Opinion: Time to lead — why I can’t vote for Trump

Politicians of all stripes sometimes speak lies in pursuit of their aims, American presidents included. Obviously, some presidents rank higher than others on the index of mendacity – the habit of lying. In the annals of the presidency former President Donald Trump’s pervasive dishonesty — a relentless avalanche of lies — ranks him at the top of this index by a wide margin.
You or I may say “The importance of a president’s policies outweighs the importance of his or her character; even an inveterate liar like Trump can be fit to serve, so long as his policies please me.”
Of course, policies matter. As retired Army General Stanley A. McChrystal recently stated regarding his choice not to vote for Donald Trump:
“Political narratives and policies matter, but they didn’t govern my choice. I find it easy to be attracted to, or repelled by, proposals on taxes, education and countless other issues. But I believe that events and geopolitical and economic forces will, like strong tides, move policymakers where they ultimately must go. In practice, few administrations travel the course they campaigned on. Circumstances change. Our president, therefore, must be more than a policymaker or a malleable reflection of the public’s passions. She or he must lead – and that takes character.”
No policy victory can compensate for failure of character. A lying spirit sucks the lifeblood out of democracy and fractures the moral bedrock on which it stands. A lying president violates our trust; sows discord, chaos and confusion; robs government officials of strength, vigor and the capacity for effective action; undermines the faith of world leaders; and blunts our moral influence as a nation.
Democracy is in a fight for its life; it is no time for pretenders. This is the United States of America, for heaven’s sake, and its president is the leader of the free world. Countless nations, striving for freedom and justice, look here for a beacon to follow. We are far from perfect and can ill afford to forfeit any of the moral strength that still makes America great. Yet that is what we would do, if we elect Donald Trump.
Lying is an inherently selfish act. A liar lacks backbone and is unwilling to suffer the consequences of his actions. A liar is a coward. A toxic super-liar and man of ill repute like Trump lies to make himself look good, make someone else look bad, avoid personal responsibility, and cover-up or excuse bad behavior. Trump has made a science of this. Were he to be elected next month, the American people would become the victims of his predatory untruthfulness. As his own Attorney General Bill Barr said of him:
“He will always put his own interests and gratifying his own ego ahead of everything else, including the country’s interest. There’s no question about it.”
We pay a price, the country pays a price, and future generations of Americans will pay a price, if we place such a person in the oval office.
May I suggest, as scripture commands, that diligence in seeking honest, good and wise leaders invites a soul-searching consideration of these questions: How much does character really matter in a president? Can a president at war with truth truly lead? Does Donald J. Trump qualify as an honest, good and wise man?
For Donald Trump getting what you want means to deny, defy, scapegoat, redirect blame, counterattack, intimidate, instill fear, threatened to exact revenge and inflict retribution, and prize winning over moral considerations. At the core all of these are deeply dishonest acts.
May we instead follow the lead of Abraham Lincoln, who said: “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true.”
Brent Ward was U.S. Attorney for Utah during the Reagan-Bush years and practices law today in Salt Lake City. He is a member of the Republican Party.