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A Word from the Wise One in Our Family, Or, Why I’m Going to Take My Time with This
During our end-of-the-day chat yesterday evening, I mentioned to my wife that I’d been in a quiet lather all day — as had many of us here at Ricochet. I’d put up a couple of posts, I explained, quoting people who made the argument that for all his terrible faults Donald Trump would represent a lesser evil than Hillary, and then
a) In comments on the posts, opinion here on the site split between those who agreed and those who quite forcefully insisted instead on having nothing to do with Trump, and,
b) The idea of supporting Trump, even extremely reluctantly, had sat badly with me. Even in my own mind, that is, I remained uneasy and divided.
Her response? “Give it some time. Nobody has to make up his mind in one day.”
As usual, she’s right. My position right now? That figuring out what to do in the present situation represents a very hard problem–hard both politically (we’re going to have to live with the results of this election for at least four years) and morally (each of us is also going to have to live with himself). For the time being, all I know for certain is–well, let me simply quote my friend Robby George: “The nation faces a choice between two appalling people, neither of whom is fit—morally or otherwise—to be President of the United States. God help us.”
Published in General
I think the best case scenario at this point is:
Whereas if Trump wins he’s almost certainly running for re-election in 2020, so we have to sit back and wait until at least 2024 for someone we can be proud to vote for.
Ms. Bart, you have an excellent idea! I still think that I will pray and do some more research on the “other candidates” from the lesser parties and see what I’m going to do.
It will be yuuuge and I’ll let undocumented kitchen staff pay for it….
In order:
12a prostate exam
As many others can’t help but take a moment to note….
They’re OK. You just have to lie back and think of England….
Peter (and all the other Ricochetti),
Let’s face facts: The reason you are conflicted is that the Republicans are about (pursuant to their rules) to nominate a Democrat for President. Think about it. How many times have you complained about how Republicans are held to a different standard, that if they misbehave its a felony while the same conduct by a Democrat is a misdemeanor or even celebrated? How many time have you noted the flip flopping, unprincipled behavior of a Democrat to curry favor or observe Democratic Party discipline? How many times have you heard Democrats slander good conservative men and women? How many times have you thought that a distinguishing characteristic of a Republican, in contrast to a Democrat, was principles over pandering?
So, now you get it, Trump is a Democrat, and there will be two Democrats on the November ballot — one with a claim to support by Republicans in their possible Administration, the other without such support. Which of these possible Presidents will be subject to critical review of their proposals in the Congress? How will a Senate vet a Supreme Court nominee of President Trump vs President Clinton? Will Trump really nominate a Scalia? If not, how will his nomination be better than Hillary’s?
A President Trump without divided government is as much a nightmare as a President Clinton without divided government. So maybe the decision on for whom to vote should be based on which party is likely to control the House?
Peter,
I believe are a California voter. Do not sweat it. You might have an impact on some local non-partisan election, but like the rest of us Californian (former) Republicans, your national and statewide votes are swamped by Hillary Huggers + Bernie’s Bums.
So feel free to vote your conscience.
#NeverTrump
Just so. Peter, I have already absolved you and any other resident of a non-battleground state.
This is spot-on.
um, don’t know how to tell you this, but we aren’t driving.
So, to borrow your analogy, I’m sitting in the seat behind the driver of the bus, the bridge is out and he’s hit the gas shouting, “I’m the greatest, I can clear this gap,” which doesn’t make me feel better because on the other side of the collapsed bridge is a flaming 10 tanker truck conflagration.
Ah well, back to <I>The Story of the Stone</I>, nothing like 18th century Chinese literature to take you away from your troubles.
by a doctor with, um, large hands?
Like Jesse Ventura, Trump is likely to be a one term wonder. Unlike Ventura who ran as an independent, Trump will be wearing the Republican brand, so he is likely to be on the receiving end of a devastating loss by the socialist du jour. So 8 years of W, 8 years of Obama, 4 years of Trump, followed by 8 years of Warren?
SMOD – just end it now.
That was my prediction on a previous thread. I’d rather 4 years of Clinton than 4 of trump followed by 8 with Warren. I guarantee she is running in 2020 or 2024.
Whoa, slow down. What makes you think that Congressional Republicans would have to vote in favor of any Trump initiative that they didn’t agree with? Quit worrying about the mass media; they are going to be hostile no matter what.
Democrats in Congress had no problem opposing Jimmy Carter. That was one of the reasons his term was such a mess.
I would not expect much from a Trump Administration. But I would expect really awful things from a Hillary Administration; really bad stuff with lasting damage to America.
Vote for awful Trump; stop Crooked Hillary.
A Trump Administration would be less damaging to America in either situation.
A Democrat Congress would oppose Trump because he is not one of them, and many of his proposals would contradict their positions.
A Republican Congress would oppose Trump because he is not one of them, and many of his proposals would contradict their positions.
Either of these scenarios is preferable to either scenario with a Hillary Administration.
Peter, you live in CA. Your vote won’t matter anyway. Simply leave the Presidential ballot blank and vote for the down ballot races.
Thats the beauty of living in a blue state, the pressure is off. We know this very well here in MN.
You are missing a few items.
8. Hillary establishes a leftist majority on SCOTUS.
9. In a 5-4 decision, SCOTUS determines that there is no right to private gun ownership in the 2nd Amendment.
10. In a 5-4 decision, SCOTUS determines that religious hospitals must provide a full spectrum of [ahem] “women’s health services.”
11. In a 5-4 decision, SCOTUS determines that all bathrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms, showers, schools, prisons, etc. must be unisex.
12. In a 5-4 decision, SCOTUS determines that the Constitution confers a right to free health care for life and free education through college and graduate school.
13. Iran completes work on their first bomb and tests it over Israel. US does nothing.
14. National debt doubles again, to $40 trillion.
Yup. Same in IL (hence my screen name).
15. Civil war
I’d agree your wife is indeed wise.
However; I’d have to tell my kids I voted for Mr. Trump. I could, in theory, simply lie when asked but I’d still have to admit to myself I voted for him. And there is no way in h-e-double hockey sticks I could vote for Felony.
Luckily, I live in CA so my vote hasn’t mattered since…well…ever.
We’d have to hope that if the best-case 8-12 years of conservative governance part of my scenario came true, we’d have an opportunity to restore a conservative SCOTUS majority and undo some of the damage. Or perhaps Congress would finally reassert its authority and strip SCOTUS of jurisdiction over some of those areas.
On the other hand even with the best of intentions it’s entirely plausible Trump will nominate someone who turns out to be the next Souter/Kennedy/Roberts, i.e. someone good on paper who will stab us in the back on key decisions. And I entirely agree with John and Ryan:
If we get a Souter from Trump followed by another progressive POTUS, the Court is lost for a generation. So the prognosis is grim either way.
Peter, I’m in the same spot as you. Ben Sasse’s FB post last night gave me hope that others are also in despair — ironic pairing of emotions I know, but for quite a while I feared that most people were just willing to give up and go along. In reality, we will not likely see a true (and courageous) leader of the type that Senator Sasse describes step up to the plate in time for the November election. Even if Sen. Sasse were to take it on, the media would undoubtedly express one group yawn, while the pundits would call it another “desperate move” on the part of the “not Trump” establishment. I have voted in every primary and general election since I was old enough to vote back in the early ’70s, and I cannot see myself as sitting this one out. However, while California Republicans will not determine the outcome of this election, I still feel very depressed about having this null alternative on the plate. I will vote for all the offices on the down ticket, but I fear most discouraged California Republicans will just stay home, and we will lose the few good conservatives we still have serving in Congress.
Your wife is wise indeed Peter. I think I’ll take her advice as well.
Note:
NB: Different (and stricter) standards apply to fellow members than to public figures.[redacted]
Wait, is it only okay to do that to Trump?
NEVER going to happen.
Any scenario that depends ona GOP Congress standing up to a Democrat in the White House is doomed to failure.
You’re much more likely to get a GOP Congress blocking the efforts of a GOP President they hate.
Not a single GOP Senator voted for Obamacare. Not even one. You can’t possibly get any more united against a Democrat in the White House than that.
I’m glad Obama’s presidency didn’t hurt you too badly. Sadly, many others cannot say the same. My business has shrunk significantly since 2009, I’ve had to lay off many employees and my family’s health insurance rates have more than tripled.
That has been the case for many decades…we should be used to it by now.