What You’ve Told Ric About Donald Trump’s Character, Ethics, Morals, and Values

It’s Ric's 500th podcast!

Ric Edelman: It's Tuesday, October 29th. Hey, send me congratulations. Today is my 500th podcast. Pretty hard to believe. I've been hosting radio for 32 years before turning to this podcast three years ago, and it took me a whole lot more than three years to do 500 radio shows, because I was doing one a week, so I was doing 50 of them a year. But here, I'm doing these podcasts five times a week.

And, unlike on radio where I sometimes did a “best of” which is euphemism for rerun, cause I took the holiday off or I was away, every one of these podcasts that I've done here for you -- all 500 of them -- have been original podcasts. So, it's been very exciting. It's been an awful lot of fun.

Thank you so much for tuning in with me all of this time. And sharing with your friends and family. Wow, what an auspicious day on this 500th podcast that today is perhaps the most controversial of all possible topics we might offer. We're talking about the presidential election and my 34 topics over these 19 podcasts in this series I've been giving you the month of October.

Today, character, ethics, morals, and values. And in fact, you know, I just began by saying this is perhaps the most controversial of all topics. I don't think it's controversial at all. Is there anybody in America who really questions the character, the ethics, morals, or values of Kamala Harris? I don't think so. I haven't heard of anybody accusing her of inappropriate behavior, unprofessional behavior, immature behavior, or of fraud or of criminal activity. I've not ever heard a thing of such, regarding Kamala.

The conversation, the debate, the discussion, about character, ethics, morals, ‘and values has rested solely, exclusively, and uniquely at the feet of Donald Trump. And I find it astonishing that we're even having to have this conversation about a major political partiy’s choice of candidate for the presidency of the United States.

So, there's not a whole lot, frankly, that I have to say about this, partly because you have said it better. I'm going to share with you some of the emails that I have received from you. As I have told you, I have received lots and lots of e-mails from my listeners. Thank you so much. I read them all. There are too many for me to be able to respond to you individually, unfortunately, but I read them all.

I include many of them on this podcast to share with the audience. And I have said a couple of times now that of all the emails I've received and I continue to get them daily, the vote is 50-50. The sentiment that you have expressed support for Kamala or support for Donald has been down the middle, half of you liking Trump, half of you liking Harris.

But there have been a couple of topics where that wasn't the case. And I cited one the other day about immigration and border security. I have not received a single email from anybody supporting or endorsing Kamala Harris' performance or views on that topic.

And just as I hadn't received a single person supporting Kamala on immigration, I can likewise say I have not received a single e-mail supporting Donald Trump on character or ethics or morals or values. I don't think there's anyone in America…I don't think there's anyone in this world who could say anything favorable about his character, his ethics or morals or values.

So let me just launch into your comments because I think they're eloquent. I think they're on point and I think they surmise the views of all of us very, very well.

Here first is Gary.

Gary: “I firmly believe Trump would do all in his power to remain in office in 2028. With Kamala, I at least will be able to vote her out in 2028”.

Ric Edelman: Gary, your comment is typical, frankly, of what a lot of people say, that they aren't voting for Kamala. They are voting against Donald Trump. They are more concerned about this issue than any other issue and you've articulated it succinctly. Let's move on to Bob. He's in Los Angeles.

Bob: “Here is why we cannot vote for Trump. His numerous legal challenges will distract him from effective governance. His rhetoric and lies are fueling political polarization. His COVID-19 response was inadequate. His unfounded claims about the 2020 election undermined trust in democracy and led to the January 6th attack on our Capitol. And finally, Trump is a convicted felon, racist, sexist, misogynistic narcissist, and is unfit for office.”

Ric Edelman: Let's hear now from Terry. He's on the other side of the country in Virginia.

 Terry: “How can you vote for Trump, a man with so many moral transgressions without being morally bankrupt yourself. Economies recover democracies, not so much.”

Ric Edelman: Let's head to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Here's Darryl's email.

Darryl: ”Sorry, but if you are truly undecided as to whether you would prefer for President of our country, a prior California Attorney General, U. S. Senator, and Vice President of the United States of America, who has an exemplary record of public service, or a person of unquestionably dubious character, who has been caught in more lies than anyone can remember, who was impeached twice, 2020 election simply because he lost.

Who attempted to coerce the Georgia Secretary of State, among others, into fudging their state's vote counts, who inflamed the passions of a group of hoodlums and then loosed them to wreak havoc on the U. S. Capitol, leading to the deaths of several police officers and endangering the lives of our senators and representatives.

Who has been found liable for defamation and sexual abuse. Who has been found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Who has at least three other indictments in process. Who has refused to condemn the school bomb threats in Springfield, Ohio that he fomented, among other transgressions too numerous to name. Then, I certainly can't help you.”

Ric Edelman: George wants to weigh in. Here's what he wrote to me.

George: “I don't have a problem selecting Harris. In this election, the most important issue this year is morality. The vile comments of the Trump-Vance campaign and the chaos of their speeches are to me of much higher importance than the battle over our wallets. I'm concerned that their total lack of morality will bring nothing but more chaos, hate, and division if they are in power for the next four years, especially if both houses of Congress are handed to them. So please be an advocate of decency.”

Ric Edelman: Here's the email I received from William.

William: “I agree with Liz Cheney that there is only one overarching issue in the upcoming election. Donald Trump is an existential threat to the functioning of our democracy, and it's up to all of us to stop him.”

Ric Edelman: Got an email from Daniel. He's in Tennessee.

Daniel: “If I am pressed to make a case for one candidate or the other, I would recommend that you vote for Harris. I was a mental health professional for 52 years, and I am not comfortable with Trump's obvious mental health diagnosis, which is Narcissistic Personality Disorder. According to the DSM-5 Diagnostic Manual, this personality disorder is characterized by a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy, with interpersonal entitlement, exploitiveness, arrogance, and envy. Five out of nine of these criteria need to be present to meet the diagnosis of NPD. In my professional opinion, Trump meets all of the diagnostic criteria, and I cannot vote for someone with these personality flaws that will likely color his policies and decisions. An additional reason for not supporting Trump relates to the possibility that he's exhibiting signs of cognitive impairment and dementia.”

Ric Edelman: And here's another George. He's in Palo Alto, California.

George 2: “Hold your nose if you want, but you must vote for Kamala Harris. And here's why: any position she holds is up for debate. But respect for the law, our system of government, and for people of all kinds must come first. And whoever flouts these things is simply not fit to be president.”

Ric Edelman: Here's another nose holder. This one's Luisa. She's in Illinois.

Luisa: “Ric, hold your nose and vote for Kamala. This is my reason why. If Kamala wins, she will, of course, ruin the economy. But when it is time for her to go, she will graciously step down. Donald, on the other hand, would do anything in his power to stay, including defying Congress and the courts.

Ric Edelman: Here's what Walter had to say.

Walter: “Hello, Ric. In the areas of morality and integrity, the greater evil is Trump. He is deceitful, disparaging of anyone that does not support him, and a narcissist. He will take revenge on the parties that have prosecuted him or harmed him. So, Ric, I implore you to vote for the lesser of the two evils, Kamala Harris.”

Ric Edelman: Let me share with you now. Stephanie's email.

Stephanie: “In today's political climate, we face a crucial decision that goes beyond mere policies. It's a question of our values, ethics, and the future of our country. Our vote this election reflects much more than our preference for one platform over another. It signals the moral direction in which we want to steer our nation.

As we evaluate both candidates, we must consider not only their economic plans, but also what their leadership says about us as a society. How we choose to vote is a reflection of our collective values, and this decision will reveal a great deal about the kind of nation we want to be. Trump's style of governance, marked by divisiveness, narcissism, and a disregard for truth, has fractured the country.

More troubling is his affinity for authoritarian leaders, like Russia's Vladimir Putin. On the moral front, Trump's moral failings extend far beyond policy. His personal behavior, lying, disrespect, and a lack of empathy sets a dangerous precedent for our society and undermines basic human decency. Harris's conduct has not indicated that kind of unethical behavior. If we want a leader capable of bringing people together and creating policies that benefit the majority of Americans, Harris represents a far better option.”

Ric Edelman: Katie wrote in as well. Here's her comment.  

Katie: “Ric, I appreciate how you've shared your dilemma over the presidential candidates. I don't want to try to convince you to vote for one candidate over another. Maybe I can just ask you a question to help you find some clarity. It seems that perhaps truth is important to you. Which candidate do you think is most aligned with this value?”

Ric Edelman: Here's an e-mail from South Carolina's Martin.

Martin: “I normally base my voting decisions on policy. My decision this election is about remaining a democracy, which ends with a Trump presidency. It would also be a disaster for our allies and the world.”

Ric Edelman: Up in New England, Mary. She's from Massachusetts.

Mary: “Hi, Ric. I am enjoying your political podcasts. Enlightening and unbiased. I realize your decision matrix is an attempt to assist folks in coming to a decision, but unfortunately, I think in your effort to be impartial, you have overlooked an important factor. The President of the United States represents all of us among ourselves and to the world.

Do we really want a convicted felon? A convicted sex offender, a liar, a cheat, and a bad dancer as that person. And if we do, what does that say about us as a nation?”

Ric Edelman: Off on the so-called left coast, here's the western side of the country, Ken.

Ken: “We can't have an individual who has the emotional maturity of a 10-year old being in charge of this country. So, if Harris wins, we rid our political environment of an intentionally divisive, disruptive cancer. Then, in four years, we can select a candidate more objectively. This is more about getting rid of who can do the most damage to our country.”

Ric Edelman: Here's what Dan had to say to me.

Dan: “Ric, a good thinking voter examines and evaluates both presidential candidates and then chooses the lesser of two evils. A vote for Trump represents a terrible and extreme act of political evil. Most would assert that statement is a hyperbole, but it is not. That is an accurate statement. A vote for Trump is indicative of very low intelligence or very low moral character or both.”

Ric Edelman: Two left for you. The first one's from Dana.

Dana: “Ric, I have read your books. I have listened to you for years. You are educated, accomplished, and informed. You are an independent professional academic source with excellent communication skills. I put you at top of the pack. Trump has acted and has been convicted of serious criminal acts and has performed in that manner on many occasions and has threatened to do worse.

You can cite Harris for being uninformed on important policies, but how can you equate the two? You remain a quandary, sir.”

Ric Edelman: And the last e-mail I'll share with you today from South Carolina, here's Martin.

Martin 2: Ric, I can't get past you being undecided in an election with a person who attempted to overthrow an election. If that's not enough for you, I find it hard to have respect for someone who I've admired for several years. Please explain why this doesn't automatically eliminate Mr. Trump. He's a convicted felon you wouldn't hire to work for you.”

Ric Edelman: Well, thank you all for these comments. I believe that what everybody has said, millions more people could echo in similar sentiment. There's really nothing I need to say on this point. Donald Trump's behavior has been despicable on a personal level with his abuse, his attacks on women, not just his verbal abuse, but his physical abuse over which he has lost two lawsuits and been convicted of a crime. His abuse on a national scale, his horrific comments against so many people demonstrate his bigotry, his racism, his sexism. It's just hard to articulate. It's hard to really respond. The real issue is for simply to say, how could anybody be thinking of anything other than this in evaluating the two presidential candidates.

And this is why I left this to the final topic we're discussing with the exception of one, I'll get to that in a second. But there's really not a whole lot more I can say. I am astonished when I find some extremists on the right denying that Trump has these viewpoints, denying that Trump has made these statements, denying that this stuff matters. It most certainly does. And I'm not frankly sure which is worse: the fact that some people aren't bothered by Trump's comments, or the fact that some people are flat out denying that he has made them. I mentioned that this is the next to last topic and that there is something else that I've saved for the last.

There's only one reason that this isn't the very last of my 34 topics in this series of podcasts. And that's because this election is all about the present. It's all about who we're going to vote for next week. But inherent in that is our future.

And that is why we must pay attention to the vice-presidential nominees. Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have made decisive statements in their respective choices of vice president nominee. And so tomorrow, the final topic for my series is examining Tim Walz and J.D. Vance. Join me for that.

If you like what you're hearing, be sure to follow and subscribe to the show, wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and remember leave a review on Apple podcasts. I read them all. Never miss an episode of The Truth About Your Future. Follow and subscribe on your favorite podcast app.  

I'll see you tomorrow.

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Links from today’s show:  

Click here for Ric's worksheet to help you evaluate the candidates

The 34 Issues of Election 2024 – The Daily Podcasts https://thetayf.com/blogs/this-weeks-stories/tagged/election-2024

Kamala Harris Official Campaign Website Policy Page: https://www.kamalaharris.com/issues/

Donald Trump Official Campaign Website Policy Page: https://www.donaldjtrump.com/platform

11/13 Webinar - An Innovative Way to Generate Income in a World of Declining Rates: https://www.thetayf.com/pages/november-13-2024-an-innovative-way-to-generate-income

10/9 Webinar Replay- Crypto for RIAs: Yield, Staking, Lending and Custody. What’s beyond the ETFs? https://dacfp.com/events/crypto-for-rias-yield-staking-lending-and-custody-whats-beyond-the-etfs/

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