A Message To Reluctant Trump Supporters: Sit This One Out

Come back in four years time when the country has finally recovered and we can go at it again.

by Ben Cohen

“Slowly but inexorably over the past three years, my approval of the policies has outbalanced my distaste for the person. Finally, knowing that Joe Biden will represent the radicalized Democrats in November, I conclude that I will do my small part to help Trump get re-elected by writing, giving and voting.

I reached this conclusion reluctantly but unhesitatingly. Emotionally, esthetically and intellectually, I would prefer to keep my distance from Trump and inhabit a neutral space between the parties, as in 2016. But I will vote for him as the politician who represents my conservative views. I urge other reluctant conservatives to do the same.”

- Daniel Pipes, former #NeverTrump conservative turned reluctant 2020 Trump supporter

There is a sizable chunk of Republican voters who dislike Donald Trump immensely. They regard him as an immoral, lying buffoon who isn’t worthy of the presidency, and backed other Republicans to beat him in the 2016 primaries. Some of them even abstained from voting, preferring not to have a hand in electing someone they deemed unfit for office.

Some of those Republicans have now seen enough and are committing themselves to electing Joe Biden this November. While they could apparently not stomach a vote for Hillary Clinton (heaven forbid you vote for a woman!) an old, moderate white man is now on the ticket so they can hold their noses and vote for the so-called lesser of two evils.

To those Republicans finally doing the right thing, you get no special praise or credit for doing your part to get Trump out of office. You are welcome to join those of us who saw the writing on the wall when Trump won in 2016 and have spent every day of every week of every year fighting his fascistic regime. But please remember that you are guests in our house and that we have been doing this for a lot longer than you have. As a Republican, you had a part in creating the conditions for a monster like Trump to emerge, and you must spend the rest of your lives accounting for it. Opposing him now is a good start, but it is only that — a first step on the road to redemption.

There are many Republicans however, who hate Trump but still plan on voting for him because, as former Never Trump Republican Daniel Pipes says, “he represents my conservative views”. These Republicans swung the election to Trump in 2016, and they could do so again in 2020.

This is a message to those Republicans.

Sit this one out.

Specifically, do not vote. There is clearly no way you will ever vote for a Democrat, regardless of how moderate and willing to work with Republicans they might be. If you can’t stomach a vote for Joe Biden after what we’ve seen over the past three and a half years, then there is little point in trying to convince you.

There is however, a chance that you might feel some shame or sense of responsibility for the travesty that has unfolded over the course of Trump’s tenure as president, and you might be uneasy about letting it continue.

It might be useful to start by ignoring Trump’s legislative record and looking at his overall effect on the office he holds. We can even discount his disastrous response to the Coronavirus pandemic — a tragedy that has caused over 150,000 Americans to die. As a Republican voter and supporter of all things American, you must be aware that Presidents must be held to standards of ethical behavior that protect the future integrity of democracy. Over the long run, this is of equal importance to both political parties as it ensures elected Presidents do not trample on the Constitution, disenfranchise voter of either party, and maintain the rule of law. This allows democracy to continue and the peaceful transition of power. Once you interfere with this, the needle can swing dangerously in either direction. Trump might hold office today, but a Democrat with despotic ambitions could rise to power in the not too distant future. What constraints would they be bound to after a two term (or longer) Trump presidency?

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Trump, as any rational observer can see, has violated the constitution on multiple occasions, is attempting mass voter suppression, and is using violence against peacefully protesting American citizens. He has committed so many egregiously impeachable offenses that they are becoming impossible to catalog. Only last week did Trump casually suggested delaying the election due to the Coronavirus — an immediately impeachable offense that had staunch supporters demanding he be removed from office.

If you cannot see how dangerous this is, you are either dangerously ignorant or a traitor to your country. A President is elected after all, to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. While he may have passed tax breaks to billionaires, helped defund abortions, and prevented Democrats from voting in elections, Trump has singularly failed to fulfill his most important duties as President.

Do not be ignorant, and do not be a traitor to your country.

A part of you must recognize that if Trump is re-elected to office, his assault on the Constitution and the office he holds will accelerate. A part of you must know that another term of Donald Trump spells the end of democracy as we know it, and the true dawn of American fascism.

Should Trump steal the election via voter fraud or refuse to lead after losing, there will be civil war in this country. The left has had enough of Trumpism and they will take to the streets to get him out of office. If you do not believe this, you have not been paying attention to the nation’s mood and readiness for systemic change. While you might own more guns, there are more of us than there are of you. Liberals control America’s cities and most populous states, and they will find ways to fight back against Trump’s authoritarianism. This is not a threat, but a reality check that you must consider before going to vote for him.

By staying at home and depriving Trump of votes, you make his argument for staying in office weaker. You are not helping liberals or doing anything noble, but you are removing yourself from the battle fields and allowing the courageous to do what is necessary to preserve democracy. If you want to craft a different narrative about yourself and the morality of your decision, go ahead. But do not, under any circumstances, vote for this madman who has already laid waste to the country you claim to love. You will have other chances to curtail women’s reproductive rights, persecute minorities, and trash the planet in the future. You can vote for a plethora of up and coming conservatives dedicated to “owning the libs” and enriching billionaires. Just not in this election.

So again, sit this one out. Come back in four years time when the country has finally recovered and we can go back to debating whether immigrants should be treated like human beings, or if climate change is real. You’ll enjoy it even more after we’ve all had a much needed break.

(photo: Getty images)

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