This is probably not the place to get real answers to my questions, but I really do have questions that only Republicans, especially Trump supporters, can answer. I suspect that just as some of us occasionally scan conservative sites to see what they're thinking, some of them do the same. So here we go.
The NRA, not to mention numerous extremely wealthy people, have literally given billions of dollars directly to Republican politicians, not to mention other goodies of varying kinds. Everybody knows they do it for access, and more importantly votes. And it demonstrably works. The fact is, even most gun owners approve of the idea of universal background checks to try to keep new guns away from criminals and people on terror watch lists, but it takes extreme measures to even get Republicans to hold a vote in congress. Clearly, they are not representing their voters in this. They are representing the NRA.
And yet...
The Clinton Foundation, a global charity that does life-saving work, took lots of money from various corporations and millionaires. Some of them then met with Hillary Clinton while she was Secretary of State. Even though there is absolutely NO evidence that any of them actually influenced policy, even though the people Clinton met with were people she probably would have met with in the course of her work for the State Department, even though they can find only 84 such meetings out of literally thousands she actually had, Republicans are accusing her of malfeasance and calling for a special prosecutor.
How is this not hypocrisy?
Donald Trump has clear financial interests in numerous foreign countries, including Russia. It's said he is deeply in debt to several foreign banks, including banks operated by hostile countries like China. He refuses to provide in-depth financial information that would allow us to evaluate how those interests might influence him as president. It's doubtful his personal tax returns alone would give us all the facts (at the very least we'd also need all his corporate returns), but he refuses to even provide those, even though every other candidate for decades has done so.
Hillary Clinton has published three decades of personal tax returns. The Clinton Foundation's returns are public record.
Republicans insist Hillary is hiding something. Really?
Donald Trump doesn't plan to divest himself of his financial interests. Instead, he says he'll hand the running of his companies over to his kids, and tells us, believe him, that he won't care how things go if he's president. Neither Republicans or the media seem to have much problem with this.
Hillary and Bill Clinton plan to step away from the foundation, leaving only their daughter on the charity's board of directors, in an unpaid position. Again, their tax filings are all public and show absolutely NO flow of money from the foundation to the Clintons, but rather the reverse. But Republicans insist that the only thing they would accept is to completely shut down this life-saving charity, transferring the activities to other charities--a hugely complicated and likely unsuccessful process.
Again, does no one see the incredible hypocrisy?
Trump businesses will continue under his name, which is often the only contribution he has made to the companies, and for which he receives millions of dollars. Nobody has even suggested that this should change.
Republicans insist that the Clinton Foundation, a charity which raises money in large part capitalizing on the relationships the Clintons have built around the world, must absolutely cease to function so long as the Clinton name is attached.
Why don't they see the problem with this? Why don't they think we will?
Hillary Clinton received a lot of money for speeches she gave to various entities, including those attached to Wall Street. She did not do so while she was in public office, and there is no evidence she actually gave preferential treatment to these entities. In fact, if you look at the bills she sponsored as a senator, most of them had to do with funding programs directed at helping low-income families and children. If you look at her economic proposals, she hopes to put an even tighter rein on Wall Street, while creating an economy that will actually help the poor and middle class.
Trump's speaking fees are several times those of Hillary Clinton. Nobody is even suggesting that he might give preferential treatment to the companies that paid him, even though the economic plan he recently unveiled is packed with goodies for big corporate interests and wealthy individuals, with very, very little for the middle and low income.
Yet somehow, middle and low income voters (at least the white ones) think Trump is their savior, and revile Hillary as a shill for the wealthy. Really? REALLY?
Seriously, what is going on? Why don't Republicans and conservative voters see the absolute hypocrisy and insanity of these positions? Can someone, preferably an actual Republican with a sincere answer, please explain?