No, that is just the thing. I CAN and DO discuss the shortcomings of Cruz. I always thought he was the most "pure" conservative, but he has serious likability issues and comes across as if he has been running for President since the day he emerged from the birth canal. There is no doubt that Cruz, conservative as he may be, would have trouble beating a pretty terrible Hillary Clinton candidate. Cruz was my first choice in that I agree with almost all his positions and conservative track record, but I had also hoped an accomplished governor like Walker would do better and perhaps be an realistic alternative if Cruz didn't catch on. But it didn't work out that way. The problem is I think Trump would get utterly destroyed in a general election. I see no path to victory for Donald, none.
I rarely find a Trump supporter who can discuss, rationally and without emotion, the pluses and minuses of their candidate. Perhaps you can, but most I run into can not. They are just too emotionally invested in him.
Look, Cruz has his supporters and in theory a lot of the #NeverTrump people and he can't even really break away from Kasich let alone consistently beat Trump in most of the polling I've seen. I am more than happy to discuss those things rationally. But again, I almost never find a Trump supporter who can do the same. What I find is that almost all the Trump followers I know and come across are just wed to him so completely that they get quite angry if you challenge him at all. It is almost as if they feel Trump is so obviously the right choice and anyone who disagrees is an unpatriotic heretic.
It may surprise you but I do have a lot of concerns about Mr. Trump. One major one is that he has no idea how difficult, complex and frustrating it is to try to get anything done in Washington. The world of politics is vastly different from the world of business. I’m not convinced he see’s just how much of a challenge this is going to be. He makes things sound way too easy and that really concerns me. And I’m not sure he has yet grasped many of the complexities he’s going to have to deal with. At least there’s not much evidence of that to date. I could list other concerns but that’s my biggest one.
One issue he does seem to fully grasp however is the significance and importance of unchecked immigration. I see this as an existential issue facing the country. Our culture and social fabric are being pushed to the brink by the invasion of illegals. Mr. Trump seems to have the strongest convictions about fixing this massive problem. He may not be able to fix every aspect of it, but he’s not afraid to tackle it head on.
He also eschews political correctness and, unlike most politicians, is not afraid to speak openly about his views. Again, PC is another issue that is eroding our society in very corrosive ways. It is paralyzing our country and we need a breath of fresh air.
Yes, Trump’s supporters can be emotional and defensive. But many Cruz supporters are also in denial about their candidate. In my opinion, he can’t beat Hillary. But if he did, I would be much happier to have him as president than her, that’s for sure.