From the diaries.

The Beer Test

There is something  in politics called the “beer test.” It is the idea that a candidate needs to be perceived by the public as someone they would want to have a drink with and just shoot the breeze.

This was one of the winning factors that Barack Obama and Bill Clinton had and even George W. Bush had with his Texas charm. Hillary Clinton certainly does not share this quality.

Apparently, many think Trump does have this quality. When people speak of him they say things like “He speaks his mind like I do,” or “He says what I’m thinking.”

Donald Trump passed the billionaire with a beer test.

And to be honest I’d love to have drink with Donald. Love him or hate him he is extremely interesting and entertaining. I’d love to hear him talk for a bit. I’d also sit down for a drink with Hillary Clinton or Osama Bin Laden.

“Let me tell you about the time we mixed up the light winter’s day jackets and the suicide bomber jackets.”

Yes, in my head OBL is just Achmed the Dead Terrorist.

My standard of having a drink with someone is a little different. I don’t have to like them to find them interesting. Also, I just like to drink.

Man of the People

Strangely, that “beer test” has become more of a “common man” test. We see this with the release of the 2005 tape where Trump is speaking extraordinarily crudely about women. The crudeness doesn’t bother me as much as his focus on married women and implying that he is able to force himself on women because of his celebrity status.

All over the internet people came to Trump’s defense say:

“Trump is just being a guy”

“At least he isn’t a faggot”

“It’s just locker room talk”

“Don’t Be Mad Bro”

Conservatives are not actually supposed to be mad about this though. We are supposed to recognize that it may, kinda-sorta be inappropriate BUT the media wants us to talk about this, Bill is worse, and it was 11 years ago.

Taking this in and being disgusted and angered by this is simply not allowed when the offender is running for office in a general election and has an R by their name. We must lock step and pretend it didn’t happen because reacting like a human is not the way of Republicans.

It feels like being classic British royalty and showing any real emotion in public is to be frowned up, unless of course we are reacting to “those people.” If their last name is Clinton or Weiner we can condemn and be as horrified as we like (and make plenty of jokes about how their liberal wives must be at fault for not satisfying them).

I have defended disgusting inappropriate comments by politicians before. Primarily because the person was much young in age and had shown fruit of truly changing. I believe in grace and forgiveness (though why that means I should see them as appropriate candidates for president I do not know).

I know a ton of articles and posts I’ve made will be used against me in the future and hopefully I never run for office. With the internet we all have to learn to be forgiving of past sins, but two things wet this apart for Trump. One, he was not a kid when he made the comments. He was 59 years old and had just married his third wife. Two, his comments about people just the year show this to be a pattern and not some long forgotten mis-step.

Normalizing is Defending

People do not see themselves as defending the things Trump said when they explain it away as “guy” or locker room talk.” Yet, they are defending it by normalizing it. The conversation that this is what to expect from guys is terrifying to think this is what little girls are hearing around this nation. They are being taught that this is an everyday part of the man they will one day fall in love with and they should except it. Married me talking about grabbing other married women and using status to get away with it is common place. It’s not really okay, but what are you to do. That is just every guy.

Oh, and little boys, this is expected of you as well. We won’t be really happy about you doing it, but you’re to and the girls will be okay with it too. If they complain then they are probably just radical unshaven feminist lesbians that don’t know how to handle a real man like you. Just “grab them by the pussy” and show them what’s what kiddo.

Yes, we don’t say and we don’t think about it, but that is the narrative being taught to children when Trump’s words and actions are treated as common place.

Hillary is Scarier Than a Demon Clown on a College Campus

The people making these excuses are not bad folks. They do not mean promote these lessons to their kids, but they are honestly so terrified of Hillary Clinton as president that they do not know what to do.

The terrorists are coming, the refugees are coming and bringing terrorist with them, the Mexicans are coming and the terrorists are coming with them as well. Target is allowing men in women’s restroom’s. Football players are taking a knee during the National Anthem. Benghazi, ISIS, E-mails, Clinton Foundation, etc.

It is scandal after scandal and fear after fear when it comes to Hillary Clinton. People’s minds are so wrapped up in the horror of a Clinton Presidency they do not have room emotionally to also consider the horror of a Trump presidency.

After all, Hillary Clinton has been in or married to the office for over 30 years helping shape bad policies while Trump has simply been saying horribly things, implying that he molested married women, and funding Hillary Clinton and her ilk. There is a difference. Right?

Let’s assume for a minute that Trump was just having “guy talk.” That he was not really serious about using his celebrity status to get away with harassment and molestation. Pretend to the world’s horror that most every guy is like that.

Is that what we want in a president?

This is what scares me about the beer test becoming the common man test. I do not want the common man as president. I do not want someone I can have a normal conversation with like I do my friends.

Yes, I want them to speak on my level, but I also want them to lift me above my level. I want them to lead and inspire. I want them to activate my imagination.

I want to be reminded of American exceptionalism and how we can all do better and be better people. I do not want to go back to a time when America was great. I want to go forward to be better than we ever have been.

Ronald Reagan was called the Great Communicator. Rivals coined it as a joke, but it was title he lived up to over the years. If you examine Reagan’s policies, the truth is many were not what we would consider conservative today. What he was great at was reminding America of her destiny. Reagan told millions of Americans they could work harder and create more for themselves and their community. He told them that they did not need government to succeed. When the media wouldn’t communicate his message properly he found a way around them and went straight to the people.

Since a lot of 2016 conservatism seems to be about breaking down political correctness let me put it this way.

Reagan was not a pansy ass little whiny bitch that complained how he was misunderstood. He grew some balls and found a way to fix the problem and talk to the people. That is what leaders do.

Oh, and in case you forgot he did not have mobile phones or the internet to do it (He also did not keep a private e-mail server just in case you were wondering).

That is the kind of leader I want in America. I want a problem solver that builds us all up.

Be Human

Screw the common man as President. Give me a super man. Find the best of the best and let them duke it out. Share a real vision for America and our future. Socialism or capitalism. Both send your best warriors to the battle field and compete for our votes. The 2016 election is more about what shade of orange you want your totalitarianism.

I am not telling you how to vote, though we have some outstanding republicans down ballot across the country that deserve your vote. I  believe that Trump may be a little bit better president than Clinton (except for the whole tearing the GOP apart and threatening GOP candidates).

What I do care about is us not losing ourselves over an election. I have openly criticized every presidential candidate I know and believe they all deserve a lot more criticism as they seek the highest office in the land. There is no “my guy.” They all are put up to try to earn my vote. Too many died for me to give it away. You can decide who gets your vote by whatever standard you deem fit (try the Constitution it’s delicious).

As you are making the decision though, remember to be human. When you hear someone saying horrible disgusting things react to them based on what is actually happening and not on who they are running again. React to Trump based on Trump and not just as “Hillary’s opponent.” React to Hillary based on Hillary and not “Trump’s opponent.”

Douche vs Turd Sandwich

South Park may have gotten it closer than anyone else. It’s a douche vs a turd sandwich. Admitting the douche is a douche does not mean you are supporting the turd sandwich and saying the turd sandwich is actually a turd sandwich (possibly with some undigested corn showing to make it really obvious) does not mean you are voting for the douche.

In one month this election will be over. Likely, the douche or the turd sandwich will be president and we’ll have to live with the principles we stood on or abandoned in this campaign. There is still time to take a stand. While everyone else is trying to explain the non-sense of the campaign away as common you can choose to look for something different. You can choose to examine each side on its own merit before making the comparison. You can choose to look past the emotion and the reaction. You can choose to be uncommon.