It's time to give Donald Trump the respect he deserves

We owe it to Trump, and we owe it to ourselves, to treat him as a serious presidential candidate, with all the rights and responsibilities that entails

Treat Donald Trump as you would Hillary Clinton.
(Image credit: REUTERS/Carlo Allegri)

Let's face it: Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign is pretty boring, in no small part because of the Democratic candidate's stolid determination not to make news.

With Donald Trump, on the other hand, there's so much to talk about! We get theatrics, a steady diet of inflammatory statements, fisticuffs, and direct threats aimed at the reporters. Before he was saddled with a teleprompter, Trump's extemporaneous promises and polemics were mesmerizing and eminently quotable. He said things on a regular basis that would sink another candidate, and his supporters did not bat an eye. Trump's candidacy was, and still can be, such an amazing spectacle that observers sometimes view it as performance art, a cinematic tour de force, or a temper tantrum. The news coverage of Trump has frequently reflected that.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.