and therefore their decision. Isn’t is better for them to consult their family and physician before making that decision?
Because my mom is a chemotherapy nurse, I’ve seen her patients who are struggling to fight cancer. I’ve heard their stories and watched some of them struggle with such a difficult battle. There are a handful of them who get tired of fighting for their lives. They’re constantly in pain and can’t do what they love because they’re going through chemotherapy and radiation. When they’re not undergoing treatment, they’re feeling sick. It’s a continuous, never ending cycle.
Who are we – the healthy – to tell these people that they should continue being miserable because it’s not the end of their natural life?
If a family member were wanting to end their life, I would rather have them go to the doctor and end their life that way. That would prepare me for the real likelihood of losing them. I would rather know beforehand than to find them dead because they overdosed on pain killers or shot themselves in the head.
“Suicide goes against everything God teaches us.”
While this maybe true, remember, every person’s afterlife is determined by God, not us. What happens between a person and God is between them and no one else.
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Hispanics Should Favor Border Security to Protect the American Dream

September 2, 2015 By Beth Baumann 2 Comments

Immigration ObamaLately, there has been a lot of hype about Donald Trump’s comments on illegal immigration. I’ve seen post after post on Facebook from Hispanics saying they’ll do everything in their power to make sure Trump isn’t elected president because of his tough stance on immigration. People who were otherwise uninterested in politics are suddenly becoming engaged.

While I don’t agree with everything Trump says and does, I have to agree with him on this one issue: America’s border with Mexico needs to be secured. Hispanics across the nation should agree with that concept, even if they don’t agree with his reasoning.

Whenever people – Hispanics in particular – talk about illegal immigration, most cite the American Dream as the reason illegal aliens cross the border.

“They want a better life for themselves.”

“They want their kids to have better opportunities.”

“They contribute to our nation.”

“They do the jobs no one else wants to do.”

Those are all common phrases that have been regurgitated beyond recognition. It’s the mantra we’ve been exposed to for generations. It’s as if we’re supposed to agree with this notion because it’s been repeated so many times. Maybe if we keep repeating it, we’ll eventually believe it, we tell ourselves.

Hispanics, however, should want the border to be secure. They should strive to protect America. You can’t achieve the American Dream without accepting all of America, including our laws.

What makes our nation so great is the number of opportunities we’re presented with. The reason we’re presented with these opportunities is because of America’s unique position in the world. We allow people to make their own decisions, about what’s best for them, often without judgment. As long as we’re not causing harm to someone else, we’re often left to our own devices. If we were a lawless nation, we wouldn’t be as prosperous as we are. Instead of working hard to get a leg up, citizens would steal and loot from businesses. There would be no incentive to have a job. If we were a lawless nation, we would be as corrupt as other countries. Americans would be afraid to walk down the street. They would fear for their safety.

Cubans who fled from the Castro regime are often thankful to call America home. Our nation shielded them from persecution by a horrific dictator.  We opened our arms – and our hearts – to those in need. We were a safe haven for those who were being harmed. We were able to provide that life to these refugees because our laws dictated our lifestyle and the society we’ve built.

Securing our borders ensures that we protect the society we’ve built. Having the right of passage into the United States – done through the legal channels – is the very first test of the American Dream. If you don’t come to America by applying for a visa or citizenship and you decide to cross the border illegally, you’ve automatically denied yourself the American Dream, the same American Dream you set after. By breaking America’s laws, you’re bringing the lawlessness of your homeland with you.

Beth Baumann is a public relations professional in Southern California and a contributor for PolitiChicks.

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Prop. 47 Amendment — Common Sense Gun Policy

March 20, 2015 By Beth Baumann 1 Comment

Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez (R-Lake Elsinore) recently introduced Assembly Bill 150, which would amend California’s Proposition 47. Before the passage of Prop. 47, the stealing of any firearm was considered felony grand theft. Now that Prop. 47 has been enacted, the charge has been reduced to a misdemeanor as long as the gun is valued under $950. AB150 would amend that provision in Prop. 47, which would reinstate the felony grand theft charge, regardless of the gun’s value.

If the bill passes both houses, it would be included on the 2016 ballot as a stand-alone provision that voters could either reaffirm or reject.

“Currently, the legislature is pushing for hasher gun control laws for law-abiding citizens and it doesn’t make sense that we would relax the penalty for gun-stealing criminals,” Melendez explains. “Criminals don’t steal guns to go duck hunting; they steal guns to commit crimes.”

The bill Melendez has proposed is a common sense bill that should pass our Legislature. No one wants guns in the hands of criminals. And we all know that any one who steals someone else’s gun is, more than likely, going to use that gun for a criminal act.

Because most handguns are under $950, very few criminals would see the felony grand theft charge.

I give Assemblywoman Melendez credit for this bill. To bring gun legislation to the California Assembly is a bold move, but it’s one that would protect responsible gun owners.

In the words of the NRA’s Wayne LaPierre, “The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”

Gun owners thank you, Assemblywoman Melendez. Now it’s up to us, the voters, to encourage our representatives to pass this legislation and get it on the 2016 ballot.

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79,000 CA Driver’s Licenses Issued to Illegal Immigrants … So Far

February 19, 2015 By Beth Baumann 8 Comments

Move out of the way, Californians. Illegal aliens are in the building … literally.

Now that DMV – everyone’s favorite destination – is giving illegal aliens driver’s licenses, new offices are being opened around the state, more employees are being hired and office hours are being extended.

According to the Orange County Register, “DMV has issued 79,000 new driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants and administered approximately 523,000 written and behind-the-wheel exams” since the law took effect on January 2nd.

I’m not sure what’s more ludicrous – giving illegal aliens driver’s licenses or using our tax dollars to provide them with this luxury. While most people say they want illegal aliens to have driver’s licenses, they forget a few major points:

Number one: Why are we providing someone the ability to drive in our country when they aren’t allowed to be here in the first place? Wouldn’t it make more sense to deport them? If they break the law before they’re a United States citizen, how do we know they won’t break the law if and when they’re a legal citizen?

Number two: It’s not fair to reward those who break the law. What about the people who have waited years to come to our country? They’re being penalized for following the proper protocol.

Number three: My mom was involved in an accident with an illegal alien. He had no license, no insurance and was let off scot-free. I wrote about the experience extensively. Unfortunately, Americans are left with the aftermath while an illegal alien is able to move on with their lives.

Giving driver’s licenses to illegal aliens does nothing but place an even greater burden on our system. Those of us who pay into the tax system are seeing our tax dollars used to extend the DMV, one of the biggest government bureaucracies, for the benefit of those who don’t contribute via taxes.

Instead of literally throwing money down the drain, our nation needs to address the immigration system as a whole. Some states, like California, who are giving illegal aliens driver’s licenses, are asking for a wave of illegals to flock to the state for this benefit.

Not only is this an immigration issue, but it’s also an economic issue. Bringing low-skilled labor to the market is not what California needs. We need high-skilled, highly valuable workers who will raise wages, not lower them.

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