The Barbershop: Dennis Byrne, Proprietor

Dump Trump

Mike Pence, we need you now.

Donald Trump, narcissist extraordinaire, will have to wear the jacket if he loses the presidential election. But if he loses, he will blame everyone except himself. And in his self-destruction, he will take the Republican Party and the conservative agenda down with him.

Although I’m loathe to make political predictions, the signs are not good as he trails in those critical up-for-grab states that he won the last time. He keeps saying things that his core supporters love–the same things that put off the independent and moderate Republicans, especially in those states, whom he absolutely needs.

Of course, I’ll be told that no one expected him to win in 2016 (although I feared that he would), but that’s not a reasonable explanation in 2020 for why he is the shoo-in as many of his supporters believe.

Truth is, Trump is betraying the conservative agenda by rushing ahead with his brainless campaign, mental as he is. He is making possible the election of Joe Biden, whose presidency would be even more scary than a Trump second term. Biden–whomever he is–will be run by a shadow president, and who knows what he or she will get us into. The puppeteer will either be the greedy wing of the Democratic Party (e.g. Clinton Obama) or the out-of-their-minds radical left wingers.

There’s still time. Time to energize a movement of Republicans, who share this concern, to replace him on the ticket with Vice President Mike Pence. Sure, sure, it’s the longest of long shots, seeing as how so many Republicans are invertebrates.

But Pence supports a conservative agenda and comes without the personal flaws of Trump. He won’t put off those moderate voters with raging tweets or ranting speeches He is the not-Trump who can cancel the Democrat’s sole campaign pledge–“anyone but Trump.”

Pence is decent, intelligent and honest. Unlike Trump, who is vain, pompous, prideful, self-admiring, self-important and smug. Among other things. Unleashed in his second term without having to face another election and consumed with his “legacy” (just as was Obama), Trump scares the crap out of me.

Trump has enough votes to claim the party’s nomination. Unless enough delegates come to their senses and say, “To hell with it. We’ve got to do something to save the party and the country.”