I do not want Donald Trump to be president. After eight years of a self-adulating leader, I prefer someone who loves America more than he loves himself. I also do not want as president anyone, who while a candidate, apologizes for statements Donald Trump made. I am tired of timid Republicans who are fearful of proudly upholding conservative principles—both social and economic. I prefer someone who will force a discussion on issues rather than who grovels and is embarrassed anytime anyone connected with Republicans or conservatism says something less than perfect. I certainly don’t want a candidate who insults and demeans the conservative base.
In her weekly column for the Wall Street Journal, Peggy Noonan said about upcoming Republican debates, “None of the candidates will want to take Mr. Trump head-on because he doesn’t play within the margins of traditional political comportment. He’s a squid: poke him and get ink all over you.”
I have three words for Peggy Noonan, whose columns I usually enjoy. “Remember Candy Crowley.” Or maybe the three words are, “Remember Ted Stevens.” Or perhaps, “Remember the I.R.S.” In other words, anyone who cannot take on Trump will not be able to win against the Democrat candidate.
Candy Crowley was supposed to moderate the debate between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. Instead she jumped in and lied to lend the sitting president a hand. Mitt Romney was ever the gentleman—a losing gentleman.
Ted Stevens was a U.S. Senator from Alaska. As the longest serving Republican Senator in history, he was in a powerful position. Running for re-election in 2008, he was found guilty of a federal corruption charge a few days before the election. He lost. After the election, the indictment was dismissed when the Justice Department found evidence of unethical prosecutorial shenanigans.
Under Lois Lerner the Internal Revenue Service has made Richard Nixon’s enemies list look like a pre-schooler’s crayoned, “U R not my frend,” missive left on his mother’s pillow after she forces him to take an unwanted bath. While hearings drone on, conservatives feel that their “leadership” is inept and clueless at reacting to this corruption with the passion and action it demands.
I want a candidate who understands these eight words: “There is a double standard. Triumph over it.” Liberals do not need offensive statements by Trump to call all conservatives bigoted, xenophobic, cruel, greedy, hate-filled, etc., etc, etc. If they can’t find anyone saying mean or foolish things, they will lie or reach as far as they need to support that narrative. (Remember how Mitt Romney was cruel to another boy in grade school…)
Donald Trump says provocative, offensive things. They are simplistic and one-sided, but they resonate with those Americans who have not yet lost their ability to evade groupthink and government re-education attempts. They cause those conservatives who know that the media, educational and political decks are stacked against them to cheer. Not necessarily because they support Mr. Trump or think he is a role model. But because he isn’t cowering. He is raising problems that are real and growing.
There is a word for Republicans who think that they will get the African-American or Hispanic or Asian or single female vote by pandering to those demographics. That word is loser. Donald Trump isn’t ‘telling it like it is.’ He is exaggerating and indulging in demagoguery. That is exactly what liberals do to conservatives all the time, just from the other direction. Mr. Trump is giving Republican candidates an opportunity to show whether they can handle a fight filled with partial truths and mockery and emerge victorious. Can they understand why frustrated Americans, who are not bigots or racists, are outraged when candidates like Jeb Bush paint them as such (after all, illegal immigration is about love) when they know the immigration system is seriously broken and they are not the problem?
Candidates who aren’t able to handle difficult adversaries can distance themselves from Donald Trump now, and then they can hand the election over to the Democrat candidate who will paint them as selfish chauvinists no matter what the reality. If they can’t handle Trump without disrespecting those who support him, they should get out of the race.
James, Shannon and Lora — thank you for chiming in. I received an email from a friend saying, “I don’t get it. Are you for Trump or against Trump?” What I was trying to say is that I do not want him as president or even as my spokesman. However, the Republicans who insult him, insult me. The Republicans who think the he is the problem, think that I am the problem. There is a tremendous amount of anger out there against the Republican Party by conservatives and Trump is riding the wave of that anger.
Of all the pressing issues facing us these days, this is, in my opinion, one of the most important. Republicans have stood around scratching their heads while democrats usurped language of all kinds. I can’t even begin to express how devious this has been on the one side and blind on the other.
Amen Sister! All too often we confuse bluster with leadership. Mr. Trump would not be a good candidate, let alone president. However he is a great megaphone.
Mr. Trump is the natural reaction to the weak-kneed, wishy-washy simpering Establishment that we give and give to. They tell us what they need in order to fix the issues and we deliver.
They wanted the House, we gave them the House. They wanted Senate- we gave them that too. They want to be president- we give it to them. We give them all three…we get the same stuff the last guy did plus more hot air and excuses as to why they cannot deliver.
We are at the verge of a great reckoning- soon we will not accept spinelessness, vaguery or excuses.
No, Ms. Susan, we don’t want any of the losers you have aptly described. And as you point out, the furor of approval of Donald Trump is exactly because there exists a silent-majority voter who is (1) sick to death of whining Lefties droning their predictable narrative and viciously deriding uppity opponents with vile and false epithets; (2) sick to death of spineless Republicans cowering before the shadow of an insult; and (3) applauding any candidate displaying enough testicular fortitude to stand up to the Lefties, call their bluff and call a spade a spade.
Whether Mr. Trump receives the nomination or not, let his early success be a lightning bolt of awakening for the Republicans playing ostrich, padding their political pockets with heads firmly in the sand.
As regards your “Ask the Rabbi” question, I knew the answer to the Fall of the EU two years before the Euro was inaugurated, while the spectre of the approaching Euro was all over the press, but still only a gleam in the Belgian eye: “This’ll never work!” Travel to these lands will open one’s eyes. There exists now, just as likely there has long existed, a vast gap between the work ethics of Northern and Southern Europeans. The German works hard but also plays hard. But the Southern European parties all night, turns off the alarm at 9AM, rolls over and catches another wink. Socialist benefits in Germany are taxing, but socialist benefits in Greece are freebies to the point of insanity (Mr. Obama seems to be taking lessons from the Greeks). The customary political corruption certainly does the rest. The bottom line: someone must pay the bill. Living off the industry and proceeds of another nation will work only for so long.