A Conversation with a Republican

I had a conversation with a Republican yesterday and it was quite interesting to say the least.

He supports the President because he was the President, regardless of how bad he is. When I asked him if he supported Obama when he was President, he was not so forthcoming.

He stated that he was sure that Trump was not in collusion with the Russians because he had been in Navy Intelligence with Top Security Clearance so he would know. On further questioning, he left Navy Intelligence in 1956 so he was using that background as an excuse to dismiss my concern. He later said he had read Mueller Report in its entirety but when I mentioned that it was mostly redacted, he had nothing much to respond to.

Now it is easy to dismiss this as another dumb-ass, ignorant, knee-jerk Republican that is going to support and vote for Trump regardless of all that we know about the POS. It would be easy because it is true.

However, it reinforced a kernel of a thought that has been running through my mind as of late. We (and by we I mean those of us who realize that Trump is a POS, crazy, misogynistic, racist, xenophobic jackass that is leading the country to ruin) are not focusing things right.

We have fallen into HIS trap. We have let him dictate the focus the story. We have made it about Democrat versus Republican, Conservative versus Liberal. By doing this, it takes away the fact that he is the problem regardless of the party he purportedly represents.

Yes, I know; it is easy to blame the Republicans for supporting him, it is easy to use him and his idiocy as a springboard to try to further the Liberal/Democratic agenda, it is easy to use this as a way to expand the Democratic base at the expense of Republicans.

But, really now. Donald Trump is not representative of all Republicans. I do not even think he is representative of the majority of Republicans. The problem is that if we non-Republicans go after him as a Republican first and foremost, we are going to get the Republicans to gather around in his defense. Even the ones who cannot stand him.

We should be cutting him from the herd. Attacking him as a person and not as a Republican. Stating up front that he is a terrible person that is a disgrace to America and the American people, Democrat or Republican, regardless or race, creed, color, what have you. We should do this loudly and often. We should make sure this is the message we send so that we do not give the average Republican cause or need to support home because he is a Republican.