Some people say that in the general election, they typically vote for “the lesser of two evils.” Since it’s still primary-and-caucus season, however, lefty pundit Amanda Marcotte had to choose the least of three supposed evils -- the main Republican presidential contenders -- to arrive at a favorite. In a Monday Salon piece, she explained why she’s “rooting for Donald Trump” to get the nomination.
One reason Marcotte considers Trump “the least-bad option” for the GOP is that she finds him less dishonest than Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz: “It’s standard for Republicans to pretend that policies obviously designed to screw people over are meant to help…Trump doesn’t play that game, at least not as much, and it is nakedly obvious that this, and not his actual beliefs and policies, is what angers many of his detractors.”
Don’t call it an endorsement, though. Marcotte claimed that Trump “clearly would rather burn this country to the ground than have anything approaching justice or equality in it, he is racist to his core, and he has no respect for anyone but himself and people who are just like him…But that’s just as true of Cruz or Rubio, and in some cases, they are arguably worse.”
From Marcotte’s post (bolding added):
I’m rooting for Donald Trump to win the Republican nomination…
…He’s run the best campaign, one that speaks to what Republican voters want to hear…[and] Hillary Clinton can wipe the floor with him in November…
…Modern conservatism is built on a base of protecting men’s dominance over women, white people’s dominance over people of color and rich people’s dominance over everyone else, but it’s generally considered impolite to say so bluntly. Instead, it’s standard for Republicans to pretend that policies obviously designed to screw people over are meant to help. That puts journalists in this terrible situation of having to pretend that Republicans mean well, since it’s generally considered impolitic to call someone a liar.
Trump doesn’t play that game, at least not as much, and it is nakedly obvious that this, and not his actual beliefs and policies, is what angers many of his detractors…
…[Jonah Goldberg recently said that Trump is making the GOP look] “less conservative but meaner toned and less inclusive”…
To which I…say, “So what?” People who value kindness and inclusivity already have a party. They’re called the Democrats…
…Trump...clearly would rather burn this country to the ground than have anything approaching justice or equality in it, he is racist to his core, and he has no respect for anyone but himself and people who are just like him.
But that’s just as true of Cruz or Rubio, and in some cases, they are arguably worse.
Trump retweets racist propaganda. Both Cruz and Rubio have backed legislation designed specifically to make it harder for people of color to vote…
Look, someone has to win the Republican nomination. In this particular contest of villains, Trump is the least-bad option. Cruz seems like a sociopath who thinks he’s a prophet. Rubio just perpetuates that myth that the politics of nihilism are OK so long as the figurehead is handsome and genial enough.
