I’m a conservative, but I’m no longer a Trump supporter.
Last year I wrote a similar sounding article, Conservative, not conniving, which resulted in many professors to become enraged and confused that there was someone willing to question the nature of Augie’s politics. I wrote another article later in the year that accused Augustana of not really being a liberal arts college. Augustana blatantly ignores the point of the liberal arts – to allow students to see all the viewpoints available, not just the liberal ones.
This year, I was luckily awarded my position back at the Observer, and my first task is to describe that while I may be the 2018 College Republicans Chair, and while I may still be staunchly conservative, I really dislike the person that is Donald Trump.
“College Republican Chair you say?!” Yeah, I get it. It sounds gross. Sue me. Whatever the views of this club on campus may be, we still manage to exist. That being said, we currently do not actually have an advisor. It seems that no sane professor wants to associate with a club that associates with Donald Trump. And I can tell you with great exasperation: I really don’t like the guy.
The initial argument I made in Conservative, not conniving was that I was a Trump supporter, but I wasn’t racist or a white supremacist. Despite all the problems I have with Augustana’s version of liberal arts, I actually managed to have my viewpoints changed during my first year here. While I still am conservative, I really dislike the hate that Trump actively spews.
Let me list the things I really appreciate about Trump: 1. He speaks his mind – he isn’t afraid of the media and the spin put on his words, he speaks his mind and isn’t flowery with his language like Obama. Obama couldn’t get to the point without putting 6 fluff words first. 2. His fiscal policies make me extraordinarily happy. No one likes debt. GDP at an all-time high and the stock market hasn’t stopped since the election, despite much fear-mongering. 3. America isn’t being stepped on anymore. It was humiliating to watch Obama bow to other countries. Obviously, this is my own opinion, but Obama was spineless.
That’s it. That’s really all I appreciate about this presidency. Trump otherwise spews garbage at any chance he gets. I used to really like the Tweet-storm he provided, but now he’s just asking for people to hate him. I want to make perfectly clear that I do not support the personage that Trump is. I enjoy his policies, but almost any of the other candidates during 2016 could have done the same job without causing a massive divide in this country.
I really despise hate. I’ve been blessed with my life. I can’t even begin to imagine being hated for just existing. I can’t imagine living in a country where people look at you and all they see is an enemy. I truly apologize for it all. While I stress that I am in no way becoming liberal or even left-leaning, I do see myself becoming more moderate than I used to be. And I recognize now that fear-mongering and hate is not going to further discussion. That’s all I think this campus, even this country, needs. Discussion. Pure and simple conversation like the adults we all pretend to be.
I am not an anti-Trump individual. I do accept that Trump is my president. However, I am no longer an avid Trump supporter. I like the policies and I like the progress made, but I do not like the man himself.