Prior to this election campaign, political candidates – especially presidential candidates – were held to almost impossibly high standards. They not only had to show experience that qualified them to hold the office. They had demonstrate a great depth of understanding about critical national and international issues. In addition, they were expected to be of great moral character. Moreover, they were expected to conduct themselves in a manner that seemed presidential.

Any exceptions to those standards were cause for disqualification. For example, when former Senator Gary Hart was accused of being involved with another woman, he was forced to withdraw from the 1988 presidential race. Senator Thomas Eagleton was forced to withdraw from the 1972 race as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate over a history of depression. And former Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis lost the 1988 presidential race for seeming “unpresidential” for appearing in a military tank with a tanker’s helmet. Over the years, many other candidates also found their campaigns in crisis over sexual affairs, drug use, even allegations that they were secretly separated from their wives or about to divorce.

Yet, beginning in 2008, with the selection of Sarah Palin as the GOP vice-presidential nominee, the standards seemed to change when she was found to be woefully ignorant about government and foreign affairs. But this year’s GOP primary voters showed that they have stunningly low standards for president when they voted to nominate Donald J. Trump as their preferred presidential candidate.

Following is a short list of just a few of the things that this orange-stained imitation of Benito Mussolini has said or done that would have previously disqualified any other candidate from running for our nation’s highest office:

1. He is twice divorced (because, you know, he believes in “family values”).
2. He said he would like to have sex with Ivanka if she wasn’t his daughter (because, you know, more “family values”).
3. There are serious questions about the circumstances of his current wife’s immigration (immigrants are bad, unless they’re female models).
4. His current wife posed for nude and suggestive photos (yet the GOP platform calls for banning porn).
5. He is accused of sexually assaulting a minor.
6. It has been reported that he has connections to the mob in New York and New Jersey.
7. He has failed to pay numerous small suppliers to his businesses (because they’re not “winners” like him).
8. He has been named in lawsuits more than 3,000 times.
9. He has filed for bankruptcy at least 4 times.
10. He called for the US to default on its debt (because that strategy has worked so well for him).
11. His Trump “University” is being sued for fraud.
12. He called Mexican immigrants murderers and rapists.
13. He called Sen. McCain a loser for being a POW.
14. He has repeatedly insulted and demeaned women, including Megyn Kelly.
15. He insulted and mocked a reporter for a physical disability.
16. He called a judge biased and unfit to serve because of his Mexican heritage.
17. He has vowed to unconstitutionally deny Muslims entrance to the US.
18. He has vowed to unconstitutionally track Muslims already in the US.
19. When skipping a GOP debate, he held a fundraising event for military veterans then failed to donate the money until confronted by the media.
20. There are serious questions about his financial ties to Russian oligarchs.
21. He hired a campaign manager with deep ties to Russia’s President Putin.
22. He called for a foreign nation (Russia) to hack his Democratic opponent’s email and US State Department emails.
23. He has embraced racists.
24. He has repeatedly incited violence by calling for supporters to assault protestors.
25. He refused to disavow support by former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke.
26. He has refused to release his income tax returns.
27. He insulted a Gold Star family for daring to criticize him.
28. He has repeatedly called the election system “rigged”.
29. He called for his supporters to shoot Hillary Clinton if she’s elected.
30. He has lied about his “huge” donations to charity. (By contrast, the charitable works of the Clinton Foundation have helped hundreds of thousands of people around the world.)
31. He has used the donations to his presidential campaign in order to enrich his businesses and himself.
32. Almost every statement out of his mouth has been exposed as a lie by fact-checkers.
33. His attacks on “political correctness” have coarsened political debate for a generation.

In addition, Trump has no government experience; no understanding of foreign affairs; no appreciation for those who serve in our military. Yet more than 40 percent of our nation’s registered voters are ready to make him president. And, because Hillary Clinton used a private email to keep in touch with her staff while serving as Secretary of State, a surprising number of voters think she is less trustworthy than the Cheeto Benito who routinely spews lies and hatred. Really?