Donna Rice Hughes: One woman's case for Donald Trump

FILE - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks in Albuquerque, N.M. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

This election has two distinctly different directions for America. My heart is heavy! I, like so many Americans, am concerned for the future of this land that I love.

We are at a crossroads.  Every vote matters. Never, in my lifetime has there been so much division, so much hostility, so much frustration, so much blatant bias and so much lingering confusion.

As a college educated woman, I represent the demographic that is supposedly the swing vote in this election. As a pro-life Christian conservative, the choice for me is very clear but I realize the choice is not as clear to those who remain undecided. So it is to the undecided, particularly women and people of faith, I offer the following as guideposts to better discern how to make a wise and thoughtful decision.

There is no perfect candidate, and the media magnifies their flaws. For some, the choice is for the lesser of two evils, because of their personalities instead of their vision. 

Supporting Mr. Trump for president does not mean I have ignored his past or indefensible comments, but I do accept his apologies. I completely understand why some women would still be undecided.

Each candidate has a distinctly different philosophy of the role of government and the issues we face. Secretary Clinton is a liberal- leaning Democrat and a refined career politician representing the political establishment. Mr. Trump is a successful business man, an outsider who speaks his mind and who often wears his emotions on his sleeve.

Supporting Mr. Trump for president does not mean I have ignored his past or indefensible comments, but I do accept his apologies. I completely understand why some women would still be undecided.

These issues are personal to me. I survived childhood sexual abuse and a date rape at age 22. As President of Enough Is Enough for the last 23 years, I have been on the frontlines fighting to prevent the sexual exploitation of children and women, fighting to stop the pornification of our culture, and fighting to curb sexual predation.

However when I met Mr. Trump two years ago at CPAC, he was a kind and gracious gentlemen. He applauded me in front of a crowd of people for taking the high road during the 1987 presidential scandal. He had not yet announced his presidency, but he told me that he had to run.

I immediately saw his passion for America, the conviction in his eyes, and a fire in his belly that was driving him to run in spite of the cost.

God is in the business of using flawed people who He humbled and molded into great leaders.

Our country is framed by our Constitution as one nation, under God. I believe the philosophy of Mr. Trump and Governor Pence most closely mirrors a government for the people and by the people. President Reagan said it best over 50 years ago, 'The issue of this election is whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American Revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capital can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them for ourselves.”  Our parties themselves represent two distinctive worldviews.

We as Christians must closely examine each party platform to discover which position best line up with our Judeo-Christian worldview and the Word of God. 

One of the most important and unavoidable issues is the issue of life. Abortion on demand is one of the great scourges on our nation. 

I strongly believe that our Founders’ intent when writing the Declaration of Independence that all of humankind are endowed by their Creator with the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, meant from womb to  tomb. 

The Trump/Pence ticket stands strong on so many of these issues that truly matter, from Israel to a prosperous thriving economy. I believe that they will lead America forward, and best solve the challenges of a failed economy, inexcusable unemployment, a broken immigration system, an unfair tax system, corruption in politics, unfavorable trade deals, shaky foreign policy, failed Obamacare, out of control national debt and a diminished military which must be strengthened in order to defend against radical Islamists terrorists and terrorist nations who have declared war on America and our ally Israel.

As CEO of Enough Is Enough (EIE), I also view Internet safety as a key issue since it’s the 4th ranked health concern for U.S. children. This summer, as the “law and order” candidate, Donald Trump signed The Children’s Internet Safety Presidential Pledge, developed by EIE. The Pledge was sent to all Presidential Candidates, calling upon them, if elected President to make a pledge to defend the innocence and dignity of America’s children by enforcing the existing federal laws and advancing public policies designed to prevent the sexual exploitation of children online and to make the Internet safer for all. In all fairness to Secretary Clinton, she sent a letter supporting the goals of the Pledge which is encouraging.

In addition, I am encouraged that Mr. Trump has chosen a solid group of conservative, principled and talented leaders to serve by his side during his campaign. He has assembled an evangelical advisory council of top Christian leaders who are advising him on key issues; and, he is listening. Most of these people are not part of the political elite. We are not only voting for President and VP but we are in effect voting for over 7000 political appointees and individuals who will serve in his administration. In a recent article, Mariam Bell wrote: “We vote FOR the 4,000+ political appointees who will run all the agencies, departments and programs. We vote FOR the 3,000+ appointments to boards and commissions the next president will make. We FOR all those 300+ who will be appointed to the judiciary, including the Supreme Court — whose rulings will impact our country for the next fifty years, not just four. The next president will appoint a cabinet and has already selected a vice president.”

Finally it is perhaps the most crucial of all considerations for the voter. The President serves for only 4-8 years, a Supreme Court Justice serves for life with the average term being 30 years. Our next President will likely appoint at least 3 justices, who will determine the trajectory of our Nation for generations to come. Mr. Trump has committed to appoint pro-life constitutionalist judges like Antonin Scalia. Secretary Clinton on the other hand said she would appoint pro-abortion judges, claiming, “I will defend Planned Parenthood. I will defend Roe v. Wade, and I will defend women's rights to make their own health care decisions.” Code for I will not defend the sanctity of life for unborn Americans.

Former Attorney General Ed Meese said in a speech to the Federalist Society that “An activist jurisprudence, one which anchors the Constitution only in the consciences of jurists…. is a chameleon jurisprudence, changing color and form in each era.” He also said that a true approach “must respect the Constitution in all its parts and be faithful to the Constitution in its entirety.” Trump and Pence agree, and so do I.

Responsible citizens must vote. Every vote matters. It cannot be wasted. In the famous words of John F. Kennedy, ask not, what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Start by voting!