Once again, I set off to write an article, and once again, I was so distracted by something on TV that I had to leave the room to finish this in silence. Silence — a term Donald Trump wouldn’t recognize if it bit him in his bum.

I thought I had some great ideas. I wrote my first draft and gave it to my wife for an opinion. Her opinion was that if I printed the first draft, I’d be doing my own cooking for the rest of my life. Needless to say, I rewrote the introduction and deleted all references to my diagnosis that Donny Trump has oral diarrhea.

I’ve quoted some of Trump’s falsehoods in the past. You know I’m firmly in the category of “anyone but Delusional Donny Trump.”

The man who would be president of these United States continues to shoot from the hip with more outlandish statements. He claims that Hillary Clinton wants to take away all personal guns (a flat-out lie, and he knows it). Then, without waiting for any facts at all, he screams that the recent Egyptian Airline plane crash was definitely caused by terrorists — though investigators still do not know what brought it down — and swears it’s because the United States is in the ditch, militarily.

As a candidate for president, Donny ought to know you have to think before you speak. That requires facts, and advisers to help interpret the facts … and then, and only when appropriate, you comment.

Remember when the Clown Prince of TV, Reality-Show DJT, stood on the deck of a naval ship and proclaimed his love for veterans? Remember when Reality Donny claimed he had raised “millions of dollars for the veterans”? Gee, it appears he doesn’t know what happened to those dollars. Apparently, they were raised, but the veterans haven’t seen them!

This same person, after robbing the veterans of the funds raised, claims our military is weak, ineffective and in need of rebuilding. He’s obviously been drinking too much of that North Dakota beer that caused Fargo to be listed as one of the drunkest cities in the United States. What other explanation can there be? We have the strongest military in the world … not to mention, the best beer.

What else has the world’s greatest womanizer and thrice-married man been up to? Well, for starters, if all immigrants had been banned years ago, his multiple wives would have been saved the heartache of living or being married to him — well, at least two out of three of them.

Speaking of flip-flopping, his recent oral pronouncement is that women who have abortions must punish themselves. What a dolt! First, he says prison; then, when the women called him on that, he says they should punish themselves. He didn’t specify how, but that’s Delusional Donny’s way.

For a man who has supported Democrats his entire life, and then on his own dumped the Republican Party — how do you feel about his honesty?

He named 11 potential Supreme Court nominees he’d appoint if elected, each fitting his understanding of the Constitution. If his understanding is the measure, there will be no Supreme Court to appoint to. Some on his list the Republicans would love; others not so much. But remember, it is not the people or the electorate whom Trump supports. It is himself, Donald J. Trump.

I don’t care how you feel about Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton. Unless there is a direct connection between your brain and your bum, there is no common-sense explanation for any support for Trump … oops, I take that back: Racism, bigotry, hate and applauding the return of the KKK must be the grounds for his support.

I’ve said it before, and I will say it again. In this country, we should support the best possible candidates, and the R or D behind their names should not be a factor, save in case of a tie on credentials.

By underestimating Trump and taking him for granted, the GOP has imploded. Many good Republicans are looking for a way back into the presidency. They know it cannot be with a misogynist. (One of the definitions of that word explains it’s an unconscious hatred of women that men develop in early life as a result of trauma involving a female figure they trusted.)

That Trump allowed his wife and daughter to go on the air claiming he would never grope other women — and never demean women — plays into his “use” of women.

What wife and daughter wouldn’t back their husband and father? What husband and father would allow them to be placed in that position? A misogynist.

I freely acknowledge that this is not an endorsement of Donald J. Trump. I also wish this column got as much free air time and TV time as Donald does every time he passes gas (which is whenever his mouth is open). In the good old days, not long ago, the media kept the clowns within the circus. In this time of cable news, the clown is the whole circus, and that’s sad.

How do parents look at this man? How do husbands look at their wives? What is the selling point of this demeaning human being? Just as our military is the strongest and best in the world, so, too, is the United States of America — and neither can afford a President Donald J. Trump.

Odds and Ends …

• After this rant, I have a suggestion to help you feel better again. If you want some great reading, track down Jerry Pladson’s “Words to Live By” and “Words to Laugh By.” These feel-good publications can really make your day. If you’re in a funk, they can unfunk you. If you’re down in the dump, they’ll undump you. Contact him at (701) 729-4663 or JerryPladson@gmail.com.
• My unknown facts of life: I had a beautiful horse named Rocky. For the first three years of his life, he thought his name was “Whoa Damn You.”

I also had a horse named Silver, who gave birth to a colt I named Judge Watergate. While unloading them from the trailer, the mare walked out and the colt stayed inside. Well, I’m a western fan, but I’d never heard a horse whinny in real life. When the young one didn’t exit on cue, his mom exploded right in my ear. It scared the bejeezus out of me. I dropped the halter and ran.

When the horse folks who’d been watching finished laughing, I started on my life of horses. I was always a rider, but never a horseman. The latter know the rules. I never did. Amen.