Exactly what about this choice is hard for you?

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Listen To You Tell Me Texas Friday 6/24/16

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Throughout the primary season, good friends of mine who largely share my conservative beliefs were either dismissing even the possibility of Donald Trump being the nominee or were shaking their heads in scorn at the prospect.

“If Trump’s the nominee, I’m voting ‘None of the Above’,” quipped a pal.

That was sometime shortly before or after New Year’s. No, he wasn’t my choice back then, either. But the grass has since turned green, the trees have all leafed out, it’s hot outside, the Fourth of July is around the corner and Donald J. Trump is, despite all odds and all “expert” prediction, the Republican nominee for president.

If he wasn’t my first choice in January, he’s my only choice in June.

What I therefore cannot understand is why any Republican – blue blooded or red blooded – isn’t fully on board with him. My ‘None of the Above’ pal is among those still holding out.

“You can’t be serious,”  he said to me when I told him I was backing Trump. “The guy’s a total buffoon.”

“Have you been to his website and read his positions?” I asked.

“No.”

“Well, do it some time,” I said. “There’s nothing there that you won’t like.”

“How do you know he’ll keep any of those promises?” my friend asked.

“I don’t. But I’m certain that Hillary Clinton will keep hers.”

And that, friends, is the entire election boiled down to a single declarative sentence.

It’s true that Trump is a bit of a mixed bag. There is scant usable evidence as to what kind of President of the United States he might make. Attempts to visualize a Trump presidency require heavy reliance on one’s imagination.

RELATED: Mark Davis in the Dallas Morning News.

It is true that Trump’s positions on a number of issues important to conservatives have been rather more fluid than some of us might like.

But Hillary Clinton is a known quantity and we know that she’s awful. We have nearly three decades of evidence as to the shape, color and substance of a potential Hillary Clinton presidency and that evidence is terrifying.

From fiscal policy to foreign policy to debt, immigration, military readiness, fighting terror, minimum wage, public education, energy, banking and trade, we know that Hillary Clinton is frighteningly wrong on every one.

My pal says that Donald Trump will destroy the Republican Party. Perhaps so. But better to destroy a political party than to destroy a nation.

I actually believe that the chances of a very good Donald Trump presidency outweigh the chances of a disastrous one. But let’s take my friend’s argument at face value for a moment.

It reminds me of 2008 when Thomas Sowell was asked why he was supporting John McCain – whom he did not like – over Barack Obama. Said Sowell, “Because I prefer disaster to catastrophe.”

“None of the Above” won’t be on the ballot. The choice is Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Potential disaster or certain catastrophe.

How any nominal Republican could harbor even the tiniest little shred of ambivalence about such a choice defies understanding.

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Paul Gleiser

Paul L. Gleiser is president of ATW Media, LLC, licensee of radio stations KTBB 97.5 FM/AM600, 92.1 The TEAM FM in Tyler-Longview, Texas.

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16 Responses

  1. For the reasons you cite, I too am on board all the way with Donald Trump. Ted Cruz was my first choice, but Trump was always on my list of second choices. Both political parties have failed us and seem bent on continuing on their failed path. Against this pack of losers, Trump looks pretty good. In fact, I don’t see how he could do worse than what he’ll replace, and there’s a reasonable chance he will do much better. I’m a business man. Trump is a businessman. My experience since opening my business in 1976 is that business people are a lot smarter than government types AND a lot less inclined to run up debt.

  2. Linda E Montrose says:

    How can Trump destroy a party that destroyed itself a long time ago? I wasn’t certain about Trump at first either but the man makes sense in everything he says pertaining to making America great again. I haven’t seen ONE republican that was elected to do a JOB back when they had the chance with the backing of the tea party and the people. They FAILED TO DO THEIR JOBS!!! So WHY on God’s green earth would you want to put someone who has already failed to uphold and DO the job they were elected to do? WHY? Because it is PARTY time? What party are you speaking of because the republicans sounds an awfully lot like the democrats to me! The whole thing about this hatred of Trump stems from the fact that once elected, he will show them up as the dismal FAILURES they truly are!!!

  3. Roland Brawner
    If there is, in fact, a caring God, I pray that Hitlary Clinton does not become POTUS. Regardless of Donald Trump’s shortcomings, he is light years ahead of Hitlary when it comes to honesty and a true caring for the middle and lower classes. Yeah, he is rich and he made on the backs of some very hard working individuals. However, “poor penniless, Hitlary” (her words when she left the White House as First Lady….I have to scoff at using “Lady” in the same sentence with Hitlary), now has some $43 Million that came mostly from ‘donations’ from middle eastern countries and big businesses looking for favors. Her negotiating $500,000 per speech for her womanizing husband (can’t really blame him for that!” has made a significant portion of their wealth. Have you ever noticed how her accent changes depending on who she is talking to? Put her in front of a ‘Black Lives Matter’ audience, turn your back and you would swear there is a black woman giving the speech. I haven’t really noticed a Latino accent, but, the empty promises make up for that lack. At least, the Donald has only one voice, which is admittedly sometimes rather harsh, but, I believe he will make his best efforts to fulfill all of his promises. He didn’t get where he is by being untrustworthy, regardless of what lying Hitlary says.
    If you are a Hitlary fan you need not post any sort of vitriolic rebuttals, as I won’t be reading them anyway. If you vote for her and she wins, you will get exactly what you deserve……4 to 8 more years of B.O.. And remember: “What difference does it make now?”

  4. Stan Drake says:

    Trump wasn’t my first choice either, not even my second or third, BUT now as was said earlier, he is my ONLY choice. I’m with him all the way. Destroy the republican party? At this point, I don’t see anything wrong with that and I’ve been republican for 50 years. We have so many so called republicans there now, I can’t tell most of them from democrats. I heard Paul Ryan call himself a conservative today. What a stretch that is. Boehner whined for years that republicans controlled only 1/3 of the government, BUT he caved to Obama’s agenda at every turn. Destroy the republican party? I think not. They did it themselves in ’06.
    As to how Trump talks. We’ve listened to mealy mouthed, whiney, double speak politicians for so long we don’t know how to take someone who just says it like it is and doesn’t dance around the subject. He simply says the things hard working Americans have wanted to say for 10 years or more. We can build the wall and should have a long time ago on our southern border, AND make Mexico pay for it with one phone call from a leader. It is so easy. Phone call to Mexico’s president would go, “Mr. President, I will expect your payment for the new wall by the end of the fiscal year, or next quarter all aid to your country is cut off one day later. We will empty our prisons of illegal immigrant criminals and fly them to Mexico City airport in an armed gunship with fighter escorts and dump them on the tarmac. Any products coming from Mexico will be assessed a 30% tariff until the wall is paid for and 5 years passed pay off date as interest and handling fees for sending your citizens back to you.” Simple. Done. Those in power now don’t want a wall or enforcement of immigration laws. They and their friends make too much money off illegal immigration.
    Will he accomplish everything he says he will? Probably not. You can bet if Hillary wins, we are in for at least 4 more years of Obeymes’ policies and corruption.
    Trump 2016 for this country boy.

  5. A lot of people too timid to take a public stand (as we here are doing), will vote their true thinking in the privacy of the voting booth, including more minorities than the media would have us believe, and out of it will come Trump as president. That day can’t come too soon for me.

  6. Travis says:

    I’m a conservative not a Republican and your right a no vote for Trump is a vote for Hillary. I felt after Rubio took away Cruz’s chance of winning by staying in the during southeast votes showed me America still has not hit rock bottom because we can not get together an defeat the liberals. Then Trump supports started cutting down Cruz supporters saying if all you care about is gay marriage and abortion then it’s time for you to wake up. Now Trump people are upset and don’t know why the Cruz and Rubio people are not on board. Bottom line one is no different then the other and perhaps with Hillary we can hit rock bottom and wake up as Americans.

  7. Jane says:

    I will take my chances and vote for The Donald….we all know what the other candidate is. With the recent email hacks of the BLM / similar (or any paid protestors) crowd regarding US wide coordinated protests on election day and the martial law concern, I am beginning to wonder if that will be the brutal reality of this lawless person in the WH and…what will really happen afterwards???

  8. Joshua says:

    This isn’t a hard choice at all. I made my choice after watching Mr. Trump mock a disabled person. I knew at that moment that he was and is unable to hold the most powerful office in the free nation. Any man that does that lacks the mentality, the compassion, the humility, and the manners to be the President of the United States. Mr. Trump is simply white trash with money. And if you support Mr. Trump, then you are no better than he is.

    • Paul Gleiser says:

      Joshua:

      I don’t know the incident concerning a disabled person and Donald Trump to which you refer. I do know, however, from first-hand, in-person experience how Hillary Clinton treats ordinary people. Her explosive and abusive temper is the subject of many anecdotes. I watched it from 15 feet away as she went off on a subordinate over something for which that young lady wasn’t even REMOTELY at fault. I was just before intervening on the young lady’s behalf when the tantrum ended. Read Gary Byrne’s just-released book, “Crisis of Character.” After you read it, and because you would likely be naturally skeptical of the author, discount everything Mr. Byrne says by 85 percent. And then ask yourself, “Is this the type of person we want for our president?”

      • Wayne says:

        I have an acquaintance through business that was part of the staff for the Clinton’s & the stories he told me years ago corroborates everything Mr. Byrne said in his book.

  9. Donald Trump has made it abundantly clear that his reason for running for President is that he is gravely concerned about the very wrong path our country is currently on under President Obama and would continue to be on under Hillary Clinton or any other democrat [progressive statist].
    Mr. Trump said his goal is one thing and one thing only – to bring about the renaissance of AMERICA. And that, is a good thing!

  10. Wayne says:

    Good job filling in for Mark Davis on 8/5. First of all, the ‘never Trump’ crowd needs to get over themselves because the future of the country is far more important than whatever snit they have with Trump’s actions. He should be supported because he has correctly identified issues that critical to the survival of the country. FREE TRADE – The NAFTA / GATT disaster has cost the country tens of thousand of factories & millions of jobs contrary to the lies of the Clinton’s et al that pushed this upon us. VOODOO ECONOMICS / OBAMA STYLE – The controlled media & financial pundits will extoll the creation of 255,000 new jobs in July but they conveniently ignore the fact that over 1.3 MILLION Americans filed for unemployment during the month of July…..yet the unemployment rate is still around 4.8 %…..this scenario goes on month after month & no-one hardly notices. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION – The fedgov has plenty of $ to give illegals free housing, food, medical, etc. yet somehow doesn’t have the resources to take care of our vets…..some of whom have died waiting for treatment. THIS IS REPREHENSIBLE !

    We were warned years ago by Pat Buchanan & Ross Perot about the treacherous path the fedgov was following with trade, borders, etc. & they were laughed out of town…..let us hope that Americans everywhere will heed Trump’s message this time on these most critical issues

  11. Tom Williams says:

    Just Vote Theory
    I have been disappointed and even alarmed during the last two and current presidential election cycles that some friends (especially Christian friends) have stated they would not vote in the election because there were no worthy candidates (an estimated 12 million conservative and Christian voters stayed home in 2012). This thinking assured that we all got the candidate that virtually all those same people viewed as the least acceptable candidate. This allows the more evil candidate to rule and accelerates the fall of our nation and of men. Is this responsible to future generations? Is it not better to choose one who might best chasten the wicked and empower the righteous?
    There has never been a perfect candidate in any election. All candidates have been/are flawed in some way (King David; a liar, adulterer and murderer). Our job is to select the best candidate who most closely holds a Biblical World-view that also has a reasonable chance of winning an election. In this way we attempt to persuade government/leaders to be more godly. Abdicating our vote or voting for an obscure candidate has contributed to this current debacle. It is a neglectful response to do otherwise and trivializes the inestimable blood shed for this right.
    Several years ago I became familiar with Augustine’s “Just War Theory”. It has inspired me to compare voting to Augustine’s theory in a “Just Vote Theory”. Voting is a kind of peaceful war. Not just vote and get it over-with but, to promote justice you must vote (I do not mean “a different Gospel”, “Social Gospel” or ‘Social Justice”).
    Because men cannot restrain themselves completely, God has ordained the government to do so, by the sword in war and by governing, judging, ruling the people (for us a representative republic). We pray those in government ruling this earthly city would derive their political and social views from the ultimate standard of Biblical Truth and they would be striving for a City of God. But until Christ’s return, we work within a flawed system, doomed to an inevitable demise because man is flawed (sinful).
    As in war, how might we vote to prevent the most suffering, bondage, death and sin? In war we try to protect the innocent non-combatants. Which candidate would best protect the innocent, the old, in the womb and helpless individuals?

    Although a Trump presidency would be better regarding most every issue, Supreme Court nominations alone DEMAND your vote for Donald Trump. The kind of Justices Hillary Clinton would appoint are likely to give us international law, Sharia law, beyond abortion to infanticide, further open borders, persecution and even outlawing Christianity, immoral and disgusting law and perhaps complete abolition of the 1st and 2nd Amendments (our founders two highest priorities). Ultimately freedom will vanish. If government schools have not completely destroyed this nation, Hillary Clinton’s Supreme Court nominations will.
    This vote has been compared to a sinking ship. Those who will not vote are like passengers on a ship that will not bail-out the ship until it reaches shore or someone is found to repair the damage. If Donald Trump appoints two or three originalist judges as he has pledged, that alone will allow a few decades to right this ship rather than scuttle it in a final blow from Hillary Clinton.
    A person may cause evil to others by his actions, but also by inaction. Either way, you are accountable for the injury, but if by inaction, in this case, double.
    Above all we must pray!
    Tom Williams, Ore City, Texas

    The following is my adaptation of a quote from John Stuart Mills. The word War has been replaced with [vote]:

    “[Voting] is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth [voting], is much worse. When a people are used as mere human instruments for firing cannon or thrusting bayonets, in the service and for the selfish purposes of a master, such [voting] degrades a people. A [vote] to protect other human beings against tyrannical injustice; a [vote] to give victory to their own ideas of right and good, and which is their own [vote], carried on for an honest purpose by their free choice, — is often the means of their regeneration. A man who has nothing which he is willing to [vote] for, nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the [vote] of better men than himself. As long as justice and injustice have not terminated their ever-renewing fight for ascendancy in the affairs of mankind, human beings must be willing, when need is, to [vote] for the one against the other.”

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