By Mark Rhoads -
It is time for Donald Trump to end his childish and vulgar campaign against women and resign his nomination while there is still time for the Republican National Committee to replace Trump at the top of a new ticket.
There is still time for the RNC to save some down-ballot candidates and nominate Gov. Mike Pence, who can unite the party and defeat Hillary Clinton.
Mr. Trump supposedly issued two insincere "apologies" last night for the obscene statements he made about women to the host of the Access Hollywood TV show in 2005. The fake "apologies" will not be enough because his own words on tape go so far beyond what Trump dismissed as "locker-room banter" and called "a distraction."
Trump tried to exonerate himself by claiming the he has heard former President Bill Clinton make worse vulgar statements on the golf course but so far Trump has not produced a tape of Bill Clinton making those comments. Even if Bill Clinton did make similar vulgar statements to Trump, that was foolish of Clinton but his remarks still do not absolve Trump.
Trump stressed that his obscene comments were made 11 years ago even has he overlooks that Bill Clinton's crimes were committed 20 years ago and that Clinton lost his license to practice law because he lied under oath to a federal judge. Trump's comments could be seen as tantamount to advocating violence against women in a far more recent year and Trump too should pay a price.
The obscene tape remarks reveal who Donald Trump really is and are further evidence that Trump is not fit to serve in any public office let alone the office of President of the United States. It does not matter that some early and absentee ballots have already been cast because the popular vote does not elect the President and Vice President. Republican members of the Electoral College from each state are free to vote their conscience and most of them are long-time regular party leaders and not new extreme Trump loyalists who voted for him at the Convention.
The RNC has influence with the GOP Electoral College members and they have a right to use that influence to save the GOP from a dangerous and childish demagogue. Mike Pence as the new nominee is the only person who can unite the GOP and save GOP candidates for the U.S. House and Senate and governors and state legislators who are in extreme danger in the next 32 days. Mike Pence knows how to keep his cool in a debate with Hillary Clinton and without the baggage of Trump, Pence can make the broad case against Hillary that Trump himself cannot make.
Several GOP members of Congress already called yesterday for Trump to step down and have taken back their previous endorsements of him. Gov. Scott Walker and Speaker Paul Ryan asked Trump not to appear with them in Wisconsin today. Trump supporters who claim their most important goal is to defeat Hillary Clinton will call on more GOP leaders to demand his removal as the GOP nominee. The election is far too important to depend on the vanity of just one deeply flawed 70-year-old child.
