Party (excuse the expression) Trumps your lofty principles

By Martin Marks | The Save Jersey Blog

Let me first preface my comments with the fact that I am not happy that Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party for President. In a field that at first rivaled the size of your typical Kentucky Derby, Trump was my last choice.  And as each pretender to the final nomination dropped out of the race, I was hopeful that our (my) fellow members of the GOP would coalesce behind one—any one–alternative to The Donald to take on Hillary Clinton. 

But alas, that did not happen for any number of reasons perhaps worthy of discussion and debate elsewhere, and Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee for President of the United States.

I have written and said before–and it now is worthy of repeating–that if we (I) are (am) to participate in the Republican Party primary process as a candidate or simply as a voter than there ought to be an implied contract that we (I) support the ultimate decision of our (my) fellow party members lest we (I) be aptly labeled a…

ElephantsRepublican In Name Only  (I’m sure there’s a reasonable acronym in there somewhere).

If one cannot abide by the process, (as flawed as it is) and more importantly the wishes of our (my) fellow party members, then you (I) need to leave the party……now.

Think about it Save Jerseyans.  Remember who your favorite horse was when they left the gate so many months ago.  Was it Cruz?  Rubio?  Perhaps Rubio and then Kasich?  No matter.  I can picture any one of them selected by our (my) fellow party members to be the standard bearer for the GOP in a future Presidential race. 

And would it be reasonable for them and you to assume that they would receive and need the unified support of all Republicans—including those that catapulted Trump to the nomination in 2016—in order to win the White House? 

You see where I’m goin’ here?

It is hard to be ambivalent about Trump.  I understand.  But perhaps it is the domination of electronic social media so ubiquitous in our lives that has caused the vitriol against Trump from Republican circles to continue after he has vanquished the GOP field.  We were so heavily invested publicly in our candidate and accordingly against Trump that some of you—and I hope you know who you are–cannot let go. 

We (I) lost.  We (I) failed.  We (I) failed to convince our fellow party members that our guy (or gal) was the right choice and that Trump was not.  

It’s over. 

At this point public opposition to our Party’s nominee appears small, petty, and childish. 

Stop it.  And if you want to ignore the all but unassailable reason of my argument by citing some lofty principle from your high horse, fine.  Don’t vote for Trump in November and Hail to Hillary in January.  At the very least just invest in the Shut The……Front Door principle.  You will appear to be the better man or woman for it.  You’re welcome.

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Martin Marks
About Martin Marks 8 Articles
Martin Marks, D.M.D. is a former member of the Scotch Plains Township Council (1997-2008). He was the last Council-appointed Mayor in 2000 and served two terms as Scotch Plains’ first directly elected Mayor (2001-08).

3 Comments

  1. I am a solid Republican who will never vote for Trump and if Hillary gets elected so be it I would rather a crook (if she is ) than a loose cannon nut in the White House. But what I can do and will do is support our Republican’s running for the House and Senate( so that we can keep control of both House) that way he victory will be useless and she will be marginalized.

  2. “We (I) lost. We (I) failed. We (I) failed to convince our fellow party members that our guy (or gal) was the right choice and that Trump was not.”

    Please stop with legal contract-speak. And especially stop with all the blather about “party” and “fellow party members.” You sound like a frickin’ NAZI.

    You also sound like an asshat in light of the fact that you got it all ass-backwards: it is not our (my) responsibility to convince fellow party members that Trump is the guy for whom we must cast our ballot. That is Trump’s job.

    As a citizen of this Republic who is entitled by law to vote, I have no legal obligation to do so – much less for a candidate who failed to sell me on his agenda. If the opposition Democrat candidate is elected, Trump will have only himself to blame for not convincing enough voters to pull the lever for him.

  3. One other thing:

    “Party (excuse the expression) Trumps your lofty principles”

    Take at least ONE course in composition, Doc Holliday. The correct use of the parenthetical phrase is

    “Party Trumps (excuse the expression) your lofty principles”

    If a further explanation is necessary, then I suggest you put down the drill and stop huffing the nitrous oxide.

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