The Messenger’s Endorsement for President

Messenger Reporter

Editor's note: Greg's Corner is an award-winning, editorial (opinion) section where Messenger Reporter Greg Ritchie shares odds and ends from the job and unusual or interesting facts from across the world and across time.

MESSENGER OFFICE – In case you're in a hurry somewhere while reading this, I will get to the point. Yes, surprise, surprise, The Messenger is officially endorsing Donald J. Trump to be the next President of these United States. We do not endorse local candidates, but we seem to live in such a strange world, we couldn't help but put our two cents into the national race.

I doubt Mr. Trump will make a special trip to Grapeland to pick up a paper and frame it in the oval office, but maybe we should send him one, ask him to sign it and we can auction it for one of our local charities. Hmmm...

The truth is, even Democrats now are searching hard to find reasons to support Kamala Harris. I tend to keep myself out of politics and try and just take people as they are, without getting into all that. Everyone has a point of view, their take on religion and a belly button. We'll leave it at that.

This election, however, is just...different. President Joe Biden says he doesn't feel up to running for President, but he is just fine doing the job of President. Vice President Harris told us ole' Joe was just fine, until the day he wasn't and politically pushed him up a flight of stairs.

They tell us Trump wants to destroy our democracy. He didn't last time and speaking of democracy, Harris never got a vote in the 2020 primary, or in this primary either. No one in the democratic party ever voted for Harris to be president; other than the donors at the democratic convention. Her supporters have to twist themselves into pretzels to try and explain that one.

We are told Trump will start a war and not support that bastion of democracy Ukraine – where they cancelled their presidential elections. Trump claims he can end that war in a day and if anyone can, it would be him. I am still confused when people who love the founding fathers immediately forget them when it comes to getting involved in a foreign war. Our kids do not need to die in Eastern Europe and Trump seems to understand that.

Let's not get started on the economy. I don't know how many cobwebs are in your wallet, but from milk to gas, this economy is killing us. Instead of cutting some of that government fat, Harris recently claimed businesses and billionaires should "pay their fair share." Could I pay my fair share, too? I keep paying taxes by the basket-full, and they keep going up while I seem to just get poorer.

Texas has a long history with Mexico, and we still adore our neighbors to the south. Most of the immigrants these days come from places further away, many of them young men of military age. There are even initiatives in some areas to allow illegal immigrants to vote. Their mere concentration in one area can change the census – and how votes and funding are allocated. A big, beautiful wall with a big, beautiful door sounds pretty fair.

And even though we may cringe at some of the things Trump says, if I put a microphone on any of us, 24 hours a day, I'd bet we all say silly stuff from time to time. Do we really want someone who is good at reading the prepared remarks and has no heart? If so, ask yourself, who is preparing those remarks and the power behind the throne? Love him or hate him, Trump is all flesh and blood.

Speaking of blood, I don't see how he peeks out of curtains anymore, much less goes out and leads rallies of thousands of people. When the press hates you non-stop for so many years, there are going to be a few crazies who do stupid things. Love him or hate him, the image of Trump, covered in blood, but still defiant, silhouetted in front of an American flag represents the people of this country – down, but far from out.

Parts of Houston County voted for Trump by over 90% in the 2020 election. We live here, too, and agree with that vast majority – things must change for the better and Trump seems to be the candidate to make that happen.

Or, in the words of Harris herself, "It's time for us to do what we have been doing, and that time is every day."