RUTHFULLY YOURS

Dear Trump Voter,

For several months now, you have heard people such as me criticizing you for your zealous devotion to Donald Trump. We have pointed out that Donald Trump’s policy preferences, on matters ranging from abortion to taxes to private-property rights, are closer to Hillary Clinton’s than to those of any Republican in the last half-century. We have pointed out that Donald appears to have no particular knowledge of most of the subjects that would occupy his time as America’s chief executive; nor does he exhibit any particular inclination to study up. We have noted his strongman tendencies, his penchant for scurrilous personal insults, and his general megalomania.

We have noted these things, and much more — and yet you refuse to leave his side.

We understand the attraction. You feel small and under siege, and Donald seems manly and strong. He has money and “astonishingly excellent” health and a really big tower. He is fecund with barbs and insults.

If we thought this relationship were healthy, we would support you. We only want you to be happy, prosperous, and in the lowest tax-bracket possible. But we — well, we were in Sioux City, Iowa, this weekend, and we think you need to know what your Donald really thinks of you:

The polls, they say I have the most loyal people. Did you ever see that? Where I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters, okay? It’s, like, incredible.

Here is the video:

Oh, dear heart! We know this is painful. After all, we know how this began. There was Mitch and John (you remember? from Ohio?) and Paul (with the health-care plan!), and those on-again/off-again relationships. But they began ignoring you, you said. They used you, you said, stopped caring about you, were contemptuous of you! And you weren’t wrong.

But you said things with Donald would be different.

Darling, they’re worse! Paul and Mitch and the others wandered, to be sure. But they had plans and principles. And they knew you might walk away.

But Donald, he thinks you’re too foolish! Too weak! And he’s saying it to your face! Your Beloved has declared that he could go on a homicidal rampage through midtown Manhattan and you would still support him. At least when Barack Obama was contemptuous — when he said some people “cling to their guns or religion” — he was talking about the people who didn’t like him!

And, really, how much do you even know about this man? He told supporters just this weekend, “When I’m president, I’m a different person. . . . I can be the most politically correct person you’ve ever seen.” Wasn’t it consistency you wanted — the same, combative man in office as on the campaign trail? Do you think it’s possible he’s been lying to you all this time? Maybe he just wants to get in the White House. You can give your vote away only once. Are you willing to trust him with something so precious?

Look, we know it’s hard. Maybe you don’t know where you will go. Maybe you don’t know who you’ll be without him. Maybe your iPod is in his jet. But it’s okay. There are other candidates out there. We can find one for you. Or you can take a break and stay uncommitted for a bit (like, say, through November).

These relationships happen. Bill Clinton had his swooning ladies and Barack Obama his swooning hipsters. If Hillary Clinton baked live kittens into pies on The Rachael Ray Show, feminists would still support her.

But we think you’re better than that. Dump Trump. Anyone who would treat his voters this way is a loser.

— Ian Tuttle is a frequent contributor to National Review.