What is a conservative to do when presented with a leader with very poor character traits? It is question that vexes, especially when it is a binary choice.
Conservatives – especially in the US – have been torn apart by Trump. Is he beyond the pale or the only one who can stop the Leftist rot? After much internal debate, I am still of the opinion that he is the only one who can stop the rot. You might not like him, but he is our man on the wall. He is our Colonel Jessep in A Few Good Men.
And in the current climate, we do, if we really think about it, want him on that wall. We do need him on that wall because without Trump, the entire Republican experiment is over. It might be over in the long run anyway, but Trump gives it a chance to survive.
The truth is that many of the never-Trumpers, some of whom I much admire, feel morally superior to the hold-the-nosers, while conveniently benefiting from Trump. They object to Trump in the opinion pages, but they benefit from those willing to support Trump and his policies.
The never-Trumpers have the luxury of distancing themselves from this flawed President while benefiting from his Supreme Court appointee. They benefit from Trump’s federal judicial appointees. They have the tax cuts. They agree that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Do you think there would be any of this under Clinton? No.
But we need someone with decency, integrity and civility, say the never-Trumpers. Sure, I wanted that too – but he wasn’t on the Presidential ballot, was he? And anyway, we did have the very civil and decent Mitt Romney, and he was slammed as a misogynist. The Left said he was going to launch a ‘war on women’ because he opposed partial birth abortion. This is what the Left do – name-call anyone who disagrees with their agenda.
And John McCain – remember him? He is a darling of the Left now for his opposition to Trump but once upon a time he was denounced as a racist too. See, here, and here, and here and here.
So, does this mean we must accept anyone, no matter what, as a leader? No – of course not. A genuine anti-Semite or racist or misogynist is obviously disqualified as a candidate.
But I don’t believe Trump is any of those things. The Left believes someone like Toby Young is a Nazi. An actual Nazi. The Left would go after Mother Teresa given half a chance. In fact, they did go after Mother Teresa, the nun who picked dying babies out of bins and comforted lepers.
That is the Left – peddlers of lies and persecutors of nuns. You are either with them, or you are a far-Right extremist who should be run out of town. They will pull the same number on the next Republican candidate, you wait and see. For now, we need Trump on that wall.
