By Aaragon Markwell

I am writing in response to Dave Gauger’s March 29 opinion column, “What does the local GOP have to say for the president?”

First, let me thank you for the invitation to engage in a conversation. Since, based upon your own profession, you lack understanding, I would be delighted to help you see the light. In terms of Donald Trump’s failures, I have never justified, made excuses or ignored the moral failures in his past. Throughout the campaign, I and many Republicans, were very critical of Mr. Trump’s past. I find it hard to believe that you are unaware of the reluctance many Republicans felt toward him.

However, in a general election, when the choice is between two candidates, a prudent voter must choose the candidate with whom he disagrees the least.

So on the one hand, we were left with a guy who has been a womanizer, and on the other, we have a woman under investigation by the FBI for opening her own email server, which she created to conduct secret correspondence with foreign entities. Many of these foreign entities made massive financial contributions to the Clinton foundation (see ‘Clinton Cash’ by Peter Schweitzer).

The former may be immoral but the latter is treasonous.

Furthermore, let’s not forget the bald face lies Hillary told the grieving family of those who died in Benghazi. It was not a “spontaneous protest inspired by a YouTube video.” It was a lie the moment it came off her lips. As Secretary of State she disregarded the security threats on the ground because … well it was an election year. And the Obama administration wanted to keep up the pretense that terror had been eliminated in the world.

Trump has his personal issues and history, but compared to Clinton, he looks rather saintly.

Next you state, “ Some of us are concerned that Mr. Trump should never be alone on Liberty Island for fear he might grope the genitals of our beloved Lady Liberty, also known as the Statue of Liberty.” How quaint. You do realize you are talking about a statue? Second, do you have the same paranoia about Bill Clinton visiting Lady Liberty? Do the names Juanita Broaddrick or Monica Lewinsky ring a bell? It is so convenient how liberals suddenly find their moral conscience the moment a Republican is elected.

Yet this is what baffles me. Your party, especially the growing liberal wing of it, celebrates sexual libertinism. It’s the liberal elements in our country who abhor abstinence education, who have berated the institution of marriage as antiquated, who supported the redefinition of marriage, and who support the LGBT movement. The radical left in this country (which is more and more indistinguishable from the mainstream Democratic party) has been backing and supporting the sexual revolution for years.

As a conservative Christian Republican I would have thought that Donald’s past failures would endear him to you and your party even as Bill Clinton’s escapades did.

But let’s be honest with one another — the real issue is that Bill had a “D” beside his name and Donald an “R.”

Now, since you show such great concern for the Statue of Liberty’s genitals you should be pleased to note that President Trump has reversed the insane demand of the Obama administration forcing schools to allow boys into girls lockers room and bathrooms lest they lose federal funding. Thank you Donald!

Sadly, since our state is run by radical leftists, the same cannot be said for Washington. Yes, the educated elite feel that it is a beautiful thing to allow a man (who thinks of himself as a woman) to shower with a little girl. Unbelievable!

Donald Trump does have a checkered past. Yet, in the short time he has been in office, he has eliminated federal funding for organizations that promote abortion around the world. Here we are talking about Planned Parenthood. They will not receive any more of my tax dollars to promote abortion around the world. Now if we could only get a special investigation and prosecution of Planned Parenthood for trafficking in human body parts, too. Hopefully President Trump will do just that in the future.

I could go on, but allow me to address your second objection,. You are very concerned about the Meals on Wheels program. You quote Martin Luther King, “ True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that an edifice, a structure, which produces beggars, needs restructuring.” Good quote but ironic, because what you are upset about is not enough coins being flung. Perhaps you should focus on the second part of the quote and ask a structural question: “Is it the job of the federal government to feed people?” Why does it make sense for the people of Washington to send their tax dollars to a bureaucratic entity in D.C. (who will keep a large part of those tax dollars) only to have pennies sent back to our state for programs like Meals on Wheels? Would it not be better to restructure and look for funding on the state or local level? Best of all, why not look to the private sector for funds. Shouldn’t the people of Grays Harbor and Pacific counties feed their own seniors? Why do liberals only see solutions on the federal level? Someone has said that, “All politics is local.” Shouldn’t we also look for solutions on the local level? Looking to the federal government to meet all our needs is the road to serfdom.

Trump is not a perfect man, he has a past I am not proud of, nor will I justify, but he has the potential to be a great president. He is off to a good start. For the sake of our country shouldn’t we both hope that he succeeds in rising to the office and being a great president?

Aaragon Markwell is chairman of the Republican Party in Pacific County.