This article is for Republicans supporting Trump. This article is for the clear headed, logical, and respectable Republicans. The Paul Ryan's, Chris Christie's, and Marco Rubio's I disagree with vehemently but respect immensely. This article is for those Republicans not wanting to be seen as racists, sexists, homophobes, or bigots. This article is to try to convince you to not support Trump. Let's take a look at why I think a bleeding heart Liberal in college can convince any level-headed person not to vote for Trump.
1. He's thin skinned.
I know, I know, people have been pushing this for months now. But, there's a reason for it - Trump doesn't seem to be able to take any criticism. Most recently, he said he'd like to 'hit' speakers at the DNC. You might think to yourself 'Oh, that's just a hyperbole!' But, even if it is, it is so exclamatory that it needs to be talked about! Do you want someone who insults the chancellor of Germany because she was picked over him to win the Person of the Year by Time magazine? Or someone who says that Arinna Huffington is a "dog" because he disagrees with how she covers him? Seriously, the dude does not know how to take a loss or criticism. But, you might not trust me. Maybe you'd trust me if I had a British accent? Here's a sketch that John Oliver did to back up my assertions.
2. Militarily, he's pretty scary.
Okay, let's start by pointing out that on November 19th, Trump said that he knew more about ISIS than generals in the military did. That. Is. Crazy. He has said he wants to bomb 'the s*** out of' ISIS oil fields. That might sound like a 'strong' response, but it's really a move that could throw the energy sector into a massive upheaval and would enrage not only the owner that ISIS stole the oil fields from, but also probably the host countries. Maybe that isn't convincing to you, though. What about that time he said he would kill the families of terrorists, even if they were noncombatants? Is supporting the murder of innocents, not even in a combat zone, violating the Geneva Convention and common decency enough to disillusion you from Trump? Maybe the fact that he has offered praise for and even defended Kim Jong-un, Vladimir Putin, and Saddam Hussein, perhaps three of the most infamous leaders in modern history, will set you over the edge.
3. He's not a good businessman.
Trump has made his entire life center around the idea that he is wealthy - as he made clear when he announced his candidacy more than a year ago and said "I'm really rich!" I'd direct you up to the John Oliver video again. While some say that he exaggerates his wealth a great deal, he more importantly lies about his success. He's bankrupted many times in his life, failed in numerous business ventures, and famously created a mortgage company right before the massive housing market crash in 2008. Look, he might be rich, but that doesn't mean he's a good business man and definitely isn't a good reason to vote for him.
4. He's a bigger liar than Hillary.
Politifact, a nonpartisan fact checker, analyzed 206 statements made by Trump and found 144 of them were mostly false, false, or 'Pants on Fire'. In fact, only 8 of the 206 statements were entirely true. For comparison, 234 of Hillary's statements were analyzed and 170 of them were found to be half true, mostly true, or entirely true. Only 4 of them were Pants on Fire - 36 of Trump's were Pants on Fire. So, if you're one of the people who are up in arms about Hillary Clinton lying about her emails, I'd take a hard, long look at your candidate for President.
5. Honestly, I have no idea what he actually believes.
It is hard to nail Donald Trump down on a solid domestic policy in all but a few exceptions. He has been: pro-life and pro-choice; for and against assault rifle bans, higher taxes on the rich, and more police accountability; a proponent of getting rid of the department of the education while also advocating for making school better and cheaper on the national level; and a believer in and doubter of climate change. There's also the awkward fact that he supported Hillary Clinton in 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2007 and gave $25,000 to Democrats in 2006, while only giving $1,000 to Republicans. Doesn't that scare the bejesus out of you? The man could believe anything! It certainly scares me.
Look, I understand how self-serving it is for me to tell you not to vote for Trump. The power of the President has grown exponentially and Trump wielding this power is a scary thought. I don't want to be condescending, I trust Trump isn't the person you would prefer to be your candidate. But this isn't an election where you check the name next to the R, just because you trust your Party. In fact, many of the leaders in your Party agree with me and don't want Trump to be President either (see a full list here). This is an election where the future of the country hangs in the balance. So, I won't ask you to vote for Hillary, but only to consider not voting for Trump. Wherever that decision takes you (whether it's voting for Johnson, not voting for a Presidential candidate at all, or casting a vote for a Democrat) I promise you it's a better one than casting your vote for an angry pumpkin with a bad toupee.
