I'm not alone, it seems:
In a campaign between two candidates neither of whom a quarter of Americans say they like, it seems apparent this race will come down to whom they dislike less and whom they trust to be president — despite their personal distaste. But while many Americans will basically have to vote for someone they dislike, there are degrees of dislike. And voting for someone you strongly dislike is a much tougher haul.
Which brings us to this: Nearly half of registered voters strongly dislike Hillary Clinton, and nearly half of registered voters strongly dislike Donald Trump. As we noted for Clinton, it's 47 percent. For Trump, it's 49 percent. A virtual tie. That suggests getting majority support — or close to it — as most presidential elections have required will be a struggle for both major-party candidates this year.
Yes, I strongly dislike Donald Trump. I've made no secret of that fact even before this campaign season. I despise him and have zero respect for him.
But I don't fear Trump. He's a clown. Even on that metric, will he do more damage to the dignity of the office than the current president who let a woman famous for eating cereal out of her own bathtub (while in it) interview him in his reelection campaign? I think not. Bounce the rubble, Donald.
As I said, I don't fear Trump. Sure, liberals call him a fascist--just like they've called every other Republican of any stature over the years. Cry "wolf!" for this long and you lose credibility.
And have no doubt that the press, the permanent bureaucracy, and the other branches of government will constrain Trump if he goes off the rails.
But Hillary? She's the head of a criminal family. I truly fear Hillary Clinton's ability to finish off rule of law in this country by entrenching corruption in our government. Selling the Lincoln bedroom? Chump change. The Lincoln Monument will be up for sale and everything else in D.C., too.
Shoot, even the left-winger Bernie fans are with the Trump fans on Hillary! and her schemes.
A healthy nation would have rejected Trump, it is true. But a nation willing to elect the corrupt Hillary Clinton whose record (a long tradition of existence) should disqualify her for even the most entry level national security job let alone the presidency of the United States is no sign of health.
So I will vote against Hillary Clinton by voting for Donald Trump.
Although Trump doesn't make it easy.
Yet Hillary! has such a long history of avoiding the truth that even Trump has yet to make it impossible.
Besides, Hillary! is dangerously entangled with the Russians, too.
I did not get the candidate I wished to have (any of them). I just have the candidates we have. I do have a choice. And I've made it.
Any other vote or non-vote (and while I respect the sincerity of Republicans who say that they cannot in good conscience vote for either, my feeling is that not voting for Trump is as close to voting for Hillary as you can get without actually pulling the lever) just hands the reins of power to a woman who makes Circei Lannister seem like a good alternative.
Tell me you doubt Hillary Clinton is willing to burn everything down around her to save her own skin and her family slush fund foundation?
And no, it doesn't matter what the definition of "is" is.
[Oh, and here's bonus video of Bernie Sanders losing the nominating battle with Hillary.]
UPDATE: And yes, as an abstract issue, it is good that a woman has earned the nomination of a major party. If little girls draw inspiration and confidence from that, that's a good thing.
The same is true of Barack Obama's nomination. But like Obama, I am truly sorry that Clinton has made history. We could have used much better than Obama and we could use much better than Clinton for setting history.
The first Clown American is obviously fitting, of course.
UPDATE: I can hope that the final act of the Clinton Crime Family saga is yet to be written:
For now, the Clintons again have avoided the final wages of the classical sequence of overweening greed (koros) leading to arrogance and disdain (hubris) descending into a sort of recklessness (ate) and ultimately earning divine retribution (nemesis). But the tragedian Sophocles reminds us that for such people there is never self-reflection or enough money — and thus nemesis is still on the Clinton horizon.
Hillary could yet win. Her supporters who don't care about her corruption may prove to be enough to send her to the White House.
Which would demonstrate that absolute power corrupts (supporters of the corrupt) absolutely.
