respectful disagreement with Dr. Pipes

Submitted by Charles Martel (United States), May 10, 2016 at 23:05

In a recent op-ed for Fox News columnist Wayne Allyn Root writes "... I agree Trump is not a pure or traditional conservative. That's why he can win this election vs Hillary Clinton. Again, this is where Trump intersects with Reagan. Reagan was an entertainer, showman and communicator, more than a conservative. Trump is the perfect mix to win this election- entertainer, showman, businessman, celebrity, reality TV star and our very own "American Idol." He's exactly what the doctor ordered for conservatives. A pure conservative position on every issue is never going to win national elections in today's America. We need a conservative, mixed with populist and economic nationalist- always America first, presented in a fun, entertaining way. That's Trump."

Dr. Pipes clearly disagrees, writing "Donald J. Trump – not only ignores conservative values but, to put it delicately, lacks the knowledge, experience, dignity, and character to serve as president of the United States.".

And yet, I do not find this to be so. Mr. Trump expresses the sentiment that a country without borders is not a country. He calls for a temporary ban on Muslim immigration. He places American interests first, whether negotiating trade deals with China or contemplating nuclear deals with Iran. Particularly given the existential risks posed by each of the aforementioned to this nation, I find Mr. Trump's stand refreshingly unique and unerringly conservative. That he also communicates with a complete absence of politically correct guile endears him to a broad swath of the electorate much more, and certainly not less.

I see the dangers facing America today as a horrid, metastatic cancer. One does not cure such disease with flowery verbiage or politically correct platitudes. I therefore see Mr. Trump as akin to painful, but potentially curative chemotherapy.

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