Never Trump Suicide

By Douglas V. Gibbs
Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

There are two kinds of "Never Trump" people.  The first are Democrats, liberals, and Hillary supporters.  They were never going to stand in the Trump Camp anyway, so there is no need to talk about them.  The other Never-Trumpers are a little more frustrating.  These are conservatives and republicans who have bought into the propaganda that Mr. Trump is somehow on the Clinton payroll, or is just another New York Liberal, or will cause more damage to the Republican Party by becoming President of the United States as a member of the GOP than Hillary Clinton could as her normal, evil, left-wing Democrat Party self.

We know that Donald Trump is not a friend of the Clintons.  We've seen it, heard it, and experienced it. . . Trump may be a lot of things, but politically, there is no doubt in anyone's mind that he is not a political ally of Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, or anyone associated with the Obama regime or modern-day Democrat Party.  If he is, never mind reality shows. . . Mr. Trump is such a talented actor that he needs to be an actor on a drama series.

While Donald Trump definitely has that New York charm, or lack thereof, you can go all the way back to when he was younger and the things he has said politically in interviews pretty much all his life to see where he stands politically.  He is definitely not a liberal left lunatic.  He's not necessarily going to win any contests for "most-conservative," and he's not a constitutional champion, but aside from having a loud mouth, he has pretty much nothing in common with New York Liberals.

I don't see how Mr. Trump could cause the damage to the GOP the Never-Trumpers are trumpeting.  Even if he was the bleeping-so-and-so the Republican Party Never Trump folks think he is, do we really have that little faith in party leadership that a President Trump, who can't write legislation, who can't dictate to all members of the party what they can or can't do, and would screw up his own legacy if he did so, could single-handedly destroy the entire Republican Party with a GOP win for the White House?  Really?  I just can't see the logic in all of that.

Yes, Trump is a loud and boisterous brass-knuckles fighter, and apparently a potty-mouth when he thinks he's talking in private . . . he's not perfect by any means.  Have we ever had a candidate that was?  Even Reagan had a few shortcomings.  Remember, before he became a pro-life champion in his presidency he reluctantly signed a pro-abortion bill in California back in the late sixties as Governor.  He also was talked into, and regretted it later, signing amnesty and a tax increase during his presidency - something the Democrats love to drag through the mud when they can.

Whether you like Donald J. Trump, or not, he's our guy.  Like it or not, we live in a two-party system, so it's either Trump, or Hillary.

It seems like the Never Trump folks don't understand that.  Don't they get it that if Trump loses, Hillary is in the White House?

Do they really believe she's not worse than Obama, and do they really think we can survive a court dominated by Obama and Hillary picks?

Or, are they hoping for a scenario where nobody gets the 270 to win and the wonderful Republican Establishment in the House of Representatives picks a winner like. . . Christie or Kasich?

Ewwww.

Okay, in reference to the map at the top of the page, let's say somehow Trump pulls off Nevada, and then gets Vermont because of all of the Sanders write-in votes which splits the Democrat vote and gives the GOP that State, and the rest of the States essentially fall in line where we expect, a 269-269 tie could be possible.

Or, let's say Sanders won Vermont, and Evan McMullin carries Utah. . . keeping both major candidates (Hillary and Donald) under the magic 270 electoral votes number required to win the election.

Bam, off to the House of Representatives.

Unlikely.

I suppose it's possible, but then if that's the case, do you really think the Republican Congress (incoming as per the Constitution, not the outgoing Congress) will give you a magical Republican in the White House that everyone loves?

In my opinion they were all poison except for maybe Scott Walker.

I am just asking?  Because, otherwise, the Never Trump movement gives us a Hillary Clinton presidency. . . and that could set back conservatism a hundred years.

And, just for the sake of argument, if the Republicans did pull something to give the presidency to another Republican other than Trump, and somehow keeps Hillary out of the White House (I am assuming that's what the GOP Never-Trumpers want), what do you think would happen to the Republican Party base with that kind of shenanigans?  The voters would revolt.  Right, wrong, or in between, the voting public's attitude would be, "What?  The Republican political establishment thinks it is so much smarter than us that they are going to yank our candidate and fill the White House with their choice?"

A majority of Republicans would leave the party forever.

In short, it is not Trump that has the potential to destroy the party - it's the Never-Trumpers.

Then what?  After you alienate all the voters by hating Trump, then what will you do?

Never Trump, thankfully, has very little chance to reach their goal. . . if that is their goal.  They've never really said what they want.  They just don't want Trump.

Reality is, if you don't want Trump, then that gives us Hillary. . . so, GOP Never-Trumpers, how about you turn in your Republican Party card now and go get your Communist Party card with a Hillary stamp on it, instead. . . because in reality, that is where you stand.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary