Republicans' nomination of Trump leaves us no choice

I heard from one of my long-time column readers last week - Wayne Hoffman, the executive director of the Idaho Freedom Foundation. While Hoffman seldom agrees with me, he would be the first to tell you he appreciates the perspective I bring and the thinking I provoke.

For my part, I admire some of the research his group does and the issues they explore. They merit attention because he and his team do a good job of factual reporting.

His recent effort to expose the way some legislators can exploit their Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho pension by taking a high-paying state job that allows them to average their retirement benefit based primarily on the last three years of their much higher income is one of those "let's hide from the public this perk" that should be abolished.

Hoffman's first note to me on last week's column picked up on the fact that while mentioning that governors make better presidents than senators, as a general rule, and my thesis was parties could only pick for president from their pool of current or former governors, there were, in fact, two governors that would be on the fall ballot that I'd failed to mention - the Libertarian presidential candidate, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson and his vice presidential running mate, former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld.

Hoffman wanted to know what I thought about them and whether I might consider actually voting for the Libertarian ticket.

I jokingly wrote back that I might give it some thought, but the truth is a vote for the Libertarian ticket is a vote for Donald Trump and there is no way I'm going to waste my vote on a third party candidate.

For all her shortcomings, Hillary Clinton is a far superior candidate and will be a far better president than Trump. There is simply no choice to be made. It has to be Hillary all the way.

I'll readily concede to Hoffman that the two governors on that Libertarian ticket are competent and qualified. Unlike Trump, either one of them could do the job of president.

Independents and moderate Republicans, however, cannot and hopefully will not waste their vote. Too much is a stake.

I remain puzzled by those who say Clinton is a "liar" and that she cannot be trusted. It remains a mantra chanted daily by her critics. The fiasco of American diplomats losing their lives at Benghazi is most often cited by her critics.

Yet, if one bothered to watch CNN's coverage of the House hearing where she appeared, one had to be impressed with how well she handled herself and the tough grilling for 81/2 hours.

So she allegedly lies? If so, why have no perjury charges ever been brought against her?

And what's the origin of this bunk about her not being trustworthy? What public trust has she violated? And don't give me the line about selling changes in State Department foreign policy in exchange for contributions to the Clinton Foundation. That is a serious charge of treason and I'm not aware of any responsible journalistic organization coming up with evidence to substantiate the charge, nor has anyone brought a successful suit against her.

Until or unless someone comes up with a story that has real legs, I suggest, folks, that we stop talking in cliches and parroting unsubstantiated rumors.

It is this writer's opinion that the trust question is really a mutation of the respect issue, which had its origins in her decision to stand by Bill Clinton during the entire sad incident of Monica Lewinsky in the Oval Office.

Many women in particular may have lost some respect for Hillary, and ascribed her decision to crass political calculation rather than accept the possibility that she acted out of true love and loyalty.

It behooves us all to remember one is innocent until proven guilty and Hillary has never been convicted of one crime, nor do she and Bill have 3,500 lawsuits against them.

There really is no choice in November, Wayne, and you know it. There might have been a choice if the GOP Convention had selected Gov. John Kasich, but they did not.

The GOP's decision to go with Trump has started a Republican decline into the ash heap of history - to the dust from which they sprung where they will be unwept, unhonored and unsung.

Go Hillary.

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Carlson is a retired journalist who served as press secretary to former Idaho Gov. Cecil D. Andrus. He lives in Medimont in Kootenai County.