I don't want to vote for Trump in 2020 – but the Democrats keep pushing me away

Over the weekend, pictures surfaced from Illinois state senator Mark Sandoval’s fundraiser showing constituents pretending to assassinate someone dressed in a Donald Trump mask.

As a conservative, I have a special bone to pick with Trump on account of the nearly irreparable damage he is doing to my party, and I find it fairly easy to join with friends across the aisle in condemning much of his abhorrent rhetoric.

Yet when Democrats engage in faux violence, such as we’ve seen as Sandoval’s campaign event, it makes a lesser-of-two evils scenario in which I vote for a Democrat even more difficult to justify. These types of events erase the distinction between a potentially unifying Democrat candidate and Trump.

Not a month has transpired since the horrific shootings in El Paso and Dayton. As much as Democrats may hate Trump, pointing a fake gun at a replica of him does nothing to elevate our national dialogue about any issue, least of all gun reform.

It is obvious that one campaign event is not emblematic of the Democratic party’s sentiment. For what it's worth, Sandoval himself has since apologised for the image. Yet it seems to me that what happened this weekend is symptomatic of a deeper problem in America, a problem that existed before Trump but has been worsened by him.

American’s trust in government institutions is at a historic low. 85 per cent of Americans believe the tone of our national political dialogue has become far less fact-based and increasingly less respectful. A majority believe Trump has changed our national dialogue for the worse – the share of citizens who find political discussion stressful has increased 10 per cent since Trump took office. Even faith in our most respected of institutions, the Supreme Court, is decreasing.

Our politicians are increasingly adopting a winner-take-all mentality. This didn’t start with Trump, but blanket opposition to the entirety of the other party’s legislative proposals, judicial nominees and executive actions has become the norm in our country. It is not a new phenomenon for parties to have alternating appreciation for institutional checks on executive power depending on which party is in power. However, it is notable that nearly half of Republicans think the presidency would operate more effectively if Congress or the Judiciary weren’t such a worry.

From what vantage point do we begin to repair this mess in which we find ourselves? I believe the case is best made for local parties to begin shouldering the burden of restoring functional democracy in America. Senator Sandoval’s event illustrates the impact that local party activities can have on increasing or decreasing the level of civility in our body politick. Local parties should hold events together, celebrate local festivals together, and welcome members of the other party to attend and ask questions at their candidate forums.

Though voter turnout is an often-lamented phenomenon, it bears mentioning again here. Turnout in the United States, as a share of total population is remarkably low compared to similarly developed countries. Though I should note that turnout in the 2018 midterms was at its highest point in 100 years. Whether or not this represents a resurgence in American’s belief in the value of voting remains to be seen. What is important is that more people turn to voting – rather than childish displays of violence like those from this weekend – as a response to policies and politicians.

At a time when the Trump’s approval rating is lower than any US President since Jimmy Carter, it seems that increasing the Democrat Party’s appeal to voters should be a fairly easy job. Presidential candidates would do well to condemn the events of this weekend. The moral case for a new president is an easy one to make: much of the appeal that a Democrat like Joe Biden has for conservatives is that he represents a possibility for things to go back to normal. Yet simply having a president who doesn’t persist on galvanizing anger and frustration on a daily basis is a pretty low bar.

Change begins at the grassroots and in the polling booths. It may feel cathartic to vent frustration on your “enemy” like we saw this weekend. Yet restoring an America where civility thrives begins with our engaging civic institutions and checking our own parties when they needlessly escalate political tension.

In 2020, don’t go low – go to the polls.