I’m somewhat dumbfounded that Americans on this forum wouldn’t vote for Trump? I suppose if the economy, hunting rights, 2nd amendment rights, strong military, strong support of law enforcement, law & order, rule of law, and no longer being a laughingstock in the world are not a priority, sure don’t vote for Trump! I don’t feel comfortable with a living cadaver and giggles having control of the nuclear football with the state of the world today!
For me, like or dislike of a political candidate is irrelevant, we just vote for what’s best for our country or what’s left of it. Simply utilize critical thinking skills to make your decision. For those that have an intense dislike or hatred of Trump, I believe it’s purely emotion driven only, they don’t like the man and that’s that! TDS is a real thing even on this forum. While I don’t understand why some AH members would vote democrat, I support their right to do so and the right to use they/them/their pronouns If they so choose.
I would assume I am one of those contributing to your dumbfoundedness.
I voted for Trump twice. I held my nose both times, and the second time much harder than the first. I am not sure I can do it a third time.
I believe the Biden administration is one of the worst in our nation's history. I say that with respect to cultural issues more so than economic and foreign policy ones. For instance, some level of inflation was inevitable following the COVID restrictions. I will absolutely concede his recklessness for political reasons in drawing down the strategic reserve was stupidly harmful to our nation's security interests. I also believe, due largely to his ineffectiveness (whether incompetence or health) as a leader, his surrogates have run amok pandering to the farthest left elements of the democrat party. That party has gone to a place that makes the Clinton administration look like a follow-on to Reagan.
On the other hand, I believe thwarting Russia's ambitions in Europe are an absolute critical national interest of this country. The Biden administration should be doing far more. I am very much afraid that Trump will do far less. This neo-isolationist movement within the Trump base represents an existential danger to this country.
I would feel better if I thought Trump were merely pandering to that movement, but I am not sure he knows enough about international affairs to know any better. It is undeniable that his influence on the House stopped the flow of supplies to Ukraine for six months. Putin could not have taken any military action that would have done more harm to Ukraine's ability to resist this brutal invasion. I do not recognize a Republican Party that allies itself with the strategic goals of Russia.
From a temperament and integrity perspective, I would not hire him to run any business for which I was responsible. If I could not trust him to do that, why would I trust him with the presidency? The democrats are absolutely employing lawfare against him in a form of election interference. But, he is the one, through his actions, whether paying hush money to a porn star, obstructing the return of classified documents which he had not declassified before leaving office, or pressing Georgia for additional recounts post certification, who stupidly gave them ammunition.
I am very worried about the strength of Trump's coattails in November. This is my party's best opportunity to regain a senate majority in a decade. Yet, we have had two cycles where Trump's influence was pretty clearly a net negative. Our one hope this cycle is that disgust with Biden will mitigate some of the distrust of Trump.
Trump bears much responsibility for the passage of the Biden agenda. Trump and his idiot surrogates successfully convinced several hundred thousand voters in Georgia that their votes would not count in the Senate runoff election following the general. The democrats, did the opposite, and initiated a tremendous get out the vote effort. Those two candidates won by a combined total of only around 150k votes. Half a million Georgia republicans stayed home awaiting Sydney Powell's release of the Kraken. Those two seats gave the democrat party a senate majority enabling every crackpot element of the Biden budget.
Finally, dozens of God fearing, naïve Americans are rotting in jails because they listened to Trump and came to Washington to protest the certification of the election. Trump told them to go to the Capitol. No, Trump did not tell them to riot, but he bears the responsibility for setting the conditions that allowed that riot to occur. That fiasco has been a yoke around the neck of all conservatives for four long years.
So, to my mind we have two terrible choices. I will not vote for Biden. I will support every republican down ballot. I likely won't decide until November whether I can vote for Trump yet again.