'I don't care if Donald Trump is a jerk. He still has my vote'
Here’s what I tweeted immediately after the debate. “I’m pro-Trump, and I will vote for him because of his policies: Pro-life, Pro-religious freedom, Pro-Constitution, Pro-business, Pro-liberty, Pro-police, Pro-law and order, Pro-Israel — But, tonight was a disaster. I’ve seen better manners from a 5-year-old.”
As you can imagine, I immediately received some stern disagreement. If my intention was to foster a good robust debate, I succeeded in spades.
But it’s a comment from a woman named Rita, who agreed with my characterization of the president’s performance, that I want to focus on as I close this column.
“Do you really want to spend another four years with a man who has the manners of a 5-year-old in the White House?” she asked.
My answer was quick and clear. “In light of the alternative — pro-abortion, pro-infanticide, pro-sodomy, biology-denying, gender-bending, anti-science, pro-racist, anti-Constitutional, neo-Marxism — Yes!”
You see, Rita’s response inadvertently shined a light on the difference between conservatives and progressives better than I could ever do.
Conservatives don’t vote for a person. We vote for policies. Conservatives don’t care if the man is rude, ill-mannered and caustic.
The bottom line is that conservatives are not all that concerned if our leader is a jackass. We don’t look for a “nice guy.” Conservatives understand that presidents come and presidents go, but the U.s. Constitution must endure. Conservatives vote for ideas, not ideologues. Conservatives are people of principles, not politics. Conservatives cast their lot with the covenant, not the king.
It is said that Winston Churchill was rude, abrasive and off-putting; that he was unpopular and uncouth. It is also said — and frankly, it’s proven — that had it not been for Churchill, we’d all be speaking German today.
I candidly don’t care a whit if Donald Trump was rude and ill-mannered on Tuesday night. Right now, we are in the fight of our lives for our republic, and, in this dark hour, we need a pit bull not a patsy; we need a fighter not an appeaser, we need a Churchill not a Chamberlain.
Yes, Donald Trump can be a real jerk at times, but I’m the first to say that if he continues to defend America and fight for my freedom, he has my vote.
• Everett Piper (dreverettpiper.com, @dreverettpiper), a columnist for The Washington Times, is a former university president and radio host. He is the author of “Not a Daycare: The Devastating Consequences of Abandoning Truth” (Regnery).
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/oct/2/i-dont-care-if-donald-trump-is-a-jerk-he-still-has/