Whenever I talk to a conservative Republican that supports Donald Trump I ask the same question and get the same answer. "Why do you support Trump if he doesn't stand for conservative principles?" They invariably respond, "Because he's still better than Hillary." Is he though?
Trump has strayed very far from the Republican norm on key issues. Support for free trade has been a pillar of Conservatism for more than half a century. Virtually all Economists agree that it makes us better off. But Trump has dumped the idea like it was Gary Busey on Celebrity Apprentice. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce ripped Donald Trump's trade plan, saying the tariffs he wants to impose would cost the U.S. 3.5 million jobs.
On foreign policy, Trump has taken a very unique approach: he has chosen not have one. His incoherent stances have prompted more than 50 conservative foreign policy and national security experts to write an open letter declaring him unfit to be commander-in-chief. You would have better luck finding a needle in a country-wide hay stack than a foreign policy expert that is enthusiastic about the Donald. In an age where global instability runs rampant, giving the presidency to someone with zero understanding of international relations is a massive risk.
Trump also breaks with conservatives on respect for the Constitution. Many Republicans label themselves "constitutional conservative" to emphasize their commitment to the U.S.'s foundational document. Trump has no such commitment. In fact, he has been openly contemptuous of the First Amendment, separation of powers and the rule of law. He has advocated loosening libel laws, to make it easier to sue news outlets that criticize him; he has suggested using forms of torture worse than waterboarding in interrogations; and he has mused about shutting down American mosques. Many conservative and libertarian legal scholars warn that electing Mr. Trump could lead to a constitutional crisis.
Although Hillary is far from a conservative candidate, she has proven to be at least somewhat pro-free trade, has demonstrated a sensible approach to foreign policy and has not thrown the Constitution out the window. A growing list of high profile Republicans are endorsing Hillary for these reasons, among others. Some argue that if Trump becomes president he would fill his administration with Republicans who would steer him in the right direction. But the fact of the matter is Trump is not the kind of person who listens to advisors. Throughout the primaries, he has repeatedly demonstrated that he will do and say whatever his heart desires; advisors be damned.
If you still would vote Trump even after reading all of the above, consider this: If Trump wins the White House, traditional Republicans could lose the party. Trump has made xenophobic nationalism the bread and butter of his campaign. If he becomes president, racial and ethnic provocations, anti-immigration sentiment, and isolationism could become mainstream. Subsequently, the major political divide in this country could shift. Instead of conservatism or liberalism, the major political parties could come to be defined by their pro or anti-isolationist views, for example. This would lead the Republican party to be molded in Trump's image, leaving conservatives with a tough choice about their party affiliation. Is winning four years in the White House worth forever losing the Republican party's identity?
For the sake of the country and for the sake of the Republican party, conservative Republicans are better off voting for Hillary Clinton. Once Trump loses, the GOP can pick up the pieces, reclaim its future and start thinking about 2020.
