Myers: I Didn’t Vote for Donald Trump in 2016, But He Gets My Vote In 2020

In the 2016 presidential election, I did something I’d never done before. I cast my vote for a write-in candidate. I voted for former Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, a good man, and the candidate Shane Vander Hart and I had jointly endorsed before the Iowa Caucuses. 

Some would say that a write-in vote is a complete waste of a vote. Perhaps in terms of being counted in any meaningful way, that’s true. But I simply couldn’t bring myself to vote for Donald Trump. You can read my reasons for that here.

Most of what I wrote then I still believe to be accurate. The big difference between then and now is we’ve all had four years to see where Trump is at concerning policy. Everything that bothered me about him then still bothers me, but he’s no longer the “empty suit” that I said he was. Most of his policy initiatives I’ve agreed with, and to the extent that I can discern his core principles, I find myself in agreement with him there a lot as well. On abortion, taxation, regulation, the judiciary, and other issues, I like what he’s done or attempted to do. And that’s key- because I frequently don’t like what he says.

Anyway, I’ve decided that I will be holding my nose and voting to re-elect Donald Trump.

It took a long time for me to reach that decision. I had been considering it for some time, but watching the Democrats impeach Trump last winter made it easier to decide. After all the utter nonsense about Trump-Russia collusion was shown to be the three-year farce that it was, they impeached him over a phone call with the Ukrainian president. And the truly maddening thing was that there was real corruption with the Bidens in Ukraine, and Trump was impeached for asking Ukraine to look into it. Were Trump’s motives absent of political considerations? Of course not. No politician’s motives would be, especially not Donald Trump’s. But did Trump have every right to ask Ukraine to look into it? Absolutely.

But all that aside, the fundamental reason I will be voting for Donald Trump is that I see this election as something of a colossal clash of worldviews. 

I love my country. I still believe in the Founding Fathers’ concept of limited government. I have some Libertarian leanings, but I am not anti-cop. I believe in freedom of speech and assembly. I am pro-life. I am an evangelical Christian, and that is reflected in my views on marriage and gender. I am a supporter of capitalism. I have little use for internationalism.

These are views that are clearly 180 degrees out of phase with the Democrat party’s current views on things. That wouldn’t change, no matter who they have at the top of their ticket.

But I believe Donald Trump shares many of my views and will actually fight to support and promote them. So, as flawed as he is, he has my support. And come next Tuesday, he will be getting my vote.

This is Brian Myers with your Caffeinated Thought of the Week.