I am an American. I am also a Republican. This is primarily a business blog, but the deluge of political tripe online at the moment has inspired a response.I became a Republican when I registered to vote. At the time, my mother was a registered independent and my father was Republican. Both have since joined the Democratic party, but I can probably credit my initial choice to their influence (that's usually the way it goes: any examination of voter statistics will tell you the same).
Have you voted in every election since you were eligible? I have in maybe every... most certainly every Congressional and certainly every Presidential election, in spite of living and/or serving overseas where forethought and an absentee ballot were required. I have been extremely frustrated with the main party candidates in many cases and (admittedly) clueless about one or two candidates in the decades I've been voting (come on: admit it. You didn't recognize one or two names either).
I am definitely NOT quitting the Republican party because Donald Trump is presumptive (soon to be actual) nominee for President. He has made a few comments that ordinary people can't get away with, but that doesn't mean he is Adolf Hitler or an idiot or anything else. His political experience is... umm... he is the presumptive Republican nominee for President. Actually, that is a big deal. Most of the standard "qualified" Republicans will never pull that off and no one was able to beat "the Donald" this season.
Hillary is like the Britney Spears or latest boy band of American politics. The machine has gotten behind her. She says what they tell her to say. People think its good if a woman has been President (maybe after Hillary has, and that's behind us, we will go back to focussing on issues instead of race or gender). Heck... it's possible "the machine" has selected the Donald because "it" really wants Hillary.
Which is why I'm going to defend the Donald right up to the election. He is a smart guy. He apparently has more regard for the Constitution than Hilary does. I hope he doesn't self destruct like Ross Perot or Mitt Romney (yes, Mitt, that 50% comment was a penultimate "self-destruct"), but either way, I'm going to defend him.
Proud to be an American...That doesn't mean I'm a brainless robot. It does mean I understand that the United States has a two party system, and this election won't be the second in US history to kill off one major party, replacing it with another (Abraham Lincoln and crew killed the Whigs and ushered in a new Republican party). Donald Trump is our Republican nominee and I won't capitulate to the cheap name calling and groundless accusations any time soon.
