Endorsements, Opinion

Endorsement: Decisions, decisions: Not Trump nor Clinton

A Daily Mail editorial from the Charleston Gazette-Mail

In the United States of America, the people have the power to select their leader. It’s an honor and a privilege — as well as a responsibility — that very few people in the world have ever had.

As a voice for principled conservatives across West Virginia, many would expect the Daily Mail Opinion page to endorse the Republican candidate for president. In most years, that would be the case. But the 2016 Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, is neither principled nor conservative and does not earn the Daily Mail’s endorsement.

Pages of newsprint and hours of broadcast time have been spent on Trump’s lack of principles — they don’t need to be repeated here.

As for his policies, Trump opposes free trade, would restrict immigration so much as to have a negative effect on economic growth and has demonstrated little, if any, knowledge or understanding of the Constitution, the guiding document that forms the basis of the U.S. government.

On occasion, Trump follows the advice of wise advisers and promotes reasonable policy, but then goes off track with a new rant of insults toward someone who doesn’t show star-like adoration for him.

With tendencies toward dangerous spontaneity and the unruliness of a spoiled child, an incorrigible Trump holding the fate of the world’s best military is a scary thought.

 And speaking of major party candidates who are neither principled nor conservative, the Democrats have nominated an heir to Barack Obama’s throne in Hillary Clinton.

Clinton represents more of the same attitude of elite leftist moral superiority that has caused much of the electorate’s middle and right to erupt in anger and frustration, so desperate for change that they are willing to overlook Trump’s negatives and look to him for hope and the country’s salvation instead.

Clinton’s intentional use of a private email server for official business while secretary of state is the type of illegality that should have brought charges, but the FBI handled her with kid gloves, unlike General David Petraeus and other military personnel who were charged and punished for mishandling state secrets.

As for policies, one need only review Clinton’s answer to the moderator’s question about Supreme Court nominees during the third presidential debate to realize that knowledge of and respect for the Constitution and the rule of law are not a prerequisite for any judge she might appoint to the high court.

The hope among some conservatives was that Libertarian Gary Johnson, who is on the ballot in all 50 states, would step up and fill the leadership void, but Johnson has disappointed, particularly on foreign affairs issues.

With regret, the Daily Mail Opinion page offers no endorsement for president in the 2016 general election.

See more from the Charleston Gazette-Mail. 

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