At times--not all the time, but sometimes--I find Donald Trump to be annoying, disappointing, rude, and abrasive. But, here are eight reasons that I could support him if he gets the GOP nomination:
1. Trump is the only Republican candidate who understands that trade deals like NAFTA, CAFTA, GATT, etc., have been disastrous for our industrial base and for American jobs, and he is the only Republican candidate who is willing to use protective tariffs to protect American jobs and industry and to stop nations like China from fleecing us via currency manipulation and other unfair trade practices. Cruz and Rubio seem to have forgotten that the Republican Party of Abraham Lincoln strongly supported protective tariffs and that America flourished for decades behind the high, protective tariff rates that the Republican presidents and Republican-controlled Congresses established.
2. Trump is basically a non-interventionist and would not drag us into unnecessary wars and nation building. Trump opposed the Iraq War long, long before any other Republican leaders began to even hint at doubts about it, and he is one of the few GOP leaders who is willing to admit that the war was a horrible blunder. Trump is also the only GOP candidate who realizes that Vladimir Putin is our natural ally on many issues, especially ISIS. Trump has been strident in his attacks on the Iran nuclear deal, but he would not just "tear it up" as soon as he entered the White House, as Cruz has pledged to do. Trump is also open to maintaining the opening to Cuba without demanding all the conditions that neo-con Republicans have demanded (we would have no diplomatic relations with China, Russia, Pakistan, Thailand, etc., etc., if we adopted the same approach toward them that the neo-cons want us to adopt toward Cuba).
3. I believe Trump would be the toughest on illegal immigration, on securing our Southern border, and on ending the disgrace of sanctuary cities.
4. Since Trump does not want to change or privatize Social Security and Medicare but wants to pay for them with increased economic growth and with cuts in other areas, the Democrats would be unable to use these issues to scare seniors. Trump doesn’t even want to raise the retirement age for Social Security, and many, many Americans agree with that position.
5. Trump’s tax plan would be a huge improvement over what we have now. It’s not as conservative as Cruz’s plan, but it’s also not as easy to demagogue because it would give tax breaks to the middle class and would raise some taxes on the rich (while cutting other taxes on the rich).
6. I believe Trump would be able to get things done because I think he would be able to find middle ground with reasonable Democrats on a number of issues. I think he would have the best chance of ending much of the gridlock that has plagued Congress and the White House for a long time. I think he would govern as a centrist on some issues and as a conservative on other issues.
7. Trump’s position on Planned Parenthood would be the hardest for the Democrats to demagogue, since he has been willing to acknowledge that Planned Parenthood does perform some worthwhile functions. Trump has said he would cut federal funds for PP because of their involvement with abortion, but he would not be hostile toward PP (whereas Ted Cruz has pledged to have the DOJ investigate PP).
8. People who follow politics know that if you want to know how a candidate is going to govern, look at the people with whom he surrounds himself; look at his campaign manger and his other top aides. Trump’s campaign manger is a former state director of Americans for Prosperity and a former campaign manager for former ultra-conservative Senator Bob Smith of New Hampshire; his deputy campaign manager was Sarah Palin’s chief of staff; his recruiting staffer worked for ardent conservative Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas; his national field director was a founding member of Americans for Prosperity; and his national spokeswoman was a spokeswoman for the Tea Party Leadership Fund. I might add that Trump’s adult children are conservatives (for example, go to YouTube and watch some of the interviews that Eric Trump has given, and Trump's daughter Ivanka is a practicing Orthodox Jew).
1. Trump is the only Republican candidate who understands that trade deals like NAFTA, CAFTA, GATT, etc., have been disastrous for our industrial base and for American jobs, and he is the only Republican candidate who is willing to use protective tariffs to protect American jobs and industry and to stop nations like China from fleecing us via currency manipulation and other unfair trade practices. Cruz and Rubio seem to have forgotten that the Republican Party of Abraham Lincoln strongly supported protective tariffs and that America flourished for decades behind the high, protective tariff rates that the Republican presidents and Republican-controlled Congresses established.
2. Trump is basically a non-interventionist and would not drag us into unnecessary wars and nation building. Trump opposed the Iraq War long, long before any other Republican leaders began to even hint at doubts about it, and he is one of the few GOP leaders who is willing to admit that the war was a horrible blunder. Trump is also the only GOP candidate who realizes that Vladimir Putin is our natural ally on many issues, especially ISIS. Trump has been strident in his attacks on the Iran nuclear deal, but he would not just "tear it up" as soon as he entered the White House, as Cruz has pledged to do. Trump is also open to maintaining the opening to Cuba without demanding all the conditions that neo-con Republicans have demanded (we would have no diplomatic relations with China, Russia, Pakistan, Thailand, etc., etc., if we adopted the same approach toward them that the neo-cons want us to adopt toward Cuba).
3. I believe Trump would be the toughest on illegal immigration, on securing our Southern border, and on ending the disgrace of sanctuary cities.
4. Since Trump does not want to change or privatize Social Security and Medicare but wants to pay for them with increased economic growth and with cuts in other areas, the Democrats would be unable to use these issues to scare seniors. Trump doesn’t even want to raise the retirement age for Social Security, and many, many Americans agree with that position.
5. Trump’s tax plan would be a huge improvement over what we have now. It’s not as conservative as Cruz’s plan, but it’s also not as easy to demagogue because it would give tax breaks to the middle class and would raise some taxes on the rich (while cutting other taxes on the rich).
6. I believe Trump would be able to get things done because I think he would be able to find middle ground with reasonable Democrats on a number of issues. I think he would have the best chance of ending much of the gridlock that has plagued Congress and the White House for a long time. I think he would govern as a centrist on some issues and as a conservative on other issues.
7. Trump’s position on Planned Parenthood would be the hardest for the Democrats to demagogue, since he has been willing to acknowledge that Planned Parenthood does perform some worthwhile functions. Trump has said he would cut federal funds for PP because of their involvement with abortion, but he would not be hostile toward PP (whereas Ted Cruz has pledged to have the DOJ investigate PP).
8. People who follow politics know that if you want to know how a candidate is going to govern, look at the people with whom he surrounds himself; look at his campaign manger and his other top aides. Trump’s campaign manger is a former state director of Americans for Prosperity and a former campaign manager for former ultra-conservative Senator Bob Smith of New Hampshire; his deputy campaign manager was Sarah Palin’s chief of staff; his recruiting staffer worked for ardent conservative Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas; his national field director was a founding member of Americans for Prosperity; and his national spokeswoman was a spokeswoman for the Tea Party Leadership Fund. I might add that Trump’s adult children are conservatives (for example, go to YouTube and watch some of the interviews that Eric Trump has given, and Trump's daughter Ivanka is a practicing Orthodox Jew).
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