Donaldo Trumpolini

A Nazi rally (at Nürnberg?) — During the 1920s and 1930s, a period of economic weakness and national humiliation, the people of Italy, Germany, Spain, and other lands turned to strong leaders who would make their countries great again. They drew huge crowds to rallies.
(Wikimedia Commons; click to enlarge)

I can understand why people who like Nancy Pelosi but who regard Hillary Clinton as too bland and too committed to the Constitution, might support Donald Trump.

Here he is, approvingly tweeting a quotation from the late Benito Mussolini (d. 1945), a statesman who, during the 1930s and 1940s, made Italy great again:

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/trump-tweets-interesting-mussolini-quote-219932

There are those who believe that we need a strong man in power who can do great things for America, a man who, for instance, admires the work that Vladimir Putin has done to rebuild Russia’s international clout and restore Russian pride. I understand why they turn out in droves at Trumpist rallies.

What I don’t understand is why people who claim to be conservatives, who profess a commitment to limited government and the United States Constitution, support the man.

I’m grateful to McClain Bybee for calling my attention to the following video, which runs somewhat less than 2.5 minutes in length. I wish that every Republican primary voter would watch it:

https://www.facebook.com/pleasestoptrump/videos/219858358356916/

McClain also drew my notice to this analysis of Trumpist authoritarianism from the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/26/opinion/the-governing-cancer-of-our-time.html?_r=1

Mr. Trump defends his tweeting of a passage from Il Duce. I myself prefer Thomas Jefferson:

“In questions of power then, let no more be heard of confidence in man but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.”

I’m profoundly dismayed by the fact that so many of my fellow Republicans apparently don’t.