Clinton as the Lesser Disaster

Monday, February 29, 2016

David Harsanyi maintains that Donald Trump, if elected, would be a "bigger disaster" than Hillary Clinton, and I am inclined to agree with him:

There's a difference between caring about the plight of working stiffs and embracing isolationism, high tariffs and other policies that would destroy working class long-term prospects. Is everyone supposed to surrender to mercantilism because it makes 30 percent of angry voters feel better? You can't let a mob run your party. And it's not a mob -- it is hyper-populist or constructed around a cult of celebrity or even because it's angry -- though all those things are true. The problem is that it's incoherent and nihilistic.

It's worth pointing out that the chances of Trump's protectionist policies passing -- with a bipartisan coalition of progressives and right-protectionists -- are far higher under Trump than Clinton. Why should free traders help facilitate this kind of disaster? So they can brag about having a Republican president?
Harsanyi also makes valid points about the GOP being better as an opposition party than as a ruling party and raises the legitimate concerns about how a Trump presidency might alter the composition of Congress.

I am not yet convinced that Trump will win the GOP nomination, but if he does, I will almost certainly vote against him or abstain from voting for President, in the respective cases of Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders running for the Democrats. (HT: Steve D.)

-- CAV

2 comments:

Steve D said...

Three more strikes against Donald Trump: 1) He doesn't pass the decency test (would you let your daughter date him?), 2) I agree with almost none of his policies and 3) Who in their right mind would hire someone who won't release their college transcripts? (not the company where I work anyway)

Oh yeah, all those people who voted for Obama!

I am sympathetic to Harsanyi's opinion; however, he also should have addressed the issue of the Supreme Court. Many commentators believe the next president might have the chance to nominate several Supreme Court justices.

Gus Van Horn said...

Steve,

I shudder to imagine any of the top three stooges -- Donnie, Bernie, or Hill -- nominating a decent justice. Perhaps the Democrat "wins" there again, since Congress will more likely remain Republican.

Gus