N.B. Disclaimer below*
Four months ago, I publicly declared my support, whatever
that means, for the candidacy of Donald Trump. If you are interested enough to
read today's post, you may want to reread that linked above. Upon reflection, after listening to Trump's
acceptance speech last night, it remains essentially true. As I wrote in March:
Trump's candidacy stands for the proposition of national
sovereignty in foreign and domestic affairs, peace, a return to individual
liberties that have been practically crushed by taxation and the tyranny of a
P.C. outlawing of incorrect opinions. Though he is not the classic
Henry-Hyde-gold-standard-pro-lifer, he states he opposes public funding for
abortion and that he would appoint justices like Scalia.
Also, he has opened the acceptable range of free speech and
debate on issues that the leftist establishment, aided and abetted by cowardly
"conservatives" in government, has decided Are. Not. Allowed. To. Be.
Held. We are a short distance indeed
from Catholic teaching on many issues being considered criminal behaviors and
hate crimes.
Last night's speech was powerful and I'm still trying to
come to terms with it. It was very good-- just not in the way to which I'm
used. I used to be much more politically engaged in my youth and early middle
age, and even on a semi-professional level.
So, I'm used to convention speeches.
Ronald Reagan truly had a gift. The man could reassure,
embolden and inspire. He made you feel heroic and virtuous. He so set the
standard of speechmaking in the television era that wittingly or unwittingly
every candidate after him has tried to bottle the formula. No one else has ever
succeeded like Reagan. Of course some are better than others.
But Trump's speech didn't use that mold. He presented
essentially two modes, problem identification and promises and/or plans to
solve them. At times he inspired, but mostly he took great pains to (in my
opinion) accurately identify just how bad things are. And friends, it is bad.
You know it is-- if you love your faith and the rule of law.
When a doctor tells you that you have cancer, it isn't
pleasant, but it might save your life. Telling you that you are fine will end
up killing you. The press jumped all
over the "dark" tone of the speech.
Waaahh!
In a text exchange with my brother, I wrote this:
I liked it. Very realistic portrayal of what's wrong. I
thought it a sign of how far gone we are that certain passages made me
uncomfortable. I think the press will skewer him. He's 100% right about 80% of
his beliefs. He will do what he says if he can. I don't remember anyone, even
Reagan, thanking religious people for support. The homosexual stuff shows we're
far gone-- he seeks the classic "liberty" angle, which is better than
we have now but ultimately illusory. He will win in a landslide.
This morning, I would not walk one thing back.
Remembering the disclaimer below, and that elections are
possibly meaningless exercises, I say this: if you don't wish to vote because
the thing is rigged or useless, I get that.
But if you think that elections matter, or count, or whatever, and
choose the Hamletesque delicacy of abstaining because Trump isn't somehow pure
enough, I think that is a bit nuts. But
hey, brother, its your life. Again, from March:
I can hear you saying, "You can't be serious. He doesn't mean any of this. He will say
anything to get elected!" To which
I respond, "Then he can be no worse than any Republican elected since at
least 1980."
And you know what? He
might actually mean it. And that scares a lot of powerful people a whole lot--
people that I am 100% certain don't have my best interests at heart.
My own take on the Trump-Clinton matchup I posted on that
most worthless of social media platforms, Facebook. After acknowledging the he
may-or-may-not-come-through angle, I wrote this about his opponent:
Hillary, on the other hand, will not do anything good and
will do a lot of bad. She hates the Church, hates families, heck, if she knew
me she'd hate me. She is an unqualified, doctrinaire Communist.
Easy choice.
Anyway, since some of you asked, that is how I feel about the
whole deal after hearing the speech last night.
_________________
* The above assumes
arguendo that any of this matters.
** FYI, Chris Jackson at The Remnant has written a
Catholic apologia for Trump and has a
Catholics for Trump website if that sort of thing interests you.