Looking for a Better Path Forward
by Jim Kenaston
Like many, I believe that big tech, the mainstream media, members of the Democratic Party, and various deep-state operatives (members of the FBI, for instance) acted in various schemes to hamper the Trump presidency and ensure that he would not have a second term in office. Yet I am not an election denier. For better or worse, states certified their electoral results over the objections of many, and the results were duly counted. I'd simply like to make a case for seeking new conservative leadership that will help us move beyond this troubled past.
As Donald Trump announces his candidacy for the 2024 election, I'll advocate for an alternative Republican candidate who would be better suited to "carry the torch," so to speak, of the conservative cause. My rationale is as follows.
While egregiously wronged by many, it seems to me that we would do well not to give high public office to a man who has cause to pursue both a personal and political vendetta. My sense is that history can defend Donald Trump's policy agenda better than he can himself.
But beyond the entertainment value of political blood sport, I see it as counter-productive to grant power to someone given to emotional outbursts and vicious character assaults upon anyone who disagrees with him or might stand in his way. To state it mildly, Donald Trump has consistently demonstrated himself to be undisciplined in his communications. Despite my belief in the desirability of much of his political agenda, I do not see him as the best person to pursue it on our behalf. I believe he would do well (and we also) to trust others to defend and advance conservative policy goals.
But beyond temperament issues, I'm also concerned about the pattern of radical pendulum swings we've seen in our politics over the past several decades. Should Trump win the presidency again, we'll see yet another radical swing, and likely another in the opposite direction following his second term in office. This is not good for our country, nor for our allies in the surrounding world.
I believe we need to find a path toward policy initiatives that are both practical and sustainable. This is admittedly a great challenge when the opposing sides are so far apart, but for conservatives, a step in the right direction would be to choose a leader who can serve as a good ambassador for a conservative policy agenda. With that goal in mind, and based on his pattern of abusive communications, I believe Donald Trump is not the right man to fight his own battles, much less ours.
That said, should Donald Trump become the Republican Party presidential candidate for the 2024 election, and if the Democratic Party continues to put forward candidates seeking to advance a toxic cultural agenda (libertine license over civic responsibility), I would vote for Trump's policy agenda, despite the man. This, however, would be yet another choice between the lesser of two evils, a calculus we would do well to avoid.
So for the country's sake (and for the good of our former president), I will look to the Republican primaries as an opportunity to vote for new leadership, trusting that doing so will help us find a better and sustainable path forward. I would encourage others to do so as well.
But for anyone who feels politically marginalized or disaffected, whether on the right or left, please take note of this biblical counsel: "...the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." (James 1:20)
Sadly, our politics of late has clearly demonstrated this point. We truly must find a better path forward, and one that has the potential for changing hearts and minds through persuasion and positive public example.
As Donald Trump announces his candidacy for the 2024 election, I'll advocate for an alternative Republican candidate who would be better suited to "carry the torch," so to speak, of the conservative cause. My rationale is as follows.
While egregiously wronged by many, it seems to me that we would do well not to give high public office to a man who has cause to pursue both a personal and political vendetta. My sense is that history can defend Donald Trump's policy agenda better than he can himself.
But beyond the entertainment value of political blood sport, I see it as counter-productive to grant power to someone given to emotional outbursts and vicious character assaults upon anyone who disagrees with him or might stand in his way. To state it mildly, Donald Trump has consistently demonstrated himself to be undisciplined in his communications. Despite my belief in the desirability of much of his political agenda, I do not see him as the best person to pursue it on our behalf. I believe he would do well (and we also) to trust others to defend and advance conservative policy goals.
But beyond temperament issues, I'm also concerned about the pattern of radical pendulum swings we've seen in our politics over the past several decades. Should Trump win the presidency again, we'll see yet another radical swing, and likely another in the opposite direction following his second term in office. This is not good for our country, nor for our allies in the surrounding world.
I believe we need to find a path toward policy initiatives that are both practical and sustainable. This is admittedly a great challenge when the opposing sides are so far apart, but for conservatives, a step in the right direction would be to choose a leader who can serve as a good ambassador for a conservative policy agenda. With that goal in mind, and based on his pattern of abusive communications, I believe Donald Trump is not the right man to fight his own battles, much less ours.
That said, should Donald Trump become the Republican Party presidential candidate for the 2024 election, and if the Democratic Party continues to put forward candidates seeking to advance a toxic cultural agenda (libertine license over civic responsibility), I would vote for Trump's policy agenda, despite the man. This, however, would be yet another choice between the lesser of two evils, a calculus we would do well to avoid.
So for the country's sake (and for the good of our former president), I will look to the Republican primaries as an opportunity to vote for new leadership, trusting that doing so will help us find a better and sustainable path forward. I would encourage others to do so as well.
But for anyone who feels politically marginalized or disaffected, whether on the right or left, please take note of this biblical counsel: "...the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." (James 1:20)
Sadly, our politics of late has clearly demonstrated this point. We truly must find a better path forward, and one that has the potential for changing hearts and minds through persuasion and positive public example.
