Thoughts from the ammo line

Ammo Grrrll focuses on the prospect before us in BINARY FOR THEE, BUT NOT FOR ME. She writes:

From the very beginning of the primary contest, I have been confused and shocked by the vitriol aimed at Trump, and only Trump, from OUR side’s sizable glump of #NeverTrumpers. Now, as I have said repeatedly in this column, Trump was not even my 6th choice. I voted for Cruz in the Arizona primary.

But, see, Trump won and faces Hillary. What part of binary decision do “undecideds” and especially conservative #NeverTrumpsters not understand?

For better, or worse, Trump is our standard bearer and our thin, orange line against four more disastrous years of political correctness, open borders, lawlessness at the highest level, hideous Supreme Court picks, gun grabbing, deliberate security breaches, BleachBit, IRS witchhunts, another Affirmative Action hire who can’t be criticized because she’s a woman, and appalling attacks on everything military, law enforcement, traditional, or American.

Apparently, his manifest faults do not resonate enough with the working class to outweigh existential panic over a political elite determined to shut down coal and the pipeline, and to flood the country with more unvetted invaders who either scoop up all the entry-level jobs, or simply sponge off us, hate us or both.

So why do some elite conservative pundits lack the acuity of a Victor Davis Hanson to see, “OK, Donald’s it, and I’m voting for him”? See, being forced to make a binary choice between two unappealing scenarios is an unpleasant fact of life for the average person.

For example, as we speak, my aged father is in our hometown assisted living facility, a lonely widower who lives closest to the youngest family members who are still working and cannot visit often. An option would be moving him to Arizona where I could visit him every day. But that facility is considerably more expensive, he gives up his barber, his banker, his doctors, his beloved caregiver and he quite likely would not see another family member for the rest of his life. Two tough options, but one must be picked. Everybody understands that. We don’t whine that there has to be a third option.

It seems that some of the pundits have lived lives free of the necessity of picking between two unattractive choices. Some may not ever have had to choose between paying the electric bill (or having that shut off) or making the minimum payment on the VISA bill and paying 27% interest.

If you frequently get what you want – choosing, say, between the steak and the lobster in a restaurant – or, what the hey, just having the Surf ‘N Turf together – then you don’t think you deserve to be forced to make a less-than-perfect choice. You can stand on principle. In this case, evidently, the appalling principle of electing Hillary Clinton.

In 2008, 2012, except for the snotty “conservative” Palin-haters who just openly went full Obamabot, the GOP told the Tea Party wing to get out and vote, despite misgivings about Senator-for-Life “Maverick” McCain. And ditto for Governor Romney.

For every election cycle since Reagan, we little people have had to suck it up, and vote for someone who – for the most part – did not reflect our interests. Some people refer to this as “holding your nose” while voting. I not only think that is disrespectful, it is also inaccurate. The problem was not that Mr. Dole, or Mr. McCain or Mr. Romney– none of whom even pretended to promise half of what I wanted– were “smelly”, but that they ran totally cowardly, wussified campaigns and LOST anyway! So at some point many people have to think that if we are going to lose anyway it might as well be with a nasty street-fighter at the helm.

Mr. AG used to coach Little League. And he had one little fellow who refused to swing. He just stood there, bat on his shoulder, and prayed for a walk. Finally, Mr. AG told him, “Jonathan, I don’t care if you strike out, as long as you’re swinging. But, see, you aren’t EVER going to get a hit if you don’t swing. So I will bench you if you don’t swing.” Next at-bat, he closed his eyes and swung; and got a hit!

At least this time our candidate has a bat. And is not afraid to use it. He may go down, but he’ll go down swinging.

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