Like so many other conservatives, I am frustrated and, yes, angry at the Republican majority in Congress. The platform on which they ran in order to maintain their majority in the House and to gain control of the Senate has turned out to be nothing but lies. Has Obamacare been repealed or, at least defunded? It has not. Has Obama’s illegal amnesty program been defunded? No, and illegals continue to pour across the southern border with no fear of consequences. This administration simply continues to deny the law and defy the will of the American people.

Consider also the Iran nuclear treaty, which is really what it is — a treaty and a very bad one, according to most experts. It should be subject to the scrutiny and approval of Congress and yet, Obama has sidestepped Congress. All we get from congressional leaders is so much toothless braying and no substantive action. The Republican party is an opposition party no longer.

The decline of American influence and power under Obama is no longer a debatable issue. After all, where is the economic recovery? Why are there more people on food stamps than ever? Why are 90 million plus unable to find work? Why is my mortgage still under water? Why is ISIS growing exponentially? Why did we make a deal with Iran that is all but unenforceable? Why are Russia and China probing and testing US resolve? Economic weakness, a president leading from behind, and an incoherent foreign policy have turned the US into an also-ran in steady decline.

Into this leaderless vacuum walks the brash-talking Donald Trump as a Republican candidate for president. Oh sure, there are plenty of primary candidates, but none captures the imagination like Trump. Full of bravado, bluster, and braggadocio he flies about in his private jet, telling everyone how rich and successful he is, railing against illegal immigration (a hot topic for all of us), belittling other candidates at every turn and ridiculing Republican leaders for their inaction. He is undoubtedly hitting a number of voters’ hot buttons with his take-no-prisoners style. Whether he is a conservative or not, doesn’t seem to matter to the Trump devotees. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t speak in the patois of the political elite, but he spouts off like the guys at work or at the corner bar. He sounds like the leader that we want and need to reverse the slide that America has been on for nearly eight years.

For many, Trump seems to be the remedy to a party gone astray and to a nation in decline. But, the more you look, he is more like a thin-skinned bully lashing out whenever challenged. I hear him jab at fellow Republicans and I hear Triumph, the insult comic dog. His words are often razor-sharp but ill chosen and in regular violation of Reagan’s rule not to speak ill of fellow Republicans. When confronted he can resort to name-calling or worse. Witness his patronizing response at last week’s debate when Carly Fiorina so deftly rebuked his comments mocking her face. As the audience rounded applauded Carly’s classy retort, he meekly said that she had a beautiful face and that she was a beautiful woman. Carly owned the Donald and he would have been smarter to have not said a word. But he cannot control his tongue and that, ultimately will be his downfall.

Like Fiorina and Romney, Trump is a successful business person, although he’s not exactly a rags-to-riches story. He is a Romney without the charm school touch. He’s the proverbial bull in the china shop. He is a master manipulator of the media, even when he is slamming them. He is a triumph of style over substance. If he were to be president, count on him to step on his perpetually wagging tongue to the detriment of our foreign relations and likely, even relations within the government. Does the Donald understand the art of compromise? Based on his swagger and overstated self-confidence, it appears not. Because he’s the loudest guy in the room, he commands maximum attention and he soaks it up with delight. Do we really need another narcissist in the White House?

Look at all the Republican candidates in depth: foreign policy knowledge, economic policy, immigration policy, healthcare policy, etc. Walker and Perry are gone and more will fall in the next month or two, plagued by lack of donors/money and blown out by the hot air that is Trump. No one candidate has yet stood out, but there is much to like about Fiorina, Rubio, Carson, or Cruz. The mix of candidates, positions, and personalities is the highlight of this primary season, but it begs us to really dig in and learn and become informed voters. Low information voters have kept Obama in office and we do not need a repeat of the past eight years.

Other-than-establishment candidates seem to be all the rage these days and understandably so. However, let not our emotions cloud our reason. Trump support seems to be an emotional response to our anger at the Republican establishment for not delivering, but he is not the rational choice. And, by the way, aren’t liberals all about emotions and intentions? We would do best to avoid that trap at all costs.