Yes, I know.  He's a braggart, egotistical (same meaning but more scientific-sounding), loud-mouthed.  He lacks polish and tact.  He's not the type I would like my daughter to marry, although she could use the money.  He would be a bad role model for my grandchildren to follow, and I would be a bad father- in-law, because I am sparse in my praise of normal good deeds.  Then why vote for a man I find so repellent?

Simply, there is no alternative.  Hillary Clinton is a liar.  She is not an exaggerator; she is not an embroiderer (normal unfortunate human impulses) – she is a bare-faced liar.  She knowingly states as fact things contrary to fact.  The sordid, long drawn out account of her private computer is but one illustration.  Yes, it held classified documents even though she first stated it had none.  As secretary of state she should be able to tell a classified document from an unclassified one, regardless of how it is marked.  But in this instance, the documents were marked classified.  The entire episode is an example of unparalleled arrogance in which a person abrogates a system she has no right to change.  This arrogance has been noted in the long string of scandals that have been painfully brought to light in congressional hearings and can be attested to by the Secret Service men who guard her and former members of her staff.  As the wife of a former popular president, she does not feel she is bound by the rules of common decency or reciprocity.  She is unique (thank God for that).

Her supporters like to point to her years of public service as a kind of voucher for good work appreciated.  It is true that she has been in public life for about fifty years and has managed to accrue a considerable fortune, but other than that, I can think of no accomplishment she can point to with pride.  We all have our faults, but should they be so plentiful in a presidential candidate's record?

The United States seems to work best as a two-party republic, but there have been many third parties in its history.  Now seems particularly opportune, with the two major parties fielding such vulnerable candidates, for a third party to rise and seize control.  But what do we have?  Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party polls around 8% of the popular vote but seems to have no momentum.  When asked in a news conference what he thought of Aleppo, a besieged city in Syria that had made the front page of the Washington Post for almost a week, he answered by asking what Aleppo is.  For the average American citizen, the name Aleppo means nothing.  He will continue his way of life regardless of whether he knows what Aleppo means or doesn't.  A presidential candidate, however, should show that at least he knows of the events that make a newspaper's front page for over a week.  The fourth candidate, Jill Stein of the Green Party, shows an equal ignorance of reality.  Not much of a choice.

Conclusion: Donald Trump has the energy to handle this nation's many problems.  Whether he will do so is unknown.  If not Trump, then we continue down the road of sloth and deterioration.

On election day, to the dismay of my overeducated friends, I will vote for Trump.  Hope and change is the motto.