I’m voting for Hillary Clinton next Tuesday.
It comes down to a simple comparison for me. Hillary Clinton may seem untrustworthy to some Americans, and she exercised bad judgement in use of a private email server, but she has decades of successful experience at the top levels of government. Donald Trump has espoused a dangerous Big Lie about America in decline and has exactly zero experience in government.
The presidency of the most powerful country on Earth is not like a golf pro-am. Bad decisions can have real consequences for the world. If the economy tanks, millions will lose homes. If the commander-in-chief guesses wrong in a standoff, millions could die.
As a San Diegan, Trump’s policies particularly scare me. If he ends NAFTA, what will that do to our bi-national economy? If he backs out of NATO and other alliances, what will that do to our Navy and Marine Corps? What if mass deportations of immigrants and their American citizen children cause riots and violence here?
Many Trump supporters say he doesn’t mean what he says, that his policy statements are just preliminary negotiating stances. But how can we be sure?
Some of Clinton’s policies do worry me. I don’t want to see higher taxes. I’m not sure free college is a good idea. I think the Trans-Pacific Partnership is strategically important. But overall, her proposed policies seem centrist. They are, in fact, closer to what used to be Republican orthodoxy than what Trump is espousing.
That resonates with me because I’m not a die-hard Democrat. I’ve registered as a Republican most of my life. I’ve voted for more Republican presidents, starting with Richard Nixon, than Democrats.
Many Americans see Trump as a modern-day Ronald Reagan, but there’s literally no comparison. Reagan had eight years of experience governing a state that is larger than all but a handful of foreign countries. And he had a magnanimous quality that drew in opponents. Trump, by contrast, is simply petulant.
There’s also the question of character. As more and more women come forward to complain of Trump’s groping, I’m reminded of our disgraced Mayor Bob Filner and how that didn’t end well for San Diego. There’s also Trump’s five-year pursuit of the “birther” lie. That seems like nothing more than an attempt to ingratiate himself with America’s white supremacists.
For some, electing Trump would be a roll of the dice that might produce a positive outcome. But what if it doesn’t? It’s fun to gamble in Las Vegas with money you’ve set aside, but not with your life’s savings. Gambling on the presidency is similar because of America’s unique role in the world.
That’s where Trump’s Big Lie comes in. He says America is in decline, our military a mess, our borders overrun with drug-smuggling immigrants, our political system rigged and our economy sapped by foreign trade. Like Vladimir Putin whom he admires, Trump proclaims that “I alone can fix it.”
The truth is, the United States remains the undisputed leader of the world. We have the largest economy, most powerful military, strongest currency and most vibrant private sector, continually producing new world-beating companies like Google, Facebook and SpaceX, and more Noble Prize winners than any other country.
Should the leader of the world be a vulgar, shallow showman espousing a Big Lie, or a smart, poised woman with wide-ranging government experience?
Electing Hillary Clinton — the first woman to be President of the United States — would send a message that America is not pulling back amid anger and fear but remains the world’s undisputed leader — still “a city upon a hill” and beacon for all.
Chris Jennewein is editor and publisher of Times of San Diego.
