I Voted for Trump. It's Time For A New GOP Nominee
The former President will be incapable of governing effectively
They say, “may you live in interesting times.” I often think we might be happier with the opposite. Nevertheless, it has been fascinating since Trump entered the public arena in 2015. It was such a novel event, many lost their minds. The Huffington Post famously covered his campaign in the entertainment section. Trump was Morning Joe’s darling until they famously began a hateful feud. And the deranged coverage of Trump from both left and right has continued apace for the last eight years.
In my mind, a vote for Trump was a protest vote. I was so fed up with the “Rich Men North of Richmond,” I would have voted for many people that had no experience in Washington. And I think for many, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden are the perfect symbols of lifelong DC elites. The type of candidate I was looking for would promise to shake things up and deliver results for the people. Populism usually carries a negative connotation - the term “Populist” is often a pejorative. I’ve never understood this - isn’t our government meant to be of, for and by the people? Suffice it to say, those of us who elected Trump meant to send an ear-piercing siren of a wake-up call to our “leaders.”
However, since Trump’s election the world has gone crazy. Between travel restrictions, pandemics, lockdowns, government censorship, proxy wars, impeachments, special prosecutors, election interference, race riots, Jan. 6th, trans sports, the Dobbs decision, Kavanugh’s confirmation, droughts and wildfires, major storms and earthquakes, and saber rattling with China, we’ve barely taken a breath as a nation. Tragedies and strife have seemed to accelerate in the Trump-infused world.
At this point, the people and the country need new leadership. While many of Trump’s policies were effective, his handling of both the COVID pandemic and the aftermath of the 2020 election are disqualifying. Trump was a huge proponent of lockdowns, a failed policy that irrevocably harmed our kids emotionally, developmentally and socially.
Trump also put Anthony Fauci in charge of the COVID response. Mr. Fauci not only funded the bioweapon gain-of-function research in Wuhan that likely led to the outbreak, he lied to Congress about it while pushing an experimental mRNA therapy as a traditional vaccine and downplaying other possibly effective remedies. Many experts claim Fauci did not follow the traditional protocols for new pandemics and we are all the worse for it. Ultimately, Trump is responsible. I do not want him leading us through another crisis of this magnitude.
Likewise, Trump’s actions regarding January 6th disqualify him. I understand the frustration many feel about the 2020 election. There was certainly election interference from the Intelligence Community, who orchestrated a bogus letter based upon a request from Joe Biden’s surrogate, the current Secretary of State. There were some states that ignored state law for mail in ballots and ballot harvesting, perhaps illegally. And there was a concerted, secret effort by Mark Zuckerberg and other union and corporate elites to impact the results of the election.
But it just doesn’t add up. As Chris Christie said in the debate last week, “Whether or not you believe that the criminal charges are right or wrong, the conduct is beneath the office of president of the United States.” I do believe that the various charges brought against Trump reek of political retribution in their timing, some spurious legal theories and precedent, but the conduct must be sanctioned. As Andrew McCarthy opines, the second impeachment was the opportunity to do this and we failed in this effort. As usual, Congress voted for themselves, rather than #TheCountry.
So how does this end? I honestly don’t know. I am very concerned with what happens if Trump is convicted in one of these cases and remains on the ballot. The best thing to happen would be for Trump and Biden to cut a deal - pardon Trump and he agrees never to run for office again. This, of course, is a fantasy. But a guy can dream.