Reasons to Vote FOR

In the last post we went over just some of the multitude of reasons to vote against Joe Biden. That list is inexhaustible. But a better approach to life is to be positive, to be for something. So today, ahead of the last debate, we’ll cover some of the very rational reasons to support Donald Trump for President of the United States.

President Trump did an interview with Lesley Stahl
to be aired Sunday, but put out an unedited version ahead of time.
Screenshot from here

Back in 2016, in a conversation with son Political Sphere, we were discussing whether we were never-Trumpers, or whether there would come a day when we would support him. Political Sphere said, sure; all it would take would be for him to follow through on his promises. If he selected constitutional originalist judges, if he lowered taxes, if he got rid of the Obamacare monstrosity, if he built a wall on the southern border, if he could do any number of things to improve our international relations. You get the idea. The thing was, with a background that included being a billionaire playboy, and not much time being a Republican, and plenty of irritating name-calling of Republican opponents, I couldn’t foresee much good; I just hoped he’d at least be better than Hillary, a very low bar.

I remember taking one of those online quizzes to see which candidate of the many Republicans I aligned with; the result was Donald Trump. I was unbelieving. Maybe he said those things, but why should I believe he meant them? After all, we’ve had too much experience with politicians saying things they don’t follow through on.

But President Trump has exceeded expectations. He has earned our support. And I’m glad to give it.

So, here's my list of reasons to vote FOR President Donald Trump, divided into the three spheres of the Spherical Model.

Freedom

Foreign Policy and Military

·       Moved our embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

Embassy plaque in Jerusalem
photo by Mark Ramsey, found in his
excellent article on why Trump wins

·       Brought about historic Abraham Accord—peace in Middle East

·       Reworked fair trade agreements with Canada, Mexico, South Korea, and Japan, and is holding China accountable for trade abuses.

·       Is holding China accountable for spreading the pandemic, and is removing them from critical supply chain.

·       Closing down Chinese spy rings run out of embassies in Houston and elsewhere in the US.

·       Got NATO allies paying more of their fair share.

·       Eliminated ISIS caliphate, and leaders Al-Baghdadi and Soleimani.

·       Withdrew from the unfair and ineffective Paris Climate Accord; results have been cleaner air and water.

·       Reversed failed Cuba policies; his policies support restoring democracy for Cubans, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans.

·       Created new branch of the military: Space Force

·       Increased military budget over $700 billion, to increase pay (largest pay raise in a decade) and rebuild supply of ships, planes, missiles, rockets, and equipment.

·       Cleaned out unaccountable failures in the VA: more that 4,000 VA employees removed, demoted, or suspended so far.

·       Expanded VA healthcare, with VA Choice Act.

·       Completed over 100 hundred miles of wall structure, with plans to complete 500 more by early 2021.

·       Has succeeded in stemming the flow of illegals coming into our country at the southern border—along with drug and human trafficking problems. Catch-and-release policies curtailed, and Central American countries are cooperating.

·       Working on merit-based immigration policy.

 

Regulations and Healthcare

Kayleigh McEnany presents Lesley Stahl with 
a book containing 13 executive orders and
11 other pieces of healthcare legislation
signed by President Trump.
image from the Washington Examiner

·       Less regulatory state—cut thousands of regulations; among results, US became number 1 producer of oil and natural gas, and became energy independent. (Biden and Harris are both recorded promising to end fracking.)

·       Shut down travel to China in late January, and from Europe shortly afterward—enduring two months of Democrats claiming it was unnecessary and xenophobic; recent reports say this may have saved 500,000 American lives.

·       Resisted top-down policies related to the pandemic—the opposite of authoritarian.

·       Right to Try legislation for terminally ill patients, and used executive order to reduce outrageously high pharmaceutical costs for necessity drugs like insulin.

·       Required healthcare providers to disclose costs of their services.

·       Got rid of the unfunded mandate requirement in Obamacare.

·       Among a book-ful of plans, Trump has expanded short-term, limited-duration health insurance (STLD) plans, allowing more choices at lower costs.

o   Where Obamacare caused insurance premiums to more than double, new plans are 60% less expensive.

o   He protects patients with pre-existing conditions.

 

Justice

Amy Coney Barrett used no notes
during her confirmation hearings
image from New York Post

·       Three Supreme Court justices and more circuit court judges than any president during a first term.

·       Fighting for school choice.

·       Pro-Second Amendment

·       Stands with law enforcement, while encouraging implementation of best practices

·       Makes fighting sex trafficking a priority—more than doubling convictions

·       First Step Act criminal justice bill, making sentencing more sensible and reforming what was disproportionately harming blacks.

·       Continues to “drain the swamp,” suffering impeachment, “Spygate,” “Russian collusion” hoax, a steady stream of lies and accusations—almost all of which the Democrats are actually doing—and continues to allow investigative process to go forward, too slowly to suit him or the rest of us, so that wrongdoers can be held accountable by lawful means.

  

Prosperity

Pre-Pandemic

·       Lower taxes—and the economic boom that followed—within six months the stock market hit all time highs, benefitting Americans’ retirement savings accounts (increases of 60%-100%), adding $12 trillion to the nation’s wealth.

·         7 million new jobs had been created—5 million more than projected—and average unemployment rate was lowest in US history.

·         Record low levels of unemployment: women 65-year low; youth 50-year low; unprecedented low unemployment for blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and also veterans and disabled.

·       Labor participation rates increased 3.5 million (300,000 dropped out during Obama’s administration).

·       Unprecedented levels of economic success for women—which includes powerful women in the president’s own inner circle; women filled 72% of all new jobs in 2019.

·       Poverty rate for blacks lowest ever recorded.

·       7 million were able to come off food stamps (Obama added 10 million), and 10 million lifted off welfare.

·       Doubled child tax credit to $2000 (lifted 4 million+ Americans out of poverty in 2018).

·       Brought back overseas jobs, which helped create 12,000 new factories, and 500,000 manufacturing jobs.

·       Bottom 50% of wage earners increased net worth by 47%—triple the rate of increase for the top 1%. Wages rising fastest for low-income workers.

·       Real median household income reached highest level ever recorded.

Post-Pandemic

·       The pandemic-caused economic downturn is artificial; only state and government policies are keeping the economy suppressed.

·       Regardless of suppression, the economy shows signs of bouncing back, with or without governments opening up.

·       Targeted help for those who are not allowed to run their businesses or work have been prevented by Democrats for political reasons until at least after the election.

 

Civilization

·       Has supported religious liberty, and made federal agencies take action to protect it.

·       He has been the most pro-life president in history.

o   Ended funding for pro-abortion UN Population Fund.

o   First president to address the March for Life, in January 2020.

o   Supports pro-life pregnancy centers, health workers’ conscience rights, working to defund Planned Parenthood.

o   Created Conscience and Religious Freedom Division.

·       In education he supports parental choice and education freedom.

·       He has quashed the spreading of hatred toward America through “critical race theory,” the 1619 Project, and similar anti-American false versions of America’s founding and history.

There are a few things I’d like to add. They probably fit under civilization, but not as bullet points.

If you don’t like his tweets, get off Twitter. Occasionally I’ll hear about a tweet that has stirred up controversy, but in general what he tweets is between him and some audience that doesn’t affect me. And, even among those I see, they’re not profane, they’re not anti-American, they’re not racist or any of the other things he’s accused of. They’re just a shorthand for getting into a conversation, which is possibly necessary when we have media who try to be gatekeepers to what we’re allowed to see.

If you’re not seeing the NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, NY Times news filled with the Biden crime family stories I wrote about last time, then you should know you’re being blocked from seeing this known corruption—during an election season—because of media bias.

The same is true if you have heard hardly a word about the Abraham Accord. And, by the way, Bahrain signed on this week.

If you’ve heard on your news sources that President Trump keeps refusing to denounce white supremacy, you’re being lied to. Beside never once ever supporting such a deplorable fringe group of tyrannists, the President has literally been recorded denouncing them over and over again, about 20 times over.

Glenn Beck pointed out, 

He has single-handedly exposed the press for who they are and have always been. Because of his tweets, personal style and frankly balls of steel, he has exposed those who truly are enemies of the people. I hated that when he first said it, but it is true. Any person or group that knowingly lies to destroy our President, our Constitution, and the free market are not just enemies of the people; they are enemies of the freedom of all mankind.

Because of the lies, there may be other things about the President you’re not getting a clear picture of either. Like, whether he’s presidential. That’s a style question. But let me translate it for you: when people say he’s not presidential, they’re saying he doesn’t play the political games they’re used to. He stands up to them and doesn’t cave to their bullying. Many of us see that as a good thing—finally!

But, have you watched him when there is something ceremonial? Signing the Abraham Accord. Presenting the Medal of Honor. Meeting with Gold Star families. It’s a refreshing change to see a president who actually loves America, who feels the respect for our Constitution, and for all that our flag inspires. No cynicism. Real love of country. The lack of that in the past administration is a sharp contrast. Love of country ought to be a minimum. After missing it, we’re glad to have it back.

President Trump and First Lady
image found here

There are, I think, three really big things to highlight: international relations, particularly the Abraham Accord and shutting down ISIS, thus bringing peace, for now, in the Middle East; economic freedom, allowing Americans to prosper—which it will again once governments allow healthy people to stop quarantining; protection of life and religious freedom.

But everything on today's list is reason to vote FOR the President. Stakes are higher when each and every one of these good things is something the opposition would take away—leaving us with tyranny, poverty, and savagery.

This Election Day vote is FOR the continuation of freedom, prosperity, and civilization. I’m grateful we have a president we can vote for, who is working to bring us those good things.