I am voting my conscience, Sen. Cruz
By Alicia Colon
Published August 15, 2016
The sturm and drang on the convention speech given by Sen. Cruz's non endorsement of the GOP nominee Donald Trump is ongoing and fraught with misinformation from all sides. It has been reported that since Trump had read Cruz's speech, the subsequent booing that resulted when Cruz told delegates to "Vote Your Conscience" was orchestrated by the Trump campaign. That may not be the case.
A friend of mine whose wife was a Kentucky delegate next to the Texans said it was the Cruz voters that started the chanting because they were disappointed by that comment. Cruz then thanked the New Yorkers assuming that they had started the booing. Nope, Senator, it was your supporters who hoped you would be doing the right thing to unify the party.
I have many conservative Republican Facebook friends whom I've respected in the past but I simply do not understand their #NeverTrump position when they insist that their principles and conscience will not allow them to vote for such a horrible, immoral candidate. They take umbrage if anyone dares to challenge this position by stating that they are allowing Hillary to win.
Some Trump supporters are hostile to these friends and have resorted to name-calling and trash talking just like their candidate is prone to do. Unfriending is sadly becoming routine in this election cycle. I believe it is unfair and un-American to resort to disrespecting anyone's right to free speech.
I respect all opinions and know that I cannot persuade anyone to change their minds; however, I will try and explain my own decision to vote for Mr. Trump. I simply have no choice.
Donald Trump is loud, brash, arrogant, egotistical and rude, according to his detractors but these descriptions could apply to the usual comments made about New Yorkers. I am a native New Yorker but I am more likely to be described as the antithesis of Mr. Trump because A.) I am poor and likely to always be that and B.) I will never be economically successful because I am just not that ambitious. Mr. Trump, on the other hand will always be rich and successful and that is why he is hated by those who can't control him.
I was never in the Trump camp and like many thought it was absurd that he ever thought he had a chance against the Republican thoroughbreds he would run against. I believe and still believe that Rick Perry was the most qualified of them all to be president. Best laid plans and all that, however, Trump's team worked hard and defeated them all and the noblest of those defeated honored their pledge to support the winner. Ted Cruz and Lindsay Graham took a pledge that they had no intention of ever keeping. Donald Trump at least was honest enough to reject that silly pledge in the first place.
Ever since Donald Trump became the GOP nominee, I have listened to the outrage of those dissenters who claim to be conservatives denounce Mr. Trump as an immoral philandering racist while failing to ignore the devastation of a Hillary Clinton win. What is astonishing is that many of the "I will never vote for Trump" crowds are intelligent and respectable pillars in a world I don't belong to. How can they claim any principle that allows the Clintons back in the White House? Bill Clinton was one of the most disgraceful leaders in America's history and Hillary was his self-serving enabler. His immorality and lack of character makes Donald Trump look like an altar boy. I am not speaking of his despicable behavior with intern Monica Lewinsky and the despoiling of the Oval office. Sadly, many Americans dismissed his behavior as human and even rakish. I find treason an even more damning reason to keep the Clintons as far away from controlling the government as possible.
In 1996, Communist China was not an ally but still considered our enemy. Clinton took money from the People's Republic of China to fund his reelection campaign in exchange for the transfer of sensitive missive technology. The NY Times reported in 1998 that the Clinton Administration notified Congress that it had approved the export of technology to China to permit the launching of a communications satellite aboard a Chinese rocket. Lo and behold, China now has the ability to launch a missile at the United States. Bye, Bye, California. Thanks, Bill.
Meanwhile, Al Gore was busy making sure that Illegals would be able to vote for the reelection of Clinton/Gore in 1995 by speeding up the naturalization process for 600, 000 immigrants and promised new applicants naturalization in 90 days. One result of the intensive effort was that thousands of immigrants were naturalized even though they had criminal records for such crimes as murder and armed robbery that should have either disqualified them for citizenship or forced them to undergo closer questioning.
As for the prospect of Hillary vs. Trump, the media has made sure we know all we can about Mr. Trump but is very negligent in pointing out the unbelievable corruption of Hillary's reign as Secretary of State. Just as her husband sold out the country's secrets to the People's Republic of China, Secretary Hillary has used the State to enrich the Clinton Foundation with donations from the vilest regimes imaginable. Obviously, those who promise to vote for Hillary have not viewed the excellent, incredibly researched documentary, Clinton Cash which is available online for free.
Donald Trump is not an ideal candidate but he has one very positive asset and that is why he is drawing huge crowds to his rallies. He is not a politician. Americans are sick and tired of putting them in office only to see them betray their promises. Congress is broken and has been for a long time. The James Stewart film, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is more than relevant today than it was in 1939.
I found that out when my Congressman, Michael Grimm, made the mistake of telling the truth to us at a tea party Town Hall meeting just months after being elected. "Nobody cares," he told us, "this is on both sides of the aisle. They're only interested in getting reelected and staying in office." Just as the corrupt press lord went after James Stewart, the MSM went after Grimm. The people here on Staten Island reelected him anyway because of the hard work he managed to do for Staten Island but the knives dug in and this former Marine, Gulf War veteran, FBI undercover agent went to jail for a trumped up tax charge that Democrats get away with all the time.
Another thing going for Trump is that he is street smart. He knows that elections can be rigged. Every effort to ensure that only citizens can vote by passing voter ID laws have been stymied by the Democrats who charge ‘racism' at the GOP. One needs id to check into a hotel, get a credit card, open a bank account, rent a car, play in a casino and numerous other venues but liberals think anyone should be able to vote for who runs our government. Trump knows that without voter fraud, Democrats couldn't ever get elected so he is marshaling forces to monitor the polls and he has the troops to do this. Bikers, military, veterans, patriots all want a change but who is supporting Hillary?- Wall Street, Billionaires like George Soros, brain dead Celebs, the Communistic Party and RINOs who all want the status quo in place for their profiteering. I could expose so many other facts about Hillary's corruption but the truth is out there so please seek it out.
I am a grandmother in the twilight of my life and may not live long enough to see the damage that a Hillary win would do to the Supreme Court but my fear is for my children and grandchildren who will live under a system that denies religious freedom, respect for the unborn, and the right to protect themselves from a tyrannical government.
So I will gladly vote for Donald Trump who has surrounded himself with strong conservative advisers. Hey Donald, when you win, (G0D willing) how about Rick Santorum to replace Scalia-two peas in a pod?