Trump

We have all seen the name Trump. What I don't know is where this name came from. Yet there is a word trump which we probably use rarely. So, let's not get involved yet with the current politician Donald Trump who comes into our lives in a variety of ways. As a retired clergyman, there may be either a written or an implied attitude that the clergy should at least publicly be nonpartisan. How well this is observed has not been well documented to my knowledge.

If you are looking for an argument for or against Trump, you are looking in the wrong place. To begin this reflection let's take a look at that word trump (not knowing how, when, where or why the Trumps took this name).A dictionary does help.

It means the sound of a trumpet. So far so good. A card in a game which takes precedence (trumps) over other cards. A trump card is a means of success but has been confused with triumph meaning victory or to exalt over a rival. Whether Trump is trying to live up to his name or not is arguable, right?

Now that we have settled little, we'll move on. If what we read or hear from the mass media: radio, TV, newspaper, magazine, billboard is out of balance, Trump trumps the media. Whether this favors or hinders is too early to tell. The media isn't always predictable, nor is human nature. In other words, wait and see which doesn't favor the impatient. It is still June as this is written (2016).

Traditionally we have functioned pretty much as a two-party system. The possibility of a three-party governing body is always a possibility. But if it happens, what effect would/could it have on Bipartisanship?

Partisanship? Would it encourage non-voters to vote? Would it cause an exodus of partisans (zealots) more from one party than another? If so, which one? Would it affect non-voters?

Since the current leaders in votes, one from each party, do have blemished credentials although not identical, does one candidate have a cleaner slate than the other? Would one be easier to clean than the other? Would it be accomplished before or after the election?

Even if this is of no real importance to you personally, what would you find least difficult next Fall: leave town, forget to vote, flip a coin, or head for a voting booth?

Editor's Note: Trump is an early English medieval surname that does indeed relate to a trumpeter or maker of trumpets (see www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Trump).