2016 Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump wasn’t an easy pill to swallow for a substantial number of Republicans. I, like many others, was a #NeverTrumper until soon after the 2016 RNC Convention. Even when he won, I was cautiously optimistic (with the key word being ‘cautiously‘ ).
President Trump’s first year in office changed all of that. Justice Gorsuch, tax reform, and the drastic cut in regulations had me clicking to Amazon to buy a #KeepAmericaGreat red cap. I remarked at the beginning of 2018 that Reagan may be the “greatest” President in my lifetime, but Trump will absolutely be the most effective.
I didn’t realize that 2016 really was “The Flight 93 Election“– America was under attack and we (and I was foolishly among the ‘we’ ) sounded like a bunch of effete academics while the opposition was marching in the streets for Marxist policies.
I warmed to Trump in early 2018 but the reality that electoral politics was truly going to be a street fight became apparent to me in June of 2018. A fighting conservative Assembly candidate was taken down by a lie while narcissistic Republican opponents stood by, hoping to profit off the false attacks. The result? A formerly Republican Assembly District had eliminated the chance of a Republican Assemblyman.
I get it now. I’m watching the same thing happen in East County in the 2020 election. #NeverTrumpers are attacking a fighting conservative Supervisor candidate because he committed the sin of endorsing President Trump in April of 2016. It won’t work. East County voted for Trump by a 15 point margin in 2016 and for Trump-endorsed John Cox for Governor by 15 points in 2018.
East County is Trump country (thankfully). If you live in East County, and look at the candidates for Congress, Assembly, and Supervisor, wouldn’t you like to know which candidates share your values? Heck, I’d be asking which City Council and School Board candidates supported the President’s re-election in 2020.
You can do that right here, in the comments section.