From Trump Voter to Trump Supporter

I have transitioned from being a Trump voter to a Trump supporter.

• I fully support Trump's blue collar agenda, and the revitalization of the manufacturing industry.
• I am positively overwhelmed by Trump's tax reform (and I hope for more!)
• I tend to agree with Trump that we can only have free trade if our foreign trading partners practice fair trade
• I am surprisingly pleased with how Trump has governed in accord with Constitutional Conservative values, although I have serious reservations about the $1.3 trillion spending bill he recently signed.
• I am glad that Trump stands up to the liberal media and is willing to fight for factual reporting, etc.
• I am impressed with Trump's foreign affairs stances and achievements.
• I am thrilled with Trump's push toward deregulation and energy policy.
• Anything embarrassing or incompatible with my politics that Trump might have done or might be doing is all forgiven considering his appointment of Constitutionalist judges to the judiciary.

If the Top Guys Are This Bad, Might as Well Vote for the Long Shot

Because the front runners of the Republican candidates are equally flawed, you might as well vote for your favorite long-shot candidate.

Trump is no more dependably conservative than Romney was. The biggest difference between Trump and Romney is the 216 miles between I-95 that separates New York from Boston. The next biggest difference between them is that Trump is the wolf that barks the louder. And he wears a finer wool blend.

Cruz has most of the conservative bona fides. What he lacks is leadership. He seems to have been a pretty good litigator, but despite his big talk about stopping the Obama agenda, he was not even able to impact McConnell’s Senate, let alone slow down the Obama agenda. Cruz and a dozen other conservatives could have had a major influence on McConnell’s Senate if a leader had emerged to make the difference. People’s anger is high because people make promises to get elected to Washington but then fail to deliver, and Cruz is the premier example.

So, there you have it. Vote for the erratic Donald Trump who is yet another conservative of convenience like Romney, or vote for a big talking freshman senator who hasn’t yet delivered. Trumps problems offset Cruz’s failures. Both men are equally flawed candidates. If the nomination is ultimately between these two, then why bother.

If neither of the front runners is better than the other, we might as well vote for the long-shot candidate, if the long-shot candidate is highly qualified and who is strongly committed to the conservative agenda.

In 1994, Rick Santorum came into the 435-member House of Representatives as a freshman congressman. He worked with seven other congressional delegates to expose the scandalous practices of the House Bank, working against nearly all incumbent representatives, including Newt Gingrich, but doing so in a way that made a huge impact on the House.

Art of the Deal and Effective Leadership: Trump vs. Santorum

Donald Trump, they say, channels anger. I think it’s a fair assessment. His supporters might just say that it’s part of the “Art of the Deal.” Channeling anger, however, is not how one forges the kind of alliances that are necessary to get things done in Washington. Trump comes across as if he thinks he can bully his way through Washington to “make America great again.”

Lions need a pride

To be sure, Republicans are tired of their leaders being so sheep-like; gone are the days that a House Speaker (namely, Paul Ryan) might be forgiven for backing the Obama spending bill of 2015. Republicans are eager to rally around the lion’s roar, and they hunger for red meat. I think this explains much of the Trump appeal.

Yet, Republicans need to understand that Trump tactics, no matter how taut he ratchets up the rhetoric, will be met with fierce Democrat resistance. Trump may divinely pronounce “Let there be light,” but he’ll need some Democrat help in flipping the switch. Things simply do not happen in America by presidential fiat. Trump’s art of the deal with leave America in the dark.

Alliances are necessary to make America great again

This approach to the “art of the deal” stands in stark contrast with the more considered and effective approach seen in Santorum’s storied career as a legislator. I was watching a Senate floor debate from 2003 between Rick Santorum and Hillary Clinton (Santorum-Clinton-Harkin Partial Birth Abortion Debate ). I was impressed with Santorum’s “art of the deal” tactics which graced the debate. He did not call Hillary an idiot or Tom Harkin ignorant. He did not appeal to the basest of our red-meat cravings. Yet, in the end, he managed to forge the kinds of allegiances with enough Democrats to pass the ban, thus correcting a bad ruling by the Supreme Court.

In the debate, I was impressed at how gracious Santorum was in “sharing” his time with Clinton and Harkin, and how he showed that he understood their point by restating their concerns. He made rhetorical concessions when he could and was regularly deferential. He did not throw down gauntlets and get red in the face. Yet he consistently stood his ground, and did so on substance. This is real “art of the deal” material.

Santorum shows that he is a faithful negotiator. His opponents see him as respectful, and this makes for the kind of environment which promotes cooperation. This makes for effective leadership.