Issues, Not Personalities, Point to Trump

Guest Column by Chuck Berk

Most of the media coverage for the presidential election has centered on the ethics and likability of these flawed candidates. I know it’s hard to do, but if you put aside the personalities and character flaws and concentrate of the issues, I think you’ll see that there is only one logical vote.

Cartoon by Nate Beeler, The Columbus Dispatch

I want Hillary Clinton supporters and “never Trumpers” to understand what they’ll be voting for:

Terrorism — Continuing the current feckless policies and refusal to admit that we are at war with radical Islamist terrorism, resulting in our enemies no longer fearing us and our allies no longer respecting us.
Economy — Accepting a stagnating, anemic economy with 1 percent GDP growth, policies that have caused 14 million fewer people in the labor force, 50 million on food stamps, average household income down by almost $4,000, homeownership at its lowest level in 51 years, a mountain of regulations and bureaucratic compliance that inhibit business growth and corporate tax rates that drive companies to do inversions and park profits overseas rather than investing at home, all while doubling the national debt to almost $20 trillion.
Health care — Maintaining the unaffordable ObamaCare, which has caused premiums to increase 20 percent to 80 percent, deductibles to average $6,000 (more than most families can afford), copays to dramatically increase, service and provider choices to become limited, and major health providers (Aetna, United Healthcare, Humana) to drop out of the exchanges because they are losing money. All in a flawed system in which 83 percent of the people in the exchanges afford to pay premiums only because they receive government subsidies (our tax money).
Immigration — Continuing open borders while giving lip service to controlling our borders, continuing to allow sanctuary cities and supporting amnesty for illegals.
Police — Pushing the false narrative about systemic law enforcement racism — that policing is biased and violent and unfair — and ignoring the facts that disprove those assertions. The result of this narrative is that police have backed off proactive policing.
Military — Ignoring the need to update our military equipment as the United States continues to lose our edge over Russia, China and others. Ignoring Ronald Reagan’s philosophy of building a strong military to maintain peace through strength.
Education — Protecting the teachers unions and administrators, keeping kids locked in nonfunctioning, failing schools rather than supporting charter schools and digital and alternative learning techniques that seek innovative solutions for the kids.
Israel — Supporting Israel in words, not actions — that is, continuing to put Israel in a precarious position by supporting Obama’s Iran deal and pressuring Israel to give concessions to the Palestinians as preconditions for restarting the peace process rather than pressuring the Palestinians, who are the real obstacle to peace. Unfortunately, only 45 percent of Democrats (vs. 73 percent of Republicans) support Israel’s actions regarding the Palestinians.
Supreme Court — In maybe the most important issue because justices serve for 20 to 30 years, appointing people who believe that their job is not to rule based on the Constitution and laws passed by Congress, but rather to make laws based on their beliefs and life experiences.

A vote for Clinton will continue those policies.

I’m prepared for Trump to say some outrageous things if he’s elected and to make some decisions with which I disagree, but he will:

Halt the spread of radical Islamic terrorism.
Make America grow again at a GDP growth rate of 3 percent to 4 percent, with thousands of real, good-paying jobs.
Repeal and replace ObamaCare with programs such as Paul Ryan’s Better Way, lowering costs and increasing the quality of care.
Implement an immigration program that secures the border, allowing desirable immigrants to enter and keeping out undesirables.
Support our police and effective policing to keep neighborhoods safe.
Rebuild our military to maintain peace through strength.
Strongly support Israel.
Expand educational opportunities and innovative methods to improve results.
Appoint Supreme Court justices who believe in and rule by the Constitution and laws passed by Congress.

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