Readers weigh in on former president’s November 24
By Guy Page
Yesterday, Vermont Daily Chronicle asked about 20 regular commenters and readers (chosen pretty much at random) what they think about former President Donald Trump’s November 14 announcement that he will seek re-election in 2024.
Reaction was mixed. All readers are welcome to submit to news@verontdailychronicle.com their on-the-record comments, complete with real name and hometown, by Sunday night Nov. 20 for publication next week. All responses received so far appear below.
Jay Eshelman, Westminster – “Bull in the uni-party’s china shop”
For now, I see no reason not to keep an open mind. Anything is better than the current VT GOP establishment.
Know what you’re facing.
Keep in mind, for example, that assuming the Democratic presidential contender bench is weak is an illusion. And no, I don’t think Biden will run again. What I expect we will see is something like what happened in the Los Angeles mayoral race just decided, in which a former republican business mogul switched parties to run as a democrat and lost. Kind of like what Liam Madden attempted, but the other way around. My guess: the democrats will likely field a Liz Cheney or a Jeb Bush ticket, when they switch parties. After all, it is the ‘uniparty’, the ‘administrative state’, with whom we must contend.
In the final analysis, the VT GOP consists, for the most part, of democrat lite candidates… Phil Scott, Joe Benning, Randy Brock, Jim Douglas, etc. And its so-called VT GOP leadership is as unimaginative as can be. Further, Vermont’s harder core republican conservatives, you know, the people who post here on TNR and VDC, simply can’t articulate a clear message. To them, its all about ‘patriotism’ – whatever that means.
Watch the Styxhexenhammer666 video [from Tarl Warwick of Rutland]. Trump remains the bull in the uniparty’s china shop…. for now at least. So, let’s break some more dishes and see what happens. It can’t get any worse than it is now.
Herbert Hatch, Barre City – “Better opinion of Mr. Pence”
I’d rather not vote for Mr. Trump this time. I have a better opinion of Mr. Pence, he appears to be more stable, user friendly and is more the leader this country and the world needs.
I also very much appreciate that he is a follower of Jesus and the Bible and not just religious on the outside. The governor of Florida is my second choice as he has been active against so much of the left’s push to change America negatively to become more ungodly through ‘woke’ indoctrination and more. I’m saddened that so much of that indoctrination is present in Vermont.
And thank you, Guy, for asking and doing so well what you are doing for God and country and conservative values in your emails.
John Klar, Brookfield – “Donald Trump’s continued leadership of the Republican Party will continue to heighten our nation’s divide”
I was not an early supporter of Donald Trump — on the contrary, I greatly distrusted him. Later, I came to trust that he was well-intentioned, and even had some good policies. Plus, he did not embroil the nation in war.
But throughout his presidency, and since, his abrasive style and provocative posturing made even his most ardent supporters wish he’d shut up. That legacy has now poisoned his ability to lead our nation, in my opinion.
Though the Democrats have errantly focused all their energies on demonizing Trump and Republicans as pure evil instead of actually earning trust in the electorate with their own policies, DT has become the perfect foil for them to succeed.
I believe Donald Trump’s continued leadership of the Republican Party will continue to heighten our nation’s divide, and permit the Left to dehumanize conservatives and avoid accountability for their own failures.
For that reason, I believe the Party needs a new, less contentious leader — polls show most agree. Nikki Haley would make a strong contender, and she doesn’t tweet like Trump. Then the Party could present its leading issues, rather than a controversial personality, to voters for consideration in 2024.
Greg Thayer, Rutland – “Interesting to see who else gets into this race”
I believe Trump’s speech was spot on and positive. Albeit a little early, but I get it.
His delivery was positive, no election denying, no attacks on others (other than the Biden policies) he talked about his predecessor destroying the American people and our great Nation!
Trump talked about his record and his policies that reduced tax burdens on working people, secured our borders, held the line on inflation, interest rates and kept Americans safe, and brought American companies back to American soil, he held NATO countries accountable, and the big one, he made America energy independent! Under his leadership America became the leading exporter of energy and he made us energy independent!
Trump’s record for endorsements: 232 wins to 22 losses…
The best line, “this is not my campaign, it is our campaign.” He cites “We The People.” I remember Trump; “Promised Made, Promises Kept!” It will be interesting to see who else gets into this race.
Tom Koch, Barre Town – “Time for Trump to retire to Mar A Lago”
There are many better leaders the GOP can nominate. It’s time for Trump to retire to Mar A Lago and for the GOP to look forward, not backward.
Deb Bucknam – “Tragic hero with a fatal flaw”
Not only did I vote for Trump twice, but my two lawyer daughters and I traveled to Philly after the 2020 election and spent a week on the Trump team talking to PA voters who gave us plenty of information on voter fraud and election incompetence. For my troubles, I contracted COVID, and landed in the ICU. I also was called “soulless” in an editorial in the local paper for my comments on the Jan 6 riots–er, “insurrection”.
I think Donald Trump was a great President for many reasons, and the attacks on him would have put most of us in the insane asylum. However, I cannot support his 2024 candidacy.
Trump is a tragic hero with a fatal flaw—he has internalized the attacks on himself, and who can blame him? We can all self-righteously tell him to move on, but most of us, if we were in his shoes, could not either. But the country cannot afford for the Democrats to win in 2024, and Trump’s inability to move on means he will lose, however unfair that is. Trump is also too old (I can say that because he was born the same year I was).
Steve Merrill, Troy – “So dangerous to the entrenched bureaucracy”
We get them about once a century, a Populist President who is willing to battle the “swamp” come hell or high water, first being Andrew Jackson battling the 2nd Bank of the US’s Biddle, who deliberately threw (Biddle did) the USA into a recession/depression just to sway public opinion against Jackson.
Was Jackson a blowhard, a braggart, so emotional he’d actually duel with his opponents? You bet! Imagine if Jackson had a Twitter account?
The 2nd populist bar none was Teddy Roosevelt, who, as his own daughter once said was “the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral” who kept the “press” mighty busy with his constant missives.
The public loved him, and like Jackson, the moneyed interests hated him, witness his “trust busting”, setting aside massive amounts of public land as parks and recreational areas, he cared not a whit what his enemies thought or said, he knew what was right for the people and worked tirelessly for them. Coincidentally, both TR and Jackson had their own money and could not be bought off.
Which brings us now to Trump. Is he a braggart, a booster, brash and boastful? Like Jackson and TR, of course he is. Does he care about his swamp critics? Of course he doesn’t. He is so dangerous to the entrenched bureaucracy just look at what they did to him, falsifying warrants to spy on his first campaign, colluding with the “press”, social media, etc., all to bury evidence of his opponents corruption so voters couldn’t see what a hollow, corrupt shell of a second rate 40 year political hack who even bragged about withholding Ukraine aid unless an honest prosecutor was fired.
Trump, like Jackson, TR, and even JFK is a dangerous man as he cannot be bought and very few care about his “mean Tweets” vs. his results, a rip-roaring economy, little to no inflation, even handed trade deals, a secure border, affordable food and fuel prices, energy independence/dominance, working for the people vs. the moneyed interests, etc etc. I could go on..Could and should he do it again? Of course! Should and could he use a little humility? Of course!
We need a champion of and for the people, a businessman vs. a career politician, just look at how fast our living standards have fallen in just two short years and for what? I don’t care what he says, I care what he does, and if the “press’ hates him, as does all the alphabet “Intel Agencies”, hacks, flaks, and career politicians, all the more reasons to let him fight for us again.
Who else can and will put us, the people first? I really am glad to see him run again, as what does MAGA stand for? “Make America Great Again”, but believe me, powerful Global “interests” will be arrayed against him, unelected guttersnipes like the WTO, the WEF, the corrupt UN. and adversaries like China. Good for Donald J. Trump, he did it once and he can do it again.
Dan Pipes, Fairfield – “Toxic leadership is a style, but never preferred”
What Trumps Leadership?
“Nothing” is the short answer. By this metric, our former President’s early declaration to pursue another term fails. As a neighbor of ours who still farms put it, the last two elections were like reaching into a bucket of turds and picking the one you liked most. Full disclosure; I voted for Donald Trump -twice. I will not again.
I recognize and value the amazing success that we enjoyed as a Nation while Trump was president. Simply put, I like what he did for our country, but I hate what he has done to our country – with the eager collusion of a biased media.
Petty narcissism, name calling, reveling in boorish behavior, a very passing acquaintance with the truth… all of these things and more suck the air out of the room. Real issues are ignored. This prevents sincere leaders from reaching hard but necessary compromises.
Trump’s faults are legion, and painfully evident. What passes for the “press” today gleefully forces them on us as he crashes through yet another metaphorical china shop. Trump is the wrong choice, at the wrong time, with the wrong message.
Back to leadership. Toxic leadership is a style, but never preferred.
Our Nation deserves better.
Alice Flanders – “Under his leadership I had no fear of being marginalized, censored, or imprisoned arbitrarily”
I think of what being an American means to me. It means I can:
- Express my opinion publicly without fear of Government knocking at my door to carry me away to endless imprisonment without charges or proper trial.
- Expect autonomy over my body, to accept or reject experimental agents without fear of losing my livelihood.
- Visit any public place without fear of being labeled politically undesirable.
- Nurture my children with values that have been passed to me by my forefathers. without fear of being labeled as a closed-minded extremist who rejects the notion that the State Alone can/must indoctrinate them.
- Experience, with fellow citizens, equal opportunity allowing for success or failure based on merit, and personal effort.
Donald Trump is Presidential. He was a World Leader with a proven track record. We had prosperity, energy independence and confidence in tomorrow. Under his leadership I had no fear of being marginalized, censored, or imprisoned arbitrarily.
Let us remember why so many people voted for Trump in the first place. Today’s politicians, Democrat and Republican, want the people’s votes, but these ‘leaders’ don’t want to properly address their constituents’ concerns. They will never understand support for Trump, or fix the problem.