Day of Decision in the Old Dominion
Dear friends-
As many of you know, yours truly has been struggling with the question as for which candidate I will cast my vote in tomorrow’s Virginia primary election, just as I indicated in my most recent essay ( http://www.drewnickell.com/?p=574 ). You have been very kind in your suggestions on the things I should consider in making this decision- one in which I have felt conflicted, confused and consternated, all at the same time.
As I said, taken separately, there is no reason why any of the five remaining candidates would not become a good president, for each of them is blessed with particular gifts that lend themselves to such an endeavor. Dr. Ben Carson has an innate goodness and gentility of bearing that sets him apart from most politicians. Governor John Kasich is, by all accounts, a successful governor who has shown a can-do approach to the challenges he has faced, both as a legislator and a chief executive of a large and populous state. Senator Marco Rubio has an undoubtable charisma and proficiency in communication that hasn’t been seen in the ranks of Republicans, since Ronald Reagan in 1980. Senator Ted Cruz has a level of intelligence, a constitutional conviction and an overall understanding of the “big picture,” rarely seen in the opportunistic and pragmatic world of professional politics. Businessman Donald Trump has the singleness of purpose and clarity of mission that is the sine qua non of a great leader.
Yet having said this, and shared with you my innermost trepidations, I have also come to see that when the heat has been turned on, to a greater degree than I would have otherwise ever imagined, one thing has become all-too-clear on this eve before Super Tuesday…and that is the sheer desperation- desperation shown by the major media, by the remaining candidates, and by the party of which they are part…to unite to block, and thereby de-legitimize, one of the candidates seeking the Republican nomination, and it is this over-the-top desperation that has led me to the conclusion that such desperation can only mean that Donald J. Trump, flawed as he doubtlessly is, will be receiving at least one vote in the precinct where I will cast by ballot tomorrow morning- a decision with which I have been struggling with these last weeks, since the race really became a three-way race between Trump, Cruz and Rubio. While I would not presume, ever, to tell you who it is for whom you should vote, I would also be less than transparent if I kept this decision under wraps, prior to the Virginia primary, tomorrow.
Having indicated that I will be casting my ballot for Trump, I also hereby pledge to support my party’s nominee, regardless of who that is in the end, because any one of the remaining candidates will doubtlessly do a better job as president, than either of the Democrats running, and that can be taken to the bank of your choice. I am
Very respectfully and appreciatively yours,
-Drew Nickell, 29 February 2016
© 2016 by Drew Nickell, all rights reserved.