Many of my friends are urging me to shut up, hold my nose and support Donald Trump because, even though he is a thoroughly despicable, dishonest and dishonorable human being, we must support the "course" the GOP represents. Well, as an ex (short time) navigator's helper on a sea going vessel, I have examined the GOP's course and that is the problem.
In navigation, there are two separate terms for the direction you are steering the pointy end of the ship. One is heading, that is the direction that the bow is pointed at that particular moment. The other is the course, or to make it clearer the "base course." That is the direction you want to go. Your heading may change constantly while maintaining your base course. You may ease off a few points one way or another to ease the motion of the ship. You steer one direction off the base course for a while and then make it up by steering the same amount the other direction, all the while maintaining the same base course. Or, you may be facing strong winds and have to steer a few points off the base course to "crab" along sideways on the base course. This happens more often in aircraft than ships.
So, let's take a look at the base course of the GOP. Every president since Ronald Reagan has steered the GOP on a leftward course. When it was necessary, they would change headings a bit to make the ride a little easier, but the base course always remained the same, just a few points to the right of the Democrats. So, given that, no matter which party was in power and which distasteful candidate the GOP tried to foist upon the electorate, the Democrats have actually been steering the ship the entire time. The destination is Europe. (literally European style socialism) The course changes demanded by either party will only determine whether you make landfall at Rotterdam or Antwerp.
The GOP claims to be the pro life party but in decades of controlling both houses and the White House, Roe v. Wade remains stronger than ever. The GOP claims to be the party of traditional family values but with control of both houses and the White House the gay rights movement has completely won the culture war. The GOP claims to be the part of fiscal conservatism and yet, even before Obama, the GOP House, Senate and White House had no stomach for fiscal reform. And finally, while the GOP claims to be the party of conservative judicial nominees, if you check the record, our worst Supreme Court decisions were decided by majority GOP appointed courts. And that doesn't even take Justice Roberts and the Obama Care betrayal into account. The bottom line is that the GOP has lied to the voters and continues lying. If you continue to believe a known liar you are deluding yourself and will get what you deserve.
Donald Trump does not represent a major course change. Until he decided to run for president he was a sharp dealing, Hillary supporting, gun grabbing, mobbed up, philandering, crooked New York real estate speculator. Once elected, he will revert to his natural inclinations.
If you don't like the direction a ship is taking and the officers in charge are constantly engaged in vicious arguments, NOT ABOUT A COURSE CHANGE BUT A HEADING CHANGE, then you are on the wrong ship. If you don't want to go to Europe, it is time to jump ship because your leaders are just arguing at best about which port in Europe you are going to wind up in. And at worst, they are arguing about the arrangement of the deck chairs on the Titanic.
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