I am as against Trump as you are. But defending my values and getting behind a candidate that represents them is, for me, a bigger priority than defeating Trump.
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Dear #ConservativesforBiden, Â
If you were serious about opposing Trump based on conservative values, you would oppose Biden for president and support Justin Amash. The obsession with Trump’s defeat at all costs will cripple the conservative movement for good, and it will be Never-Trump conservatives who are to blame. Â
Before you begin the crusade against me, let me start by stating that I am as against Trump as you are. I began calling for his impeachment after he declared a national emergency to build his wall. The declaration was an unconstitutional appropriation of money by the executive branch and deserved congressional action. Â
His impeachment over the Ukrainian scandal was much needed, and I applauded Congress for finally reclaiming some of its authority, even if Senate Republicans reneged on their promise to defend the Constitution. I want to see Trump out of office as much as any Never-Trump conservative. But I have principles. I stand for the US Constitution. And, as such, I cannot support Joe Biden. Â
Look, I get the overwhelming desire to rid the country of Trump. I do. He consistently violates conservative principles. He flaunts the US Constitution. He has shredded the institutional integrity of the Republican Party down to nothing. Trump has been the worst president in recent US history, and getting him out of the White House is one of my top priorities. Â
But it is not the top priority. Defending my values and supporting the candidate that best represents them is. And, I would expect all principled conservatives to say the same. This is why the overwhelming support among intellectual conservatives for Biden is confusing, especially with the entry of principled conservative Justin Amash into the race. Â
The refrain I keep hearing from conservatives supporting Biden is that Trump must be ousted at all costs, because if he’s not the Republic will collapse. This, quite simply, is not true. The Republic has survived Woodrow Wilson. She survived FDR. She even survived being ripped apart at the seams. Â
We have endured tragedy after tragedy. Trump and his movement will pass. If we are to resurrect any semblance of constitutional rule in this nation, we have to start by supporting constitutional principles and politicians that support those principles. Biden is not that guy; Amash is. Â
But, let’s assume the doomsayers are correct. Let’s assume that this is the last election to save America. We have one shot to save the nation. My question, then, is this; do you really think Joseph Biden is the man to do that? Does he really represent the values you want to see? He will be the furthest left politician policy-wise we’ve seen since LBJ. Â
The precedent set by Obama and Trump in terms of executive overreach will be continued by the next president, unless we elect someone who will voluntarily restrict themselves. Biden is not that man. Justin Amash is. Â
If this is the last election before the demise of the Republic, we should go out swinging, not falling in line behind someone antithetical to our values and our Constitution. Â
I understand supporting Biden. I get it. But if we want to be better than Trump, we need to rise above the cult of personality. There is more to life than Trump. It’s time we realized that, and support Justin Amash for President in 2020. Â
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