Of course, the lines are drawn.
One either supports President Trump or one does not. And in this intense polarization there is an annoying nuance that has attached itself to some of my Republican friends and supporters.
It’s a simple thing that has metastasized into elephant-in-the-living-room prominence. It rudely slaps me in my face in conversations, essays, Facebook comments, radio and TV interviews, and books.
It’s the self-righteous equivocation of Donald Trump. It’s a submissive playing-both-sides positioning taken in order to avoid a 100% commitment to the one man who has the guts to take on the scummy deep state politicians and bureaucrats who surround us.
Here are recent examples from my own life:
- In a coffee house chat: “I like Trump’s policies, but I think he’s an arrogant narcissist”
- In a political essay that praises the President but contains a qualifier: “I love-the-guy despite all his personal foibles.”
- A tedious online dissertation that goes on and on about Trump’s backbone only to take a last-minute plunge into a brief but vitriolic attack on his personality and alleged bad mannerisms…before rebounding and ending with praise.
- A personal conversation: “I like what he’s doing but I wish he wouldn’t tweet so much. It’s unseemly. As President, he should be more dignified.”
All of the above are timorous.
Donald Trump is exactly what we need. He’s a street-fighting/no-Bullshi**er from Queens. It’s my non-PC estimation that too many oh-so-sensitive Southern California-influenced Oregonians, typically male, just don’t get that…or simply don’t approve.
Hey guys. get a pair.
Think about this:
- To his friends, does a man point out flaws in his wife, even as he praises her?
- As I introduce a speaker to a group, shall I begin by listing his/her short-comings?
- Do Democrat progressives prevaricate as they discuss their favorite candidate? (I’ve NEVER heard a Democrat say ANYTHING negative about ANY Democrat candidate! Have you?)
Lately, I’ve been calling out my Republican friends as they begin to hedge about our President. Before they get too far I stop them cold and tell them their equivocation, no matter how brief, will completely negate any amount of praise that might follow.
And I tell them it makes them look wishy-washy and that, true or not, they appear to be never-Trumper/progressive sympathizers.
Pussyfooters.
I tell them – always men – that the women in their lives ARE watching. (Have you noticed that conservative women NEVER vacillate in their support of President Trump? It’s always the guys!)
These men will tell you that the equivocating makes them look fair and reasonable.
No. It makes them look fearful.
And as a personal stratagem, it’s childish to point out that “everyone has personal flaws, and so does Donald Trump.” We learned the universality of personal imperfection in catechism and/or the 3rd grade.
Is this you?
If so, in changing your ways and refusing to hedge about our President, what is the political good news?
First understand that truly progressive leftists compose maybe half of Oregon Democrats. Yes, they control Salem for now, but 50% of Democrats equals only 20% of the entire voter base. This means we don’t need progressives to vote our way next November.
In any case that 20% segment is never going to be convinced to see things your way. They are incorrigible in their politics. Why is this good news? Because you can ignore them. Save your breath. It doesn’t matter what they think. And remember this for sure: because you are a conservative, they are never, ever going to like or respect you, no matter what you say or do.
Use your energy to communicate with the other 80% of voters who are willing to listen, the ones who actually do have open minds.
How liberating!
And know for sure: these days, politics in America is not a friendly debate. It’s war. Like our progressive foes, let’s act like it.
So in chatting with me personally, if you’re going to insert even a tiny bit of personal insult toward my President, I will jump to the conclusion that you could be a side-stepping never-Trumper.
And BTW, do Democrats EVER equivocate about their leaders? You already know the answer to that…
One way or the other, man-up! Support our President unequivocally or admit you’re on the other side. Here, in this battle of our lifetimes, there is no middle ground.
-sc