Stop laughing at Donald Trump

Or should I say #DonaldDrumpf?

I get the jokes about Trump/Drumpf: he has funny hair, an overinflated ego, and a Twitter account that reads like a parody. But the time for jokes has passed for Americans of voting age, especially in swing states.

Tonight, Super Tuesday, I watched as Trump gave probably the most measured and calm speech of his campaign. Of course, calm for Donald Trump is crazy turned up to 11 for any other candidate. But it proved he is capable of speaking (mostly) without his usual outrageous statements. Yes, he did compare his proposed Mexican wall with the Great Wall of China but didn’t personally mock anyone. To me, that’s progress. He acknowledged Ted Cruz’s wins, the GOP efforts to oust him, and hinted that his previous implausible sound bites may be solved with negotiation (his new favorite word).

The GOP seems to have come around as well. The New York Times has reported several times in the past week about the party’s organized efforts to stop his nomination. The Clinton campaign is actively searching for his weaknesses.

I think Chris Christie’s terrified face as he stood behind the Trump tonight means he’s realized he’s made a huge mistake. He may have chosen to support Trump on a whim, out of a personal grudge against the remaining candidates, not believing his choice would make any real difference come November.

Sadly, the man is not a joke anymore. We need to take his positions and support seriously if he continues his winning streak. Voters should be trying to understand why people who have never voted before are visiting the polls in droves to elect him instead of mocking them. They’re not stupid and we’re not any smarter than them. The derision has started to border on classism.

The anger Trump’s supporters feel is real. Instead of dismissing those fears, we should be exploring how they started. Was it with the election of President Obama? Has a black man and family in the White House so threatened large groups of people that they are excited to elect a proven liar? How does his brash, “tell it like it is” style appeal to such diverse groups in so many states? How can our candidates and the Democratic party react to pull them over to our side?

Even if a Democratic candidate is elected, that anger is not going to disappear. The first time voters will also show up to elect members of Congress, preventing the new president’s policies from being passed. We must figure out a way to alter the perception of the Democratic party. For those who say we shouldn’t have to change, I would point to the polls. A movement has taken hold and it shows no signs of stopping.

It’s time to stop being aloof and start getting busy.