Donald Trump is a showman, an entertainer, a braggart, superficial, occasionally crude and coarse, and not very knowledgeable about the major issues of the day. So here’s why I would vote for him in a heartbeat over Hillary Clinton.
Barring some unlikely chain of events, Trump will win the Republican nomination for president. A brokered convention still remains a possibility, but voters tend to coalesce around a winner in the latter primaries. Trump has won almost two-thirds of the Republican primaries, and as he routinely notes, people do not like to associate themselves with losers. Notwithstanding the candidacy of Ted Cruz, who is still preferable to Trump among the remaining candidates, it would be shocking if Trump did not win a first ballot majority despite the cries of the pundits.
It remains true that establishment Republicans and committed Conservatives are less than enamored with Trump, many openly despise him, some are plotting a third-party Conservative candidate, and a handful would even prefer the election of Hillary (if her well-deserved indictment does not materialize) over that of Trump. Trump has a relatively short history as a Conservative, and a slightly longer one as a Republican – but anyone who gave tens of thousands of dollars to the Clinton Foundation, to Hillary herself, to Nancy Pelosi and a host of others will give true Conservatives the jitters.
But just what is the Republican Party? It is an alliance of like-minded people around a certain set of ideas that the American people in the most recent national elections have come to reject. Laments about the quality of this or that candidate aside, Republicans have lost the popular vote in five out of the last six presidential elections. One can blame the candidate’s flaws or missteps, or the policies proposed, and certainly the cannibalization of the Republican candidates that occurs during every nominating process. Food for thought: the only time in more than two decades Republican presidential candidates were not disparaging each other in bruising and ugly primary battles occurred in 2004, not coincidentally the only time in that time span that the Republican nominee won the popular vote. That year saw only one Republican candidate – the incumbent President George W. Bush. Here’s to the return of the smoke-filled room…
The bottom line is the same. The Republican Party is a party that has mostly good ideas but has not won presidential elections with those ideas, for whatever reason. Purists should take note: there is a certain intellectual elegance and endearing obstinacy in preferring to lose elections while going down with the ship. But it doesn’t help the nation, the world or the party to keep losing.
That’s not to say Trump will win or that Cruz would lose. Who knows? Any Republican has an uphill battle against Hillary Clinton due to the nature of the electorate and the concentration in large states of devotees of free stuff. For sure, Trump as president will be a disappointment – but Clinton as president will be a constant irritant, even ignoring her execrable policies that are intended to promote class warfare and divisiveness and punish the successful in order to reward the clueless.
Clinton is a liar, a crook, an active participant in the largest pay-for-play scheme in the history of mankind, someone who accomplished nothing as a Senator and only harmed American interests as Secretary of State, and whose main qualification for office – this, from a feminist icon – is that she is the “wife of…” Worse than all of that, she is an awful speaker, shrill when she tries to be passionate, and consistently inflecting the wrong word IN the sentence she IS speaking at any GIVEN time or the wrong syllable in words she used for the sake of emphaSIS. Her presidency would be unbearable.
To use Trumpian language, she would be a “disaster!” on Israel, continuing the policies of harassment of Israel, subtle support for the BDS movement organizers who are all Democrats, pressuring Israel not to build in its heartland and not to take elementary measures of self-defense , and continue down the suicidal path to the creation of another Palestinian state. Of course, Jews will find every reason not to vote for Trump the Republican, as they would find every reason not to vote for Cruz or Kasich the Republicans. Jews would vote against Moshe if he ran as a Republican, as, of course, he would. See Joseph Epstein’s WSJ article “On the Political Stupidity of the Jews,” and nothing more needs to explained. Jews have voted themselves into political irrelevance – and think they are the kingmakers.
Of course, just because Hillary is a “disaster!” on Israel doesn’t mean Trump will be “incredible!” on Israel, but the known unknown (Trump’s coyness – and shallow grasp of the issues) is preferable to the known known (the Hillary hostility). That most secular Jews do not feel like that is attributable to their fragile and halfhearted support for Israel, all their pious protestations to the contrary notwithstanding.
Not for a moment do I believe that Trump believes that he will be able to fulfill even half the blustery promises he is making. Mexicans will not pay for the wall even if it is built. He is not deporting 13,000,000 people. Iran would love to have the US abrogate the nuclear agreement, now that it has the billions of dollars it craved and the European contracts it craved even more. Anyone who believes that Trump will slap a 35% tariff on imports should quickly summon for consultations Mr. Smoot and Mr. Hawley, whose tariff legislation in 1930 plunged the United States and the entire world even deeper into depression. It won’t happen. He is the great unknown and that carries great risks, but Trump will likely compromise, settle and declare whatever deal he makes “incredible, the best deal ever.”
Here’s what will certainly happen in a Trump presidency: the culture will change and largely for the better. I wouldn’t mind four years without hearing the phrases “politically correct, micro aggressions, safe spaces,” and other such claptrap; four years in which a president and others can say freely that “all lives matter,” in which the radical Islamic enemy abroad and within is named, identified and targeted, and in which police are respected and goons disrespected; four years in which the emasculation of America that Obama has presided over disappears, along with the constriction of the First Amendment that entails. People have had enough of the moral posturing of the faux victim, which has resulted in nothing less than in the increase of the numbers of faux victims and even the possible causes of victimhood. People are tired of having to whisper the truth because murderers, evildoers, or sinners will have their feelings hurt by it, even unintentionally.
No one wants to live in a country and be harassed for faith, for belief in the Bible, for service of G-d, and no one I know wants to be ridiculed for clinging to their religion (or their guns, for that matter). That dimension of American culture has been so debased in the Obama era that even the uncouthness of a Donald Trump comes as a welcome relief. People are exasperated about having to constantly second guess themselves when speaking, writing, or even thinking, lest they offend someone for who knows what. Imagine that – Trump as redeemer of the popular culture!
If there is a reason why so many people are voting for Trump across the country – and many of them would be characterized as “not traditional Republicans” – it is for that reason alone. People are dismayed over having to watch every word and be accused of some “-ism” if they laugh at a joke. People are distraught over an America where hard work is penalized, where illegal aliens soak up the tax dollars of the tax payers, where people enter America from abroad with ease (and unknown numbers of those visitors arrive with hostile intentions), where our enemies are on the ascent and America boasting about leading from behind, where wages are stagnant and the American dream is stifled. A lot of people apparently don’t care what the Republican elders feel or what any politician says. Democracy is a most unwieldy form of government.
All of the above will be exacerbated under a Clinton administration (how can she escape indictment? It boggles the mind and evidences a rigged system.). Political correctness will get a shot in the arm. It is a weird election year that is symptomatic of the problems and discontent afflicting American society. This is worse than the usual “these are the best candidates available?!” or the hackneyed “choice between the lesser of two evils.” Most presidents in the last half-century have left office with negative ratings (Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton are the only exceptions). These two currently have negative ratings, and only wishful thinkers assume that means their popularity can only increase. It can easily descend even more. There are people on both sides of the political divide who genuinely despise both likely candidates.
Donald Trump may not be able to revive the American dream, the problems are that entrenched. (Cruz would be better.) But he will be able to revive the American spirit, unless he too is aborted by the purists, the perfectionists and/or the short-sighted.
Rabbi Pruzansky's Blog 
(Obama x 2) + Hillary + Trump = Failure of Democracy 😦
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FAMOUS LAST WORDS
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Mohammed’s last words before he died:
“O Lord, kill the Jews and Christians.”
SOURCE: Hadith Malik, 511:1588
EXPLANATION: Islam teaches that Mohammed’s
later teachings take priority over his older teachings.
Therefore, the later the teaching, the greater it is.
Therefore, Muslims must believe that Mohammed’s
last words were his most important words.
Hadith is a major Islamic holy book, like the Koran.
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Please help Shurat HaDin SUE the terrorists in court:
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http://israellawcenter.org/pr/terror-victims-win-court-victory-over-iran/
Shurat HaDin’s victory for Israel on FaceBook:
http://www.algemeiner.com/2016/01/08/facebook-finally-caves-on-anti-israel-hate-pages/
I mostly agree. I absolutely despise Donald Trump but not nearly as much as I despise Hillary Clinton. I wanted Rubio but it was not to be. I only wish he saw that and dropped out before Tuesday so that Cruz could dispatch Trump, but there’s that unbridled ego of the politician. I would be quite satisfied with Cruz especially over Trump but that doesn’t appear to be likely to happen. In the end I’m facing my worst nightmare a Clinton Trump race. What choice do I have. I prefer the often clueless, narcissistic QUESTION MARK called Trump, in spite of the long list of negatives I’ve spent the last few months spewing on Facebook to the DEFINITIVELY crooked and dangerous Hillary Clinton.
Rabbi, if you could see me now, I’m giving you a standing ovation! I always enjoy your posts immensely, but, you’ve outdone yourself on this one! Bravo! You have posted the absolute truth about Hillary to the chagrin of many of your readers, I would wager. But, the truth hurts, and, in her case, cannot be repeated often enough.
While much of your description of The Donald is also on target, I confess to liking him enormously. He makes me laugh. I’m also acutely aware that 90% of his shtick is a well planned and choreographed act. I believe, he believes in getting everyone’s attention first, by being entertaining, soon to be followed by a more serious persona – the one who negotiated enough deals to make him a billionaire!
I believe he is the best candidate to take on Hillary and will defeat her soundly. If women will put on their big girl panties and accept that Donald is not a misogonist, or racist, or bigot, as Bill Clinton so obviously is, it will serve them well. Bill’s been the recipient of a compliant media covering his transgressions for too long, and Donald will blow the lid off if Hillary attacks him personally. Bet on it!
Keep posting the truth throughout the entire election campaign and maybe you’ll change the minds of at least a few Hillary supporters.
F. Smith
Fairhope, Alabama
Write on Rabbi!
Rabbi, why in your opinion are people voting for Trump when Cruz is clearly the far, far better candidate for the presidency?
I don’t think the Jewish vote has played a role yet. Most of the big Jewish population states have yet to vote, and even in those other states, most Jews are Democrats and not voting in the Republican primaries. But I do prefer Cruz (or Rubio, Fiorina, Huckabee, Carson…). The Jewish electorate voting in Republican primaries is a small one. I don’t think Trump or Cruz tried to court the Jewish vote in Iowa or New Hampshire.
Trust me on this: I hope Cruz is the nominee, and if he is, most of the same Jews who are apoplectic over Trump will be apoplectic over Cruz. They are Democrats, period. That Jews would knowingly prefer the Israel-bashing Hillary – and her special friend Sidney Blumenthal – is shocking but not surprising. And many of them think that Obama has been a blessing for Israel. Those are the Jews who are routinely spat on and think it’s raining.
– RSP
JEWS!!!! GET OUT OF THE GALUT AND COME HOME!!!
For those who absolutely despise Trump (and would rather sit out this one or vote for that M’achashefa) have drunk the Kool-ade of the fountains of the leftist, bleeding heart liberals who have carefully and psychologically infiltrated our minds. Trump may be “prust” and non-Presidential (whatever than means) but he represents the backlash of America against the Left. It’s as simple as ABC. Anybody But Clinton!
So Trump is bombastic, with an outsized personality – nu, that’s so terrible? Many Americans – millions and millions, in fact, growing rapidly – don’t think so. And despite the attempts to lampoon them, the vast majority of these voters are patriotic wage earners and family men and women, people whose opinions, while perhaps rough around the edges, we should respect. These are not people who are voting X merely because X will shower them with other people’s money. They know what so many of us fools fail to perceive, which is that Trump represents EXACTLY what our country needs right now (as you wrote.) 100 years ago it would have been different, but a lot has happened since the days of Woodrow Wilson.
Look at the most recent bit of nonsense unsuccessfully used to attack Trump, the way he views people who interfere at his rallies. How many of us ourselves have been angered when watching things like that happen? Would we like it if we spent months and years preparing for a series of speeches, and rude people try to break it up? Like everything else in life big and small – we Jews can all think of examples – if you don’t make it painful for the person or groups doing something harmful, it will just keep happening again and again and again. There’s nothing admirable about pols who “engage” the protesters in discussion; to me, that’s weakness.
As for superficial knowledge of the issues – I don’t know of any issue at the moment bigger than America’s lost will to be great, and he’s doing a pretty good job of trying to reverse that. On important matters like immigration and tax policy he seems to have just as good a grip on those issues as the others, if not better. But it is admittedly true, if one asks him what the capital of Kazakhastan is, he might not know it at this time.
I was a Cruz guy because of his libertarian streak, but Cruz would probably not have won the presidency. Trump, on the other hand, probably will. Its a lot more fun winning than losing, and for all those nervous nellies out there, rest assured that the vast majority of govt appointments the president gets to dole out will be made by regular mainstream republicans. At this stage in the game, even people who voted for other candidates should get on board on the Trump train, and try exerting whatever influence they can from the inside.
If it’s Trump vs Hillary, I will only vote down ballot. Here’s what I think it amounts to:
I completely disapprove of everything Clinton represents but I feel pretty sure of what she will do. In Trump, I don’t believe anything he says, I have no idea what he’s going to do. Moreover, I don’t think HE even has an idea of what he’s going to do. He is a narcissistic con artist who could easily put us all in danger and that scares me most.
Thanks for putting my thoughts on the election into words. I am a Cruz voter but will still vote ABC if it’s Trump the people on this side choose.
I find myself in the awkward position now of defending TRUMP, and his followers are living up to every criticism of the enemy, shrill, uncompromising, and downright nasty if you are for Cruz. They are nastier than the Democrats to us. It is a disgusting shame they don’t realize they will need us if they want to WIN.
Disappointed there is no TWITTER share button, but I will copy/paste it.
Thank you. I regret to inform you that I haven’t a clue what a Twitter share button is!
-RSP
BRAvo! braVO! BRAVO!! Excellent analysis, as usual, Rabbi! Why aren’t YOU running for President??
I already have a job!
-RSP
A fellow named Michael Godwin had an article in the NY Post over the weekend that encapsulates perfectly what the opposition to Trump is: racism, pure and simple. The last bit of racism permitted in America, against whites. Displays very keen insight.
While we are discussing the reasons why Republicans keep losing major elections, we must also discuss the maxim: “Change elections by changing the electorate.” There is a reason why Republican presidential candidate Ronald Reagan won in two massive landslides. There is no reason to believe that large national Republican victories will happen again for the foreseeable future.
Democrats know their constituents. Starting with the Hart-Celler Act, America began an accelerated program of chain migration, especially from countries where many immigrants believe wealth and power are gifts granted by the State rather than earned through hard work and talent…
Democrats also know they can change the electorate by other means such as keeping the borders open, granting amnesty to illegal welfare recipients, preventing the clean up of out-of-date voter rolls, and restricting identification at the election polls.
Until the above changes, the Republicans will keep losing in elections, and unfortunately, with progressively increasing margins.
It helps that Republicans nowadays come off as hostile towards minorities.
George Bush was able to win with something like 42% of the Hispanic vote in 04. He laid out the blueprint, they just haven’t followed it
Just because Republicans are against the racist policy of affirmative action and the like which financially benefit many minorities does not mean Republicans are against minorities.
With almost anyone else, I would be ABC. But Trump is the exception.
He’s too unqualified, and too unpredictable.
Even if his opponent is predictably awful? Sounds self-defeating. Why not hope for the best (possible) than just be resigned to the worst (definite)?
To be continued!
– RSP