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For true Republicans, there is no one to vote for

By Christopher Curran
Posted 5/12/16

There is an ancient Chinese curse that translates to, “May you get what you wish for.” On the face of the statement, one might think the message is intended as a well-wish. However, the inherent …

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For true Republicans, there is no one to vote for

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There is an ancient Chinese curse that translates to, “May you get what you wish for.” On the face of the statement, one might think the message is intended as a well-wish. However, the inherent irony is that the old adage attempts to convey that what one initially desires is often not necessarily what is best for the aspirant.

History has borne many leaders who curried favor with the electorate by repeating simplistic themes, expressing entertaining and spellbinding oratory, and identifying universally culpable scapegoats and redundantly bashing them. Such has been the rise of the presumptive presidential nominee of Republican Party, real estate businessman Donald Trump.

To true Republicans who believe in streamlined and efficient government, reasonable regulation, a constrained public welfare system, unfettered religious freedom, addressing the astronomically growing national debt, and an immigration system that conforms to current laws but seeks to establish reforms that provide a legal pathway to citizenship for those here illegally, Trump is an abhorrent choice.

The Donald is so unorthodox in his attitudes that if he truly wishes to convert his wild assertions into real policies as the chief executive, he would be an anathema to true Republicanism. As a result, many Republican stalwarts and respected elected officials have resolved that they simply cannot support the presumptive nominee.

Additionally, rank and file Republicans who hold GOP values in their hearts believe government should be conducted in a practical and conservative fashion. They are left in a position of having no one to vote for on the presidential level. Obviously, the presumptive Democrat nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, is not a consideration. Not only is her ideology of expanding government converse to everything true Republicans stand for, but her penchant for prevarication has rendered her totally unbelievable, relegating her word to that of a pre-owned car salesperson.

So, where do those of us who perceive our right to vote as a sacred covenant turn? Should we vote for the lesser of evils when both choices are cross-grained to our political sensibilities? Or sadly are we faced with the reality of no one to vote for?

With 17 candidates at the GOP starting gate a year ago, few thought that Donald J. Trump would become the nominee of the party. Certainly, it is fair to say that Trump was the least conservative candidate of the entire field. Yet, Donald had a marketing strategy that historically had succeeded tried and true.

Specifically, the techniques of picking a common enemy when making a speech, asserting that a certain foe is responsible for a number of ills, and repetitively and sarcastically assailing that person or entity worked to cull supporters. These tricks were used to propel the ascension of Benito Mussolini in Italy in the 1920s and Adolf Hitler in Germany in the 1930s.

Specific policies are overshadowed by sweeping, emotion-provoking diatribes that appeal to the visceral as opposed to the contemplative and analytical.

For example, Trump’s demonization of illegal immigrants, depicting them as rapists and murderers and job stealers, has been one his most successful rallying cries. He has stated that he would ignore the bedrock principle of our nation, religious plurality, and temporarily suspend the ability of Muslims to enter our country. Further, he asserts that we would feel much safer here at home if he enacted such a policy, until he “figured out the problem.” Additionally, he constantly rails against China and India for destroying our manufacturing sector without referring to the cost/benefit analysis of free trade to the consumer. He boasts that he alone can unilaterally redo trade deals to our benefit and impose sizable tariffs at will.

Surprisingly, these wild, non-implementable claims have bolstered his devotees.

Also, his personal insults toward his political competitors – such as accusing former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush as having “low energy,” describing businesswoman Carly Fiorina as ugly, calling Texas Sen. Ted Cruz “lying Ted,” assaulting Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for being too small and too sweaty, berating South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham as being a “lightweight,” and most recently calling Hillary Clinton “cheap and crooked” – have gained him dedicated followers.

In fact, thus far Trump has cumulated 10.6 million votes in the GOP primary season. This number was enough to make him the presumptive nominee. However, one should consider that this amount is only approximately 10 percent of the registered electorate. This begs the question whether the Donald can gain the support of independents, minorities, and Reagan Democrats, which he cannot win without.

Despite Trump’s unorthodox populism, his incendiary tone and adolescent retorts have alienated the party’s fathers. Many GOP heavyweights have begged off or outright denied support for their presumptive nominee.

Perhaps most importantly, the speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Paul Ryan (R-WI), could not commit to supporting Trump.

In regard to stating his support, Ryan said “I am not there now” and “I am not there yet,” and “I want to hear a different tone” in reference to Trump’s utterances on the stump. Ryan went on to express his concerns about Trump’s knowledge of the presidency: “I am worried about Trump’s perception of executive power.” The speaker is precisely correct. Either Trump is not aware of the limits of the executive branch of government’s power, or he is a dictatorial absolutist who strangely believes he can radically change how our coequal three branches of government operate.

Furthermore, Ryan questioned Trump’s claim of conservative conscience: “I think conservatives want to know, does he share our principles on limited government, the proper role of the executive adherent to the Constitution?” and “There are a lot of questions that conservatives, I think, are going to want answers to, myself included.”

Ryan is a true conservative Republican and a pupil of both Rep. Jack Kemp and Sen. Sam Brownback. He and Trump disagree on trade, religious intolerance, interventionism in regard to foreign affairs, tax policy, immigration, and the perception of individual liberty in America. Whether Ryan will eventually succumb to the quest for party unity and support Trump is a question.

Currently, several GOP notables have expressed their reluctance to get behind Trump. Graham is incredulous about Trump’s nomination, saying: “I also cannot in good conscience support Trump because I do not believe he is a reliable Republican conservative nor has he displayed the judgment and temperament to serve as commander in chief.”

Graham’s counterpart from Arizona, Sen. Jeff Flake, has strongly voiced his dismay regarding Trump’s immigration and Muslim policy suggestions and his reluctance to endorse the Donald. “I can’t see how I can if he continues to advocate those policies,” he said of whether he would support the presumptive nominee.

Similarly, Nevada’s Sen. Dean Heller has broadly condemned Trump’s stances on women and Hispanics, saying: “I vehemently oppose our nominee and some of the comments and issues he brought up during the campaign.”

Also, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has repeatedly spoken perhaps the most damning indictment of Trump’s nomination. “Some of the things he’s said about women, and about Muslims, and about religious freedom, I just can’t support,” he said. “I question whether he’s got the temperament to serve as president.”

These sentiments are just a few of the concerns expressed by just a few of the Republicans who cannot possibly support Donald Trump for president.

Some people run for president to do something, while others run for president to be something. Until just a little more than a decade ago, Trump was a registered Democrat. He publicly avowed his support for a political ideology much closer to Hillary Clinton than Paul Ryan. One can speculate that if the Democratic Party were the path of least resistance to a major party’s nomination, Trump would still be a Democrat.

The Donald’s magical rise is more due to the triumph of marketing and the playbook of old fascist leaders than it is due to clear, laudable policies. Campaign message discipline has been eclipsed by showmanship. Thoughtful policy standpoints have been replaced by admonishing personal accusations hoisted upon an opposing candidate’s physicality. The line between politics and entertainment has been forever blurred. The brave new world is one where voters suspend their intellect in favor of emotional satisfaction.

Unfortunately, the result of this dramatic change of the voter’s paradigm is that a totally unqualified and reckless, self-promoting reality star can ascend to the presidency.

As a true Republican who believes that the government is not the answer to all problems, I am befuddled as to what to do in the voting booth. As a true conservative, I cannot embrace the candidacy of a man of mercurial principles who is merely a political opportunist rather than a true believer. I am faced with the dilemma than many GOP patrons are facing – do we leave our Grand Old Party because of our pathetic faker of a nominee? Or maybe we opt not to cast a vote in the presidential race this cycle, and try to steer our party back to common sense in four more years. One thing is certain – this time around, there is no one to vote for!

Comments

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  • HerbTokerman

    Sure there is..

    Vote for Gary Johnson.

    Republicans and Democrats are two sides of the same dirty coin.

    Both are bought and paid for by corporate interests and could care less about the common people.

    Hopefully two garbage candidates will bring about alternative candidates that this country sorely needs.

    Both republicans and democrats need to go in favor of new parties and new ideas both on the national stage and locally.

    Thursday, May 12, 2016 Report this

  • ronruggieri

    An interesting and intelligent column on the soul searching test of the " true believer " Republican conservative, best represented by Paul Ryan ? - not willing to support the erratic and dangerous quasi-fascist Donald Trump.

    As a supporter of " socialist " Democrat Bernie Sanders - the stunning victor in the recent Rhode Island Democratic primary- I think Hillary Clinton is beginning to move so significantly to the right that Republican voters- already nostalgic for the Grand Old Party of Ronald Reagan -might very well consider her the ideal Republican presidential candidate.

    Wall St Hillary, pro-death penalty Hillary, Neo-Colonialist Hillary, welfare-reform Hillary, anti-working class Hillary ( very popular in West Virginia coal mine country ) is not even just a " lesser evil " most Bernie Sanders supporters can reluctantly embrace.She is a plutocratic class enemy.

    What Paul Ryan- conservatives and Donald Trump- extremists and Hillary Clinton -neo-Democrats have in common is this : a hard core belief in the capitalist way of life in the America of the 21st century.

    In foreign policy pro-establishment Democrats and Republicans want yet another American Century- with its repression of the working class at home and its imperialism abroad.

    Working class Americans in every state are supporting Bernie Sanders' " political revolution ".

    Do YOU " hear the people sing " ?

    Friday, May 13, 2016 Report this

  • Ken B

    Trump sounds like a Democrat. He is blaming the Republican establishment that controls both Houses of the United States Congress for all the problems facing the United States in today’s world. The problems facing the United States in today’s world have been caused by President Obama and Harry Reid, the Senate Democratic leader. I can’t think of any Republican leader in the Congress who would be willing to work with Trump. Why would Republicans vote for a nominee who does not respect and trust the Republican establishment leaders in Washington? In the 2014 congressional elections, millions of Republicans voted to support the Republican establishment in Washington and the Republican Party gained control of the United States Senate and increased their margin in the House of Representatives. Obama’s veto power, bad decisions by the United States Supreme Court and the threat of the Republicans being blamed for a government shutdown prevented the Republican establishment from passing meaningful legislation. It is a media myth that many Republicans blame the Republican establishment for not solving the problems facing the United States. The 2014 Congressional elections prove that most Republicans supported the Republican establishment in Washington. Trump won many primaries with votes from his loyal TV fans and votes from Democrats. It is illogical to allow long time Democrats to be a determining factor in determining a Republican nominee for president of the United States.

    Monday, May 16, 2016 Report this