Every Hero Suffers before Succeeding

An excellent article. I too have studied and analyzed the essential characteristics of the "epic hero". And I totally agree that, regardless of your political leanings, Donald Trump is indeed an epic hero. And his legacy is growing with every additional attempted persecution by his assorted enemies. In fact it's difficult to think of any comparable epic hero who had to face such relentless and unjustified assaults.

President Donald John Trump........... MAGA.

I realize the significant popularity of Trump on this site, so my thoughts are not intended to disparage Trump or offend his most ardent supporters, as I respect the will of the millions of patriotic American voters who support him, as I did in '16 and '20. Looking back to the beginnings of awareness of Trump, I simply do not see where his life's trajectory makes him an epic hero, especially based on the author's criteria for the epic hero. That Trump is on the receiving end of serial criminality and abuse by corrupt government officials, acting under the color of law, at the local, state, and federal levels is beyond dispute by honest observers; however, epic heroes typically do not receive $400M from their father's business empire or spend decades of their early to middle adulthood showcasing their massive wealth and conspicuous consumption by courting media attention as did the Donald Trump of the '70s and '80s. Being a member of the billionaire's club is certainly impressive but does not an epic hero make. Guys like John Basilone, USMC (WWII) and Chesty Puller , USMC (WWII and Korea) were epic heroes. During the Battle of Chosen Reservoir in Korea, where Col. Puller earned his fifth Navy Cross, her famously said, "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." In 2011, after bailing from the democrat party, while threatening to jump in to the 2012 presidential race, he stated live on GMA, “Part of the beauty of me is that I am very rich,” adding that he was prepared to expend $600M of his own money for his campaign. It was Ronald Reagan in 1980 who came up with the campaign slogan, "Let's make America great again." That was a generation before Trump's MAGA but good on Trump in loosely following Reagan's successful lead. I see the difference being that Reagan understood making America great again was not a solitary task to be accomplished by a "Great Man" leader; but rather a collective task that requires millions of average Americans all pulling on the same oar. After the ruinous stagflation and malaise of the Carter years, that was epic.

#3, I appreciate and respect your thoughtful reply, and for the record, Donald Trump wasn't even my first choice this time even though I voted for him in the two previous elections. So my referring to him as a classic "epic hero" isn't a case of hero worship, but an objective consideration of the circumstances he has had to endure, not just in a single battle or event, but repeatedly over many years and from enemies on all sides, and most importantly not for personal glory but for the sake of this country and its neglected ordinary citizens. I also feel that his having been born into wealth not only doesn't diminish his heroism but even augments it. Why? For the simple reason that with that wealth he could easily have withdrawn his efforts and gone back to a life of comfort and ease. Instead, his wealth is being depleted daily from all these attacks and his time and energy are consumed by these bitter, hateful enemies. And yet, he persists. Yes, I agree with your closing comments that all of us have to join the battle and not leave it to a single leader, but that doesn't negate his truly epic efforts. If he is our candidate, I will glad vote for him.

#3 he absolutely is that hero. Watch his inauguration speech at the Capitol - that man is brave and suddenly had everything to lose. Many of our founders were wealthy, so what? - wealth doesn’t disqualify Trump any more than it did John Hancock, who’s signature on the Declaration of Independence put him in the bullseye. If anything, the more Trump had to lose, the more meaningful his stand against the deep state. You missed the mark on this.

It's not so much about your background; it's more about how you react when extreme circumstances beyond your control are thrust at you. I don't think anyone would have said that the Apollo 13 astronauts were heroes before that fateful flight - and I see no one trying to disparage their heroics by showcasing their pasts. Captain "Sulley" was little known before his death-defying act of saving a disabled plane by safely landing her in the Hudson River. Yet today he is widely regarded as a hero.

Am reminded of a line from the movie Bar 21: "I've got enough dead heroes for one day..." Being a hero does not mean being successful.