DragonI

When the Founding Fathers arrived here in Philadelphia to forge a new nation, they didn't come as Democrats or Republicans, or to nominate a presidential candidate. They came as patriots who feared party politics. I know how they felt. I've been a Democrat, I've been a Republican, and I eventually became an independent because I don't believe either party has a monopoly on good ideas or strong leadership. 

There are times when I disagree with Hillary Clinton. But whatever our disagreements may be, I’ve come here to say: We must put them aside for the good of our country and unite around the candidate who can defeat a dangerous demagogue.

We’ve heard a lot of talk in this campaign about needing a leader who understands business. I couldn’t agree more. I’ve built a business. And I didn’t start it with a $1 million check from my father.

Today, as an independent, an entrepreneur and a former mayor, I believe we need a president who is a problem-solver, not a bomb-thrower

I know Hillary Clinton can do all this, because I saw it firsthand when she was in the Senate. I was elected mayor two months after Sept. 11, as a Republican, and I saw how she worked with Republicans in Washington to ensure that New York got the help it needed to recover and rebuild. We didn’t always agree, but she always listened. That’s the kind of approach we need in Washington today, and it has to start in the White House. 

Most of us who have created a business know that we’re only as good as the way our employees, clients and partners view us. Most of us don’t pretend that we’re smart enough to make every big decision by ourselves. And most of us who have our names on the door know that we are only as good as our word.

But not Donald Trump. Throughout his career, Trump has left behind a well-documented record of bankruptcies, lawsuits, and angry shareholders and contractors who feel cheated, as well as disillusioned customers who feel ripped off. He says he wants to run the nation like he has run his business. God help us.

I’m a New Yorker, and New Yorkers know a con when we see one. Trump says he’ll punish manufacturers that move to Mexico or China, but the clothes he sells are made overseas in low-wage factories. He says he wants to put Americans back to work, but he games the U.S. visa system so he can hire temporary foreign workers at low wages. He says he wants to deport 11 million undocumented people, but he seems to have no problem in hiring them. What’d I miss here?

Truth be told, the richest thing about Donald Trump is his hypocrisy. He wants you to believe that we can solve our biggest problems by deporting Mexicans and shutting out Muslims. He wants you to believe that erecting trade barriers will bring back good jobs. He’s wrong on both counts.

We can only solve our biggest problems if we come together and embrace the freedoms that our Founding Fathers established here in Philadelphia, freedoms that made possible the American exceptionalism we now enjoy. Donald Trump doesn’t understand that. Hillary Clinton does.

I understand the appeal of a businessman president. But Trump’s business plan is a disaster in the making. It would make it harder for small businesses to compete, threaten the retirement savings of millions of Americans, lead to greater debt and more unemployment, erode our influence in the world, and make our communities less safe.

The bottom line: Trump is a risky, reckless and radical choice, and one we can’t afford to make.

No matter what you may think about her politics or her record, Hillary Clinton understands that this is not reality television. This is reality. She understands that the job of president involves finding solutions, not pointing fingers, and offering hope, not stoking fear. 

The presidency of the United States is the most powerful office in the world. And so I say to my fellow independents: Your vote matters now. Your vote will determine the future of your job and your business -- and our future together as a country.