It was the iconic American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson who famously said:
“What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.”
Another important observation by Emerson is just as important as we assess where we go next:
“People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of their character.”
These are crucial and simple ways of illustrating many important principles in life. They speak to the consistency of your actions, leadership capacity, and character. It is with these important observations by Emerson that we need to turn our attention in the wake of the assassination attempts on President Trump. How individuals, media, and politicians act is now very important.
Biden, Harris, and the Democrats
President Biden was one of the first to call for civility in the wake of the shooting. But his actions leading up to the failed assassination ran contrary to his current advice. Calling President Trump a Nazi and likening him to Hitler is over the top on inflammatory rhetoric. President Trump is neither; these tactics appeal to few and drag our politics into the gutter.
Also, claiming that he will ban abortions nationwide is a claim so ludicrous that only the genuinely uninformed and Constitutionally ignorant would buy. No president has the authority to make law, and we have seen the Supreme Court rein in executive actions when they cross Constitutional boundaries. President Biden has been corralled by the Justices time and time again when he tried to forgive student debt. If you are a former student with massive debt and a worthless degree, you see this as an abuse of power by the court.
Claiming that we got out of Afghanistan honorably and in good shape is so wrong that no one believes it except Biden and Harris. Claiming that the Inflation Reduction Act did anything but raise inflation pressures is also laughable, and only those receiving massive payouts due to the act support it.
Hillary Clinton recently called for arresting and locking up everyone who is a Trump supporter for spreading misinformation. This is rich coming from a person who paid for the Russian disinformation campaign, destroyed official communications, and ran an unauthorized server in her home. Only a die-hard Clinton supporter who always looks the other way would buy anything she says at this point. She is as relevant as George McGovern after his failed bid for the White House. In my opinion, she is as honest as Richard Nixon.
Trump and the Republicans
President Trump has a right to be upset and a bit nervous. After surviving one assassination attempt and another major threat (a second attempt), I do not begrudge his skepticism about his opponents and their desire to keep him out of Washington. Repeated prosecutions that no other President has ever endured are election interference.
However, in my opinion, President Trump could do himself a great deal of credit if he would also tone it down a bit. His style before, during, and after his last campaign has not changed. He is bombastic, belligerent, and often caustic to a fault. We all know by now that he is from New York City, and it has always been his style.
President Trump often makes exaggerated claims that aim to keep his base motivated to get out the vote. But all politicians do this, so we should neither be shocked nor surprised. His economic record from 2016 to 2020 speaks for itself, and if I were him, I would campaign on that record and leave the squabbling to surrogates and underlings. But I have never run for President nor won an election, and my strategy might not work in the real world of politics.
What I Want to See and Hear
I am just an ordinary voter who has lived through every election from Kennedy to Biden. Our nation faces serious threats from within and without. I am tired of the hyperbole and want to hear solutions to problems all of our politicians created. Whether Democrat or Republican, all have contributed to the nation’s current state. Here is my list of concerns, and I want to know their answers. We cannot unwind the clock, but we can address the mistakes.
Illegal Immigration – Our southern and, to a lesser extent, northern borders are open to a very obvious invasion that President Biden and Vice President Harris intentionally created. They understood what they were doing, understood the Constitution, and wanted to swing votes and power in their direction. Their actions are so egregious that the number of House seats and electors in future elections could hang in the balance. I want US citizens, not US residents, to choose our elected officials. I also wish for controlled immigration so that we have a better understanding of who we are allowing to come into the country.
Now that we have this mess, what will you do about it?
Federal Deficit – Our federal deficit is unsustainable, and real solutions must be found, or our place on the international stage will be lost. I am waiting for a politician who will explain to everyone that we got into this together and must work together to fix it. For a set period, taxes will be higher for everyone, and we need to cut spending on social programs significantly. We must do this while preparing for a potential war we hope to avoid, which will be tough.
How will you get both parties working together to fix the problem they created?
Abortion Rights – I am an unapologetic pro-life supporter and see no problem with the Supreme Court action overturning Row versus Wade. By overturning the decision and returning the decision to the States, our system of government is working. We still have a right to mobility, and if someone wants to have an abortion or the right to one, they can live or travel to a state where they are legal. The same is true for someone who is a pro-life advocate. Pretending that the Supreme Court acted inappropriately is nothing more than pandering for votes and serves only to get everyone overly concerned about an issue that has passed.
How will you put this issue behind us and move on to new and productive challenges?
Inflation – We are experiencing inflation similar to, but not as drastic as, the 1980s. Inflation is like a regressive tax that hurts those who can least afford it the most. It does not matter how we got here; we are here. To solve this, we must reduce the deficit and rein in Congressional spending (vote buying).
How will you shut down spending from Congress and return us to sound fiscal policies?
Political Persecution – To my knowledge, there has never been a time in America when the sitting party used the power of government to attack their opponent directly through the courts. When I think of political persecution like we have seen of President Trump, I think of South American dictatorships. The vilification and legal attacks on President Trump are beneath our nation’s dignity and must stop. If your platform is better, your ideas are better, and your work is better, then the American people know it and will vote for you. If you pull the type of stunts currently being done, the American people know it and will not vote for you. I also believe the recent assassination attempts on President Trump stem from the acceptance of this persecution and the unparalleled references to Hitler.
How will you return elections to a discussion about ideas and future accomplishments and leave this sad period of campaigning and attacks in the past?
Who Will I Vote For?
When I look at this list of issues, I believe the Democrats own illegal immigration, the recent run-up in the deficit, inflation, and political persecution. Both parties own the mess around contentious electioneering, the inability to end the abortion debate, and the long-term deficit.
But Harris is too radical, too socialistic, and too dishonest to get my vote, and her running mate, Tim Walz, is even more radical. I am uncomfortable with his time spent in China, and if we wind up in a war with China, I do not want those concerns to even be in my mind. Harris is far left of Bernie Sanders, which is challenging to do. A Harris administration would infect our government with far-left radicals and create changes we might never recover from. They would not make an America I want our grandchildren to inherit.
I will vote for President Trump because I believe he has the best chance of making changes in Washington that will preserve the best of our past and lead us to a better future.
In the not-too-distant past, I thought it was time for us to turn the page and for both Biden and Trump to step aside. However, the vote for Trump is evident, given the choice between President Trump and Vice President Harris.
President Trump is loud, bombastic, and often abrasive. But I know Emerson was right when I look at what he accomplishes, not what he says.
Resources
Biden camp posts graphic with Trump pictured next to Hitler, By Lauren Ecan, Politico, politico.com, December 12, 2023.
Biden compares ‘sick’ Trump to Nazis in 2024 campaign launch, By Editorial Staff, France24, france24.com, May 1, 2024.
Biden makes his play for anti-Trump Republicans he hopes can give him a second term, By Edward-Isaac Dovere, CNN, cnn.com, June 6, 2024.
Biden says ‘vermin’ rhetoric by Trump echoes Nazis, By Kayla Epstein, BBC, bbc.com, November 15, 2023.
Democrat Tim Walz’s long-standing China ties, By Inoue Yuki, NHK World Japan, nhk.or.jp, September 18, 2024.
Harris defends not going to border: ‘And I haven’t been to Europe’, By Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, thehill.com, June 8, 2021.
House Republicans suspicious of Walz’s time in China as they target Beijing as chief adversary, By Sydney Kashiwagi, The Minnesota Star Tribune, startribune.com, September 17, 2024.
Springfield neighbors describe immigrant situation; say they believe pet-snatching story, By WSYX News, YouTube, youtube.com, September 12, 2024.
What to Know About Tim Walz’s Relationship With China, By7 Chad De Guzman and Koh Ewe, Time Magazine, time.com, August 7, 2024.
Why Biden’s campaign keeps linking Trump to Hitler, By Holly Otterbien, Elena Schneider, and Johnathan Lemire, Politico, politico.com, December 12, 2023.
