I DO NOT Want a Trump 2024
By Jim Bauer
@porwest (91088)
United States
November 9, 2022 4:58pm CST
I have made this statement too many times to count around here, although most of the time it falls on deaf ears. America first.
For the record, I am a conservative republican. I have said that too. Did I support former president Donald J. Trump? Yes, I most certainly did.
But what did I actually support?
The policies of former president Donald J. Trump.
I enjoyed a secure border. I enjoyed a rising median income that occurred under Trump. I supported energy independence and low gas prices. I supported a strong military and supporting our veterans and equipping our military with new and better equipment. I supported removing business crushing regulations. I supported tax cuts which improved profits, created jobs, and added to family's bottom lines. I supported recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving our embassy there. I supported Trump's SBA initiatives supporting women and black entrepreneurism. I supported his America First initiatives, restoring American manufacturing which provided good, family supporting wage jobs.
The bottom line, without beating a dead horse, is that I supported the policy. President Donald J. Trump was supported by me because of that, and that alone. Not because he was Donald Trump. Not because he was a republican. But because his policies worked, and made America better, and because his policies ended the stagnant period we endured under Obama before him.
Forgive my rather long-winded post. But I can't say what I want to say without saying all that needs to be said.
Look, there were a lot of things about Donald Trump I did not like. And I thought I made those ideas well known as well. But when I vote for presidents, I don't vote for people. I vote for policies that work.
Not once did I defend everything Trump did or said. I disagreed with him on several issues actually. I vehemently disagreed with many things he said, and often times disagreed with his demeanor and presentation.
Yet at the same time I would have been a fool to deny that things were better when he was president. I voted for him again in 2020 because what he was doing was working, and I wanted that to continue.
Would Donald Trump have my vote in 2024 is he runs and becomes the nominee? Yes.
But, therein lies the heart of my post.
I would very strongly prefer that Donald Trump's announcement on the 15th of November is that he will not be running, but will be supporting the party and whoever the nominee for president will be.
In other words, I do not want Donald Trump to run for president again.
Not because I have any issue with what he did as president. Not because I don't think he can do a good and effective job just like he did before. But moreso because I think the country needs to move on.
I would be a fool to not fully grasp that, for a lot of reasons, the last 6-years has been an awful time of disdain, hatred, tomfoolery, chaos, and that it has been a major distraction.
We can't afford any more of that. It gets in the way of getting things done. It gets in the way of cooperation between party lines. It gets in the way of actual progress. And not only that, on the world stage it makes America look out of control and weak and not focused on the things and issues that matter.
It made us choose a new president who has sent us back in time. It made us make an emotional vote rather than a wise vote that would have served the best interests of the country.
Had Donald Trump had a different personality, I think he would have been reelected. Both sides would have agreed things were going well and would have offered him a second term, as is the case with all presidents who do well for the country overall, even when they reside in a different party.
I have not taken a different opinion on my stance that there were very likely shenanigans in the 2020 election. But what I am saying is that if the 2020 election result was legitimate, then Donald Trump was the reason for the outcome.
Donald Trump may also be the reason for the outcome of the midterms so far.
It's not the policy American's are casting a vote against. It's the man behind the policy that is being voted against.
And that's a problem.
I recognize this. Because again, I put America first. What's best for the country right now? Certainly it is NOT Joe Biden. Only a fool would believe he is. But it is also not Donald J. Trump.
Donald Trump's best offering right now would be to step aside and let things return to normal in the political arena. To allow for someone else to come forward and espouse the policy without becoming the story that overshadows it.
I don't want Donald Trump to run again simply because I think that the only focus would be on him, not the policy. Not his ideas. His run would not advance the cause to actually make it possible to get the work done to work together, both sides, to get the work of the American people done and make the lives of every American better.
If the midterms tell us anything, it is not that the result is a mandate for Joe Biden, but rather a referendum against Trump. And that, frankly, serves no one. We cannot continue the policies of Joe Biden, but we also cannot continue to be distracted by the Trump effect, which I strongly believe is slowing us down, and has slowed us down, from being in the place we need to be as a strong America.
In the past we have had great leaders on both sides of the aisle, able to bring America together on a forward path, doing things and presenting ideas that work for everyone, offering a level of great respect for The Office regardless of party.
We need that now more than ever. And unfortunately, Donald Trump is not the man who can offer us that.
Step aside, Mr. President. We thank you for showing us what is possible and what we can do. But for America's sake, we now need you to make room for someone else to carry on with what you started. The time now is to pass the baton. America cannot sustain as the greatest country on Earth and protect the free world if we cannot be unified in the cause of freedom and democracy. This republic cannot stand divided.
America first is not just a slogan. It needs to be what we do.
13 people like this
16 responses
@NJChicaa (119649)
• United States
9 Nov 22
Trump is trash. I've known that since I was a young child viewing his yacht at Trump Marina while staying at Harrah's. He is a terrible person all around. We've seen so many demonstrations of that over the past 6 years.
The non red-wave of last night has shown that Ron DeSantis will be the next GOP nominee. I think he is a jerk too but I will be happy to know that it wont be Trump.
4 people like this
@NJChicaa (119649)
• United States
9 Nov 22
@porwest I don't hate Trump. I wouldn't put that kind of effort into thinking of him. I'm just saying that I have known what he is for decades and long before he presented himself as a successful businessman on The Apprentice. Red America bought into the narrative that he is some successful billionaire. HAHAHAHA We in NY and NJ know who he is.
I don't think being an outsider was the issue. I think being a Russia-loving megalomaniac did. He should never be near the nuclear codes again.
3 people like this
@NJChicaa (119649)
• United States
9 Nov 22
@kobesbuddy 6 that I know of. He says it is savvy business strategy. Seriously. HOW DO YOU LOSE MONEY RUNNING CASINOS?
2 people like this
@porwest (91088)
• United States
9 Nov 22
I do not agree with your comment. At all, in fact. I think Trump was demonized for reasons we should also be very concerned about. It hurts as much as his own actions as president hurt us. What he was, was an outsider. I think that was his biggest fault. Yes, he had a demeanor that did not help his cause. But even that, I think, would have been dismissed under different circumstances.
Look at Biden. A confirmed racist who has never been called out for it. Why? Because he is an insider. He is given a pass. Clinton was a pedophile, rapist and womanizer. He was given a pass. Why? Because he was an insider.
But you, along with other people like you, with your deep rooted hatred are part of the reason that I take the stance that I do. Your kind are part of the distraction, and your kind are part of the reason we now have Joe Biden destroying the country.
We cannot allow that to continue.
We need to people to make sensible votes. Not irrational, emotional ones.
5 people like this
@Deepizzaguy (102941)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
9 Nov 22
I would not mind seeing Ron DeSantis as our President since he has taken steps to stomp on the woke movement.
4 people like this
@Deepizzaguy (102941)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
10 Nov 22
@porwest Ron Desantis reminds me of Ronald Reagan who was a nice guy but when push came to shove, he flexed his muscle to tell striking employees get back to work or face the consequences.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (68102)
• United States
10 Nov 22
I agree so much. The good policies are getting lost because they’re becoming automatically linked to the man. As I told my brother today, Orangeface is an albatross that the GOP must rid itself of if it hopes to go anywhere in 2024 or beyond.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (68102)
• United States
15 Nov 22
@porwest — even as divided as we were over Nixon we came together once he was gone. But this has been going on for 30 years now…starting with the “MY President is Charlton Heston” bumper stickers when Clinton was president. Now we’re doomed to a divide that’s so bad that if Biden found a cure for cancer half the country wouldn’t give him credit, and the same for Ron DeSantis.
@porwest (91088)
• United States
15 Nov 22
At some point, if this nation wants to continue to succeed, we have to draw a line somewhere and close this divide gap a bit. We used to simply dislike presidents, not hate them, and there was a time when the two parties were not so drastically different from each other. And MOST presidents would lead somewhere near the center eventually. I think we can get back to that and think we badly need to.
1 person likes this
@thislittlepennyearns (62562)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
10 Nov 22
I am very mixed on this subject, because while I may not agree with everything Trump says, does or acts out I do think he is the best option for our country.
2 people like this
@thislittlepennyearns (62562)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
10 Nov 22
@porwest DeSantis just got reelected. Which I am very glad about. He has done a lot of GOOD for Florida and is probably the best person for us to have.
@porwest (91088)
• United States
10 Nov 22
Certainly I agree that his policies are the best option for the country. I just think that being Trump makes it difficult to not only allow the message to be heard, but for people to accept the truth of what is happening as it happens...
As was the case with Trump when he was president.
I think deep down most people understand things were better under Trump and that his policies worked. They just could not get past that it was Trump who did it, and so rather than accept the truth, their judgement was clouded, and it distracted the nation and we wound up with Biden.
I am strongly looking toward DeSantis at this time and think he can carry on what Trump started, and at the same time capture more attention toward what needs to be done and what is actually working than the focus being on who he is and distracting people from the truth.
@CarolDM (203422)
• Nashville, Tennessee
10 Nov 22
As you know, we agree on this subject. Most of those here will never understand the point you are trying to make. Because they don't want to understand. The Trump policies are what we need. Not the man but the policies. I often want to shout those words out. But nobody hears. If you don't agree with them, you are a "Trumper". So I don't even try any more.
"We cannot continue the policies of Joe Biden, but we also cannot continue to be distracted by the Trump effect, which I strongly believe is slowing us down, and has slowed us down, from being in the place we need to be as a strong America."
This sums it up right here. It is all about the policies. All of those you listed. Something has to change before our country is unrecognizable. Well done on explaining. I get it, if nobody else does, you know I do. A shame others do not. They see Trump's name and go nuts. But that is their problem. It goes so much deeper. Agreed, he needs to step aside.
4 people like this
@scottcoleson (578)
• Pilot Mountain, North Carolina
29 Dec 22
I agree with your thought process. It's difficult to have discussions like that now. Everything is so polarized. People think if you agree with someone's policies then you somehow agree with everything they are and do. And that's simply not the case. In my opinion, I believe there are Democrats who genuinely want to do good and there are Republicans who want to do good. Their ways of achieving that good isn't always what I think is best. And that's okay. It's okay to not agree with someone all the time. And it's okay to call out someone who you do agree with at times.
I wish that Trump would not have announced he was running for president again. I believe that it does more harm than good. And sadly, I believe the only reason he is doing it is because he thinks this will keep him from being prosecuted for the accusations that have been leveled against him.
1 person likes this
@porwest (91088)
• United States
3 Jan 23
That is the thing for me. Look at the policies and acknowledge and accept the wins and set everything else aside. Trump was not a charismatic guy. In many ways he was toxic. But he still succeeded. He still got the job done.
I look back at so many other presidents who were effective and had good policy that were scoundrels. John F. Kennedy was revered. But was he a good guy? No. Not really. He cheated on his wife and didn't care much for how that impacted her. But he was a great president. Same can be said about Bill Clinton.
People have a hard time accepting that the person does not make a presidency. Policy does, and in the end it is all that matters.
@porwest (91088)
• United States
15 Nov 22
The one thing that I think is an interesting dichotomy is that Trump delivered us from socialism. He had phenomenally effective policy. At the same time, IF I am to believe that Biden won the election fair and square (which I do not), Trump ALSO delivered us THE worst president ever in American history through Joe Biden, setting us farther back than even Obama managed to do.
The ONLY way Trump could be successful at this point to lead the nation, he would have to make a complete 360 in his decorum—I think people grasp that his policies worked and worked incredibly well. But they simply could not get past Trump himself and the way he carried himself, and as a result they were willing to send the country into hell just to be rid of the man, despite his policies.
That's not healthy for the country.
Getting the country back to sanity requires someone who can not only deliver good policy, but who can also restore decorum to the Office of the President and break the divide we currently have in this country.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (37355)
• Toccoa, Georgia
10 Nov 22
You write this very well. And I do agree with you. I also think that DeSantis does not need to run until 2028. He needs to stay governor of Florida the whole term. He is young enough where he does not need to rush.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (44553)
• Staten Island, New York
10 Nov 22
You are probably correct in saying that if Trump runs and gets elected that the focus will be on him and not on policy. And they will probably try to find another reason to impeach him. And who knows maybe the election will be rigged again if he runs. Or people will again vote for Biden simply because they hate Trump as a person. I do want him to run though.
That’s what people shouldn’t do—vote for someone because they hate the other person. Or vote for someone simply because that person is affiliated with the same political party as them. We should vote for people based on what they promise to do for us and for this country and not based on personality or party affiliation.
@LindaOHio (178877)
• United States
10 Nov 22
I agree with a lot of what you said. Regardless of his track record in the White House, I don't think Trump is ready to face a second term in office.
1 person likes this
@porwest (91088)
• United States
15 Nov 22
Policy wise he is. I won't discount his effective presidency when it comes to the policies he had, that worked, and worked incredibly well. BUT, this polarization is not healthy for the country, and for that reason we need to have someone who can deliver both good policy and good decorum.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (178877)
• United States
15 Nov 22
@porwest Yes, his decorum has much to be desired. I'm a little worried about him actually.
@gnatsmom (2515)
•
10 Nov 22
What a beautifully articulated post. I agree with you 100%. Ron DeSantis is my choice for 2024. Like you, I am thankful for the Trump policies, but believe his time is over. Politically, he was good for our country. His policies stabilized and made us strong. However, his morals are a disgrace and I would rather we have a man of moral integrity. We need more public servants across the nation like Ron DeSantis, Kari Lake, and Kim Reynolds.
1 person likes this
@thedevilinme (4128)
• Northampton, England
13 Nov 22
Desantos can poll better than the Don. Its over
1 person likes this
@yoalldudes (35037)
• Philippines
16 Nov 22
When is the election and who is Trump running against?
1 person likes this
@porwest (91088)
• United States
19 Nov 22
November 2023 for the 2024 election. As for who will be on the republican stage vying for the nomination, there are many names coming up, but nothing set yet. Most likely the nominee on the GOP side will run against the incumbent Biden unless another democrat challenges—which is a rare thing but does happen.
@porwest (91088)
• United States
20 Nov 22
@yoalldudes That would suggest Biden is doing something. He is not. lol
@yoalldudes (35037)
• Philippines
20 Nov 22
@porwest Oh okay thank you for the info. So it seems Biden will ride us through the war in Ukraine.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471459)
• Switzerland
10 Nov 22
I was going through the policies of the previous President you supported and I have to say I fully support all of them. If we were less stupid and would have continued on our way to be energy independent, we would not be in such big mess right now. What you are saying is right. Trump would do a big favor to his party if he would step down and let new candidates represent the Republican Party. I wonder if he understands this.
