I was so tempted to begin this piece by saying no one is happier than I that Donald Trump has blinked first in the standoff that is the government shutdown that began 35 days ago.

But that would be wildly inaccurate.

There are 800,000 federal employees who were, prior to Friday last, not receiving paychecks from us, their employers, who are happier.  There are their families, who are happier.  There are the approximately 3.7 million collateral workers whose incomes depend on an operational federal workforce, who are also happier.  The Democrats, and some enlightened Republicans, of the House and Senate, are happier, too.

I guess I’d come in next after all those other people on the happiness scale.  Right along with most of the rest of a grateful nation.

It can be said that there are a whole lot of happy people in America today, because the president has been forced to undo what he so foolishly did.

I’m also happy to be secure in the knowledge that closing the government likely will never again be used as a political stunt by any branch of government.  The stakes are much too high for the victims of this kind of hostage-taking.  The ultimate cost to the president has yet to be calculated, but I don’t think it bodes well for his re-election chances in 2020.

I have read that this arrogant posturing by the president has, at long last, resulted in some of his base of supporters wavering in their blind allegiance to him.  And I view that as a very good thing.  Because I have never understood how anyone who has truly opened his or her eyes to the true nature of Trump’s character can continue to accept him as the messiah of change they want in America.  I have tried hard to listen to Trump supporters talk about the issues they feel have been ignored for too long by Washington politicians.  Though I disagree with most of them, I can accept their displeasure. 

What I can’t understand is why they accept the likes of Donald Trump to lead them when addressing those issues, rather than another Republican who is of better moral fiber and emotional temperament.  Another man or woman who is better educated, who has actual experience in the realms of foreign policy and diplomacy, and who values the counsel of others whose own experiences may contribute to better decision making.  A man or woman whose past is not nefarious, whose selected counselors have not been put under investigation, or arrested, or indicted, or plead guilty to serious crimes.  A man or woman who can retain cabinet officials and close staffers.  A person who doesn’t isolate himself from all voices except for those inside his very troubled head.

Any person who strives to lead what, at least for the time being, is the most powerful country on earth, ought to have certain basic qualifications for that office.  Our current president lacks most of them.

There was a time when Americans wanted a president who was more intelligent than they were, who had the benefit of a higher education than they had.  Someone who could communicate very well with a large vocabulary that suited the nuances of communicating in a global economy with diverse peoples.  A man or woman whose lives were void of scandal or unsavory behavior.

[Nelson A. Rockefeller, who had a positive record as a public servant and philanthropist, didn’t run for president back in the ’60s because he had been divorced.  Though we now live in more enlightened times, that was considered an automatic disqualification for a president.  Gary Hart disqualified himself by virtue of a dalliance with another woman.  John Edwards did the same by having an affair and fathering a child with a mistress while his wife was dying of cancer.]

But we have been on a slippery slope for a while now, being willing to elect men who weren’t of higher intellectual leaning or educational achievement than us.  Being willing to overlook questionable attitudes with regard to military service.  Being willing to condone behavior that is amoral, if not immoral.

And it has resulted in a new low with Donald Trump as the candidate of choice.

It seems as if what “the people” wanted was just another “guy” who was like them.  Not particularly bright, just average IQ, who was a C student at best, not too much of an egghead.  Who talked tough, without concern for tact or decorum.  Who used coarse language and didn’t trouble himself with any form of correctness, whatsoever.  Whose interpersonal relationships weren’t sterling where marital faithfulness was concerned, or in the company he kept.  Who didn’t bother himself about injustices toward any minority group, but went along with the status quo.  In other words, people wanted an Everyman, rife with human foibles and shortcomings.

And that is the real shame of Donald Trump as President of the United States.

To paraphrase The Donald’s own infamous words, he is not our best.  It is likely that he is a criminal of one sort or another.  It is likely that his sexual proclivities are suspect.  It is more than likely that he is not a very good person.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but my complaint about Donald Trump is that he is simply not fit to stand in as the person I want to represent and defend the Constitution of this nation.  I do not want his to be the face of a republic that values democracy and capitalism, that champions basic human rights in America and around the world, and stands up for responsible stewardship of the only planet we have on which to live.

I don’t demand perfection in a president.  We’ve never had a perfect president that I can tell, regardless of party.  But we’ve sure had better than what we have now.  By a very long shot.

Let our government be filled to the brim with intelligent and thoughtful men and women with a wide divergence of ideas and opinions.  Let them be civil in their decorum so that they can be truly open-minded to any and all concepts and visions that will uplift America to the highest of ideals and achievements.  Let them put the needs of others before the needs of their own egos, so that justice and fairness are the premiere goals in every decision they make.

It is not the differences of ideas and opinions that plagues us in 2019.  It is the lack of strong, moral, selfless, intelligent leadership that is carrying our handbasket to hell.

We need to hold ourselves to a higher standard so that we may hold our leaders to the highest standards of all.  We should not be willing to accept less.