THE FOOLISHNESS OF BEING A SINGLE ISSUE VOTER IN 2016…

Ya know, there was once a time, not all that long ago, when was a pretty regular follower of the website Redstate.com and of its creator, Eric Erickson, as well.  But over the years Mr. Erickson has proceeded to come across as being one who perhaps takes himself just a bit too seriously.  And one who is, much like Barry, comfortable putting his ideology above what’s good for his country.  It’s rare, these days that I bother a stop at his website, and rarer still that I take the time to seek out what his opinion may be on any given issue.

And so it was then, on one of those few occasions that I still tune into watch Ms. Megyn Kelly, who is also not a fan of Trump, that Mr. Erickson joined Ms. Kelly on the program along with a supporter of Mr. Trump to debate the candidate.  Erickson was there, I guess, to demonstrate the point that even as Trump racks up back to back to back caucus/primary victories, the polarizing frontrunner elicits what has, at the same time, become some very vocal, and rather intense, opposition from within Republican ranks as well.

Erickson, for example, has formally vowed that he will not, under and circumstances, be voting for Donald Trump, even if he becomes the Republican nominee for president, and did so again on Ms. Megyn’s show just last night.  So I can only assume that he will then either simply stay home, or will decide to vote for Hitlery Clinton.  It’s these days that Mr. Erickson seems to come across as a guy who, while he claims to be a conservative, is now someone who has become quite comfortable in cozying up to those in the ‘GOP Establishment’.  

Erickson claims to base his decision primarily on Donald Trump's stance on abortion, saying the real-estate mogul never truly flipped his views, and only says so for convenience.  It was in a post on his website, The Resurgent, that he wrote, "I have become convinced that Donald Trump’s pro-life conversion is a conversion of convenience.”  And he went on to say, "Life is the foremost cause in how I vote. Therefore I will not be voting for Donald Trump at all. Ever."  I too am pro-life, but having said that, I am also pro-freedom and pro-America.

Though Erickson had previously stated that he would support Trump if he became the nominee, it would seem that has since changed his mind.  He said, "If Trump were elected President, there would be members of the pro-life movement who would compromise their convictions for access to power. If Trump were elected, portions of the conservative movement would compromise the movement to be one degree from Donald Trump. The intellectual institutions on which we have made our case for limited government and freedom would crumble."

In order to defeat Trump, according to Erickson, conservatives now have a duty to rally in support of Marco Rubio.  He said, "I will not rally to Trump. Frankly, if Trump is able to get the nomination, the Republican Party will cease to be the party in which I served as an elected official."  And he said in Monday's post, "It will not deserve my support and will not get it if it chooses to nominate a pro-abortion liberal masquerading as a conservative, who preys on nationalistic, tribal tendencies and has an army of white supremacists online as his loudest cheerleaders."

Sorry, Mr. Erickson, but I would have to disagree.  You see, I have a difficult time trusting someone who, upon his arrival in Washington, saw fit to partner up with, of all people, Chuckie Schumer and ‘Little Dick’ Durbin in what was a coordinated attempt to shove amnesty for those here illegally down the throat of the American people.  And I am someone who not only voted for Rubio, but also gave money to his campaign.  Trust is a very fragile thing, and once lost it is almost impossible to regain.  And if he’s has betrayed us on one issue, might he betray us on others?

So while Trump is definitely not my first choice, the possibility of Hitlery Clinton as our next president is terrifying.  At a time when our country is hanging in the balance, it just seems rather naïve, at least to me, to be a single issue voter.  As I have said numerous times before, Trump is not who I will be voting for in my state’s primary, but should he become the Republican nominee I will vote for him.  But unlike Mr. Erickson, should Mr. Rubio end up being our nominee I will feel compelled to vote for him because the alternative is just too frightening to consider.

Granted, I may be leaving myself open for an ‘I told you so’ moment from Mr. Erickson, but I’m willing to take that chance!  I cannot be like him and stand by and simply watch as things continue to unravel.  And while abortion is a truly important issue, I would argue that immigration is also a very important issue.  And it makes no sense to ignore one issue in favor of another.  While I wish I could look at each of these candidates and tell which one it is that can be counted on to save my county, sadly I have no such ability.  I just have to pray that I make the right choice.