A Republican Friend Weighs In

by Jerry Hirsch, former Arizona Republican Conservative

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Character: Republican Leaders and Trump

One of my Generation X daughters told me she’s frustrated because some of her friends support Trump. They believe Harris is too liberal. She agrees, but is uncomfortable with Trump’s lies, slurs against minorities and hateful rants. I told her that many prominent business people support Harris’s policies, but regardless of policy, a candidate’s character is more important. It doesn’t matter what they say if you can’t trust them. I added these background facts.

During my twenties, I was so impressed by Barry Goldwater’s courageous character that I became a “Goldwater” conservative Republican. (I’ve treasured a personal note he wrote me.) Since then, I’ve raised a family, practiced law, created businesses and pursued philanthropy, and learned that character dominates success in any endeavor.

It’s a belief shared by our nation’s most revered Republican leaders. Ronald Reagan believed: “[C]haracter is everything. . . [Y]ou can’t buy courage and decency, you can’t rent a strong moral sense. A president must bring those things with him.”

Lincoln was nicknamed “Honest Abe”; he often recited “integrity prayers.” There’s the book entitled: “Character Matters: And Other Life Lessons from George H. W. Bush”. Gerald Ford was known for always telling the truth. Theodore Roosevelt said: “Bodily vigor is good, and…