I love this country. I always have. But the last few years in the USA have left me truly aghast. Just when I think that there are no more surprises left in American political life, I am handed a freshly squeezed surprise. Bluntly put, I think we’ve reached the point where Donald Trump could drown a bag of kittens on live TV, or indeed “shoot someone on 5th Avenue”, and some people will still consider him the lesser of two evils.
The way I see it, there are two types of Trump voter. There is the hardcore MAGA fanatic, who attends the rallies, wears the red hat, and maybe even follows the Qanon boards. They follow Trump with a level of devotion that is implacable. They will never believe that Donald Trump is anything other than the savior of our country, sent by God to deliver us from a multitude of politically correct and liberal attacks. They cannot be reasoned with, nor would I try.
The other type of voter, the ones I am appealing to with this article, are not like that at all. These are good people, moral people, who simply voted for Trump because they believed he was the best choice for the values they hold. They don’t think he’s the greatest president to sit in the White House, but they believe he was a better choice than Clinton. Or perhaps they are just dyed-in-the-wool Republicans who always vote red, no matter whom.
Are you one of those people? If so, I have just one question. Are you planning on voting for him again in November? If the answer is yes, then I have another question.
Why?
I would really like to understand. Is it an economic issue? Are you fearful of paying higher taxes? Are you worried about having to pay for someone else’s health insurance? Or benefits to those you consider undeserving? Okay, I understand. I don’t agree, but I understand. But let me ask you a question. Do you not think that we might be beyond that now? Can you consider the possibility that there is a bigger picture, and the choice can no longer be pared down to tax breaks or welfare spending?
For those of us who did not vote for Donald Trump, and perhaps those of us who did but have come to regret that decision, there is an emotional and moral detachment at play in you if you still view this coming election as simply political. It’s not. It stopped being a political choice a while ago. This is now a moral choice. It has to be because Trump has no political beliefs. Not one considered, passionately-held, factually backed-up, political belief. He believes in nothing, save his own enrichment and survival. If you haven’t figured this out yet then you haven’t been paying attention. Or rather, you have been paying attention to what he says and not what he does.
Donald Trump has been playing the long-game, and much of his political survival depends on the rationalizations that his voters are prepared to make on his behalf. The longer he has been in office, the more stretched those rationalizations for his behavior become. Perhaps you have even used a few of them yourself.
He just speaks his mind.
He’s a little rough around the edges, but he loves this country.
He’s not a politician.
That’s just who he is.
He’ll become more presidential.
He’ll listen to good advice.
Donald Trump deals in a very targeted, deliberate, and well-practiced rhetoric. It is designed to make white working and middle class Americans feel aggrieved and victimized. Coupled with this are policy positions that offer a soothing balm to these woes. Theoretical solutions that provide comfort to those who want to avoid any semblance of nuance in their political considerations. He provides easy answers to complex questions, then makes sure your attention is placed elsewhere, so you won’t see how hollow they really are.
He lies through his teeth, and rarely, if ever, says anything of substance. He can speak, flat-out, for 30 minutes and say absolutely nothing. It’s spell-binding.
I genuinely believe that for a lot of those who voted for him in 2016, the presidency of Donald Trump has been an uncomfortable few years, if not an outright disappointment. The only reason you can possibly have to continue supporting this ignorant, rude, petulant, con artist and sexual predator is partisan politics.
I’m going to attempt to break down some of those oft-touted reasons why Donald J. Trump is the guy to stick with, and also examine some of the primary events of his tenure and his responses to them.
I would ask you to keep an open mind. Consider the points being made, all of which are far more factual than they are subjective. Entertain the possibility that you are on the wrong side of history right now.