1. President Clinton would have a lapdog press. Not so President Donald Trump.

Investigate journalists whose careers were inspired by Woodward and Bernstein have become jaded hacks and tools providing cover for the powerful. Clintonian prevarication has become a trait the press seems to admire and encourage rather than expose and punish.

We’ve seen how this plays out. Reasoned opposition to a Clinton policy will be labeled misogyny, just as opposition has been labeled racism for the last eight years.

The press uniformly hates Trump. They will be a check on his power.

2. The DOJ and FBI have been thoroughly politicized, and the IRS has been weaponized, under Democratic rule.

When the FBI is doing document dumps on Friday, 5 p.m., you’ve got a problem. Trump might try to abuse them, too, but it would require significant change of course. Also, see Item #1.

3. The Democrats’ open-borders policy is not about the welfare of the immigrants. It’s about guaranteeing their party a permanent electoral majority.

Will Trump build a wall? That’s all rhetoric for the rubes. But if all he does is tighten down on sanctuary cities, it will be an improvement over current policy.

4. Our nation’s economy is strangling on non-legislated, executive branch regulation.

Trump understands this, and has promised to rein it in. In any case, he won’t make it worse. Hillary will.

5. The Democratic governor of Louisiana has declared war on oil companies. A Democratic president will empower and embolden him.

The oil and gas industry is vital to Louisiana, my adopted home. I’ve spent 36 of my 38-year career here, and I’d hoped to have a few left to go. John Bel Edwards and the trial lawyers who put him in office are in full-scale assault against my industry, and it’s not about “the environment” or “the children”, it’s about “the money”. By the end of Edwards’ first term (2019), there may be no Louisiana oil and gas industry left to rescue. (More on this from Joe Cunningham at RedState, “Here’s Why You Don’t Vote for Democrats to Punish Republicans“.)

This one may seem a little parochial, but I take it personally. Trump seems to understand that absent the oil and gas boom of 2009-14, the nation’s economy and foreign policy would be in a very different place. The Democrats seem intent on undoing any advantage we have gained.

6. My IRA.

I just turned sixty. I have been actively saving for retirement since my first job out of college, because I recognized at the time that the solvency of Social Security was anything but a safe bet. For redistributionists like Liz Warren or Bernie Sanders (and, I fear, a President Hillary Clinton), the $trillions in Americans’ retirement accounts is too juicy a target. He may surprise me, but I don’t think Trump has the same kind of impulse.

As I have said for many years, if there’s one thing that will get me out in the street with a pitchfork, it will be when the politicians come after my IRA.

Bonus Item #7: The Second Amendment

Hillary will pack the court expressly to gut the amendment. I put little faith in Trump’s promises, but I don’t think he’ll do that.

——

So there you have it. If you’re like most blog readers, you’ll miss this part: None of this is an argument to vote for Trump. Rather, I’m offering an explanation why I would rather gnaw my arm off at the elbow than pull a lever for Hillary.

“But Trump is a closet liberal!” Yeah, well, we lost that battle already. “But Trump is a clown and a buffoon!” Such are our choices.

Alternatives?* Gary Johnson fails to inspire confidence. Evan McMullin is on the ballot here in Louisiana, so his candidacy may deserve some consideration if only to register a protest vote. Trump will solidly carry the state, which affords a conservative voter some flexibility. Chances are, I will make my final decision who to vote for when the curtain closes behind me in the voting booth.

To paraphrase Chris Rock: I’m not saying I’ll vote for Donald Trump… but I understand.

*  Abstention is not an option for me. I voted for the first Gov. Edwards over David Duke in the “Vote for the Crook, It’s Important!” election, and I’ve never regretted it.

Cross-posted at RedState.com.

I see that Dan Spencer and I are in general agreement.