Counterpoint: Here’s what Trump said (and did) that was wrong

By Cody McLaughlin | The Save Jersey Blog

This week, you read an opinion piece on Save Jersey from one of my favorite fellow contributors, Joe Schilp, rhetorically asking what Donald Trump did wrong during his announcement for the Republican nomination for president.

donald_trumpI’m here to answer that question: a lot.

One of my sainted mother’s favorite sayings is “[i]t’s not necessarily what you say. It’s how you say it.” Such a simple idea, Save Jerseyans, but so important in its application to a debate.

There’s nothing wrong, at least on the surface, with Donald Trump’s assertion that we need to enforce the law and secure our borders. I am all for public safety, and my heart breaks for the young woman who was recently murdered and the many others killed in similar fashion by someone who clearly should not have been here.

What I have trouble with is how Mr. Trump declared his point. The main thing he did wrong? He turned an otherwise valid critique into a blatant race issue and disparaged an entire group of people in the process based on a minority of ill-intentioned hooligans with no respect for the rule of law.

Allow me to be clear: this murderous individual does not represent the values of the vast majority of immigrants. In fact, it can be argued that latinos are more likely to share the values of the GOP than the Democrats. These are hard-working people who are willing to work to earn their living, who value the sanctity of life, who share our family values, and who largely want to be left alone to earn their living without Government taking an ever increasing chunk of their hard-earned pay.

Donald Trump starIn short, Save Jerseyans, this is an issue of poor branding perpetuated by a “candidate” who, it can be argued, is probably doing this more for the reality show prospects it presents rather than an overarching feeling of patriotism and call to serve.

For those of us serious about furthering the future of our party and ensuring the preservation of our values for generations to come, putting forth a concerted effort to be inclusive with a bloc of the population which shares them with us and agrees with us on the issues that matter will go a long way towards showing the world that we are who we say we are.

We all want limited government and economic prosperity that is the result of a strong class of Americans who rely on their own rugged individualism to get ahead. We all want to recognize and respect the sanctity of life, and we all agree that the family is a universally sacred and indispensable part of the American way. We all want freedom.

So why not give it to them? And not allow ourselves to wander, off message, right into the Democrats’ media trap?

I know this isn’t going to be the most popular thing I’ve ever written for the Save Jersey family, but I’ve got to offer one more piece of wisdom: nationalism is not one of the 10 commandments (and I’m not a religious person).

Now let the RINO hunting begin…

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Cody McLaughlin
About Cody McLaughlin 17 Articles
CODY McLAUGHLIN serves as a trustee for the NJ Outdoor Alliance which represents 1.2 million hunters, fishermen,and trappers. He is also a veteran of former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's 2013 reelection campaign as well as numerous GOP campaign efforts in the Pacific Northwest.

7 Comments

  1. Trump = therapeutic dose of electrical energy. He isn’t wrong, and I am certain HE loves this country.

    His words and the way he said them may have woke the sleeping giant, at least a little.

    I myself am sick of usual, phony, talking points.

  2. You only have a problem with his tone, if you have a problem with his content. He was referring to the country of Mexico, and illegal border jumpers from that country. It wasn’t racist, and it was factually correct. How this is being twisted by the liberal media to “unite” all Hispanics is beyond me. Besides, aren’t we all Americans first? Or are people relating to being Hispanic first? I don’t think so, and George Lopez can pound sand.

  3. I am sick of this pandering that everybody gets so offended by tone or message. We are Americans, we should be tough, brutally honest. and strong in our convictions. Those things used to be admired. what are we, a bunch of victims of rethoric. Is everybody so easily offended? Why play into it? This is why the left gets away with it. I am proud of Trump. I would take brutal honesty anyday of the week over meely mouse game playing.

  4. Re: Trump’s words, similar words were spoken by none other than Harry Reid in 1993: “Our borders have overflowed with illegal immigrants placing tremendous burdens on our criminal justice system, schools and social programs. The Immigration and Naturalization Service needs the ability to step up enforcement. Our federal wallet is stretched to the limit by illegal aliens getting welfare, food stamps, medical care and other benefits often without paying any taxes. Safeguards like welfare and free medical care are in place to boost Americans in need of short-term assistance. These programs were not meant to entice freeloaders and scam artists from around the world. Even worse, Americans have seen heinous crimes committed by individuals who are here illegally.”

    But Reid wasn’t cricified by the media because he’s a Democrat.

  5. You obviously let yourself be dragged into the spin game played by the media. Of that, you should be ashamed. Donald Trump did not refer to the entire Mexican population, nor to the entire immigrant society. He referred solely to those who broke our laws by entering the country illegally. And he spoke nothing but truth. You want respect, attack his position with facts, not “feelings”.

  6. Put your thumb back into your mouth and continue sucking, you sniveling pantywaist. Perhaps if you suck hard enough, your testes will finally descend.

  7. And that’s why I ended the article with “Let the RINO hunting begin”. Way to underline my point about the difference between being tough and just being stupid, though.

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