Leon H. Wolf:
I have a serious question for the Trump supporters, and I hope they will be able to answer it, at least to themselves. It is a question that every supporter of every candidate should be able to answer if they consider themselves a thinking voter instead of a mindless, drooling sports fan. The question is this:
What, hypothetically, would Trump have to do or say to cause you to stop supporting him?
If someone were to call and poll me today, I would probably fit under the category of “undecided.” I would happily cast my vote for any one of Jindal, Cruz, Rubio, or Fiorina (probably in that order) and would likewise vote (but with considerably less gusto) for Carson, Christie, or Bush (probably also in that order). I would grudgingly pull the lever for the rest of the field in order to prevent either Trump or Kasich from getting the nomination.
That having been said, I can easily envision any number of events that would cause me to absolutely refuse to support even the candidates I like a great deal. If Bobby Jindal, let’s say, were to come out tomorrow and say that he would only nominate judges who promised to uphold Roe v. Wade, he would without question lose my support. If Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) 100% came out in favor of funding Planned Parenthood tomorrow, I would be done with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) 100%. IfSen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) 92% stated that his favorite President of all time was Jimmy Carter, that would be the last of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) 92% for me. If Carly Fiorina said that she believed that everyone should pay at least 30% of their income in federal taxes every year, I would quickly become an enemy of Carly Fiorina.
This is what distinguishes “voters” from “fans.” Fans don’t have to really ask these questions of themselves. I mean, there might be something that would cause me to stop being a fan of the Boston Red Sox, but it hasn’t happened yet, and after watching roughly half of my most beloved players end their careers in a Yankees uniform, I can say at this point that even if they traded Dustin Pedroia to the Yankees tomorrow I would still put on the big red “B” hat next year with hardly a second thought.
Voting, though, is at least theoretically supposed to be a different endeavor, especially for people who pride themselves on being the “reasonable” people in this country. It’s supposed to matter what candidates think, do, and say. There should be a point with literally every candidate where something they have done would push us over the edge to the point that we wouldn’t support them anymore.
This is all the more true with respect to Trump and his supporters, who allegedly exist because the Republican “establishment” has betrayed them one too many times, thus pushing them into the welcoming arms of The Donald. If betrayal of conservative principles, or strategic failures, or cronyism or whatever it is that caused you to become a Trump fan in the first place, shouldn’t an equivalent sin committed by Trump likewise cause you to end your support of him?
I ask because I would have thought that being a repeat donor to Clinton and other Democrats might have been that point for principled conservatives.
I ask because I would have thought that using Michael Moore’s talking points on 9/11 might have been that point for principled conservatives.
I would have thought that defending federal funding of Planned Parenthood might have been that point for principled conservatives.
I would have thought that adopting Democrat rhetoric on the need to raise taxes on the wealthy might have been that point for principled conservatives.
I would have thought that publicly professing a love for eminent domain might have been that point for principled conservatives.
I haven’t even gotten into the insanely liberal things Trump said and did before he decided to run for President, because apparently being an unprincipled and opportunistic flip flopper only bothers principled conservatives when the candidate in question is Mitt Romney. It doesn’t even apparently matter that The Donald’s immigration stance is likewise a transparent flip flop from what he said as recently as 2013.
None of these things, though, has been enough to dislodge any measurable amount of Trump’s support. And they are all things Trump has done during the short course of this campaign.
@Greg: So you deny she lied about a video causing the attack?
Do you deny that she did not provide the requested security?
Do you deny she used a secret email account to conduct State Department business and had classified information on it?
I am just wondering how deeply in far left denial you actually are. Because all of this, and much, much more, is backed up with documentation.
I’m saying that all claims of wrongdoing on the part of Secretary of State Clinton or anyone else in the Obama administration with regard to Benghazi are not supported by evidence and are not consistent with the known facts. That’s the same conclusion that all investigative committees thus far have reached. The present iteration is nothing but political theater. They were little more than that previously.
The same thing is true of the bogus IRS scandal, regardless of what Darrell Issa says. The DOJ has just announced that they have closed their investigation, finding no basis for any criminal charges.
Maybe republicans should shift gears and try to do something useful for a change. Perhaps they might consider some useful legislation, since that’s what they’re being paid for.
Very interesting. The first three are not natural born citizens and are not eligible. Interesting start for an article on ‘why not to vote for someone’.
Bobby Jindal supported Common Core in Louisiana, that alone is enough to not vote for him.
It should also matter if the person is qualified for the office. We shouldn’t just forget about the natural born citizen requirement because the Dims have now had one, so it must be okay to elect unqualified people.
If we are truly concerned about what ‘principled conservatives’ should do it is that they should not vote for a candidate that is not a natural born citizen.
Mitt was infinitely better than his opponent as any Republican will be against the current Dimocrats that claim to be running.
Are you saying that Trump has made multiple donations to Hillary’s campaign since he has been running for Pres. He might have, but I don’t believe it.
What could he do to make me not vote for him? Say he is for amnesty for illegal aliens and say he is not going to build a fence. Those would cross him off my list of potential vote getters. (note: I have not decided who I will vote for. I have decided who I will NOT vote for.)
I think it is a mistake to count someone as not sincere just because the say they are voting for Trump. I think it is the message he gives, compared to the message from the RINO’s that are running. We are tired of being betrayed and think that what he is saying sounds good. Even if he doesn’t deliver, how are we worse off because in most cases what the RINO’s are promising is worse than his worst case.
What’s wrong with eminent domain? That’s been a law since the country began. Legal processes should be followed, but if the country has a better use for the land for the benefit of the people, go thru the legal process and compensate the person fairly. There are many prime areas of land available in almost every state.
@Greg: Well, it is a fact their were warned of terror threats… and ignored them. It’s a fact the neglected the security at the consulate… where they were running weapons to rebels. It’s a fact that they all lied about the video. It’s a fact they all knew it was a terrorist attack and they all lied. The lied because of the election.
Now, aside from Hillary lying while under oath before the panel, perhaps none of that is a violation of any laws. However, what the FACTS clearly prove is that Hillary is just about the least worthy person to be President of the United States that could possibly sign up for the job. It proves she is inept and incompetent and that even among lying politicians, she is a stand-out among them.
When Hillary says she feels worse than anyone else about the deaths she is responsible for, I would argue she is not taking into consideration the survivors she lied to about the deaths of their loved ones. All Hillary worries about and loses sleep over is the negative effect her failures has on her political aspirations.
@another vet: 5
Wait a minute AV. Trump got a medical disqualification by a military doctor while taking a physical. That was not a deferment. Clinton did not get a deferment, he was actually a felony draft dodger. He was ordered to report and did not do so. That is a felony. Oh sure he had some political friends that got him out of it, but that didn’t change the fact that he was a felony draft dodger. Not to mention that he is also a multiple rapist.
@Rasputin: 8
I take objection to: “but if you are a vet and don’t support him be quiet.” I am a vet and having the right to say what I want to say and to say it when I want to say it, is one of the reasons I am a vet. So don’t tell any vet to sit down and shut up. Vets gave Americans the right to free speech.
@Rich Wheeler: 19
Are you saying you don’t know who the friends of USSR were? wow.
@another vet:
Not to mention the fact that she (her office) received over 600 requests for additional security in Benghazi and she never saw any of the requests and not one person relayed even one of the requests to her. And she never fired any of her employees. She just let them get killed, that ended the requests.
@Rich Wheeler: 25
Nice to know you’re still watching Fox News.
@Greg:
you recognize “fricking pig-headed and stupid because you are accustomed to being around Dimocrats. That’s why you don’t understand what Repubs are.