Editor’s Note: This column originally appeared in East County Magazine.

Conventional political wisdom dictates there are two main factors that propel a sitting president to reelection victory — positive economy and low unemployment. Arguments can be made that President [Donald] Trump inherited these two factors from the [Barack] Obama years. But those arguments make no difference, simply because under Trump economy growth, rising new employment and decreasing unemployment continued.

Other detrimental arguments about Trump can and are being made — such as his constant lying, his exaggerations on how well he is personally doing, condemnation on “Obamacare,” racial and ethnic divisiveness, constant insults toward the press and opponents, his favoritism to Russia’s [Vladimir] Putin, his trade wars, using resources to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and many other anti-Trump concerns.

Yet, to a significant sector of the electorate, the economy and unemployment are the two issues favoring voting for Trump. Voters can and do overlook most anything else if these two issues are positive.

However, the country is deeply divided between those who believe the economy and employment are the only issues of importance as to whether Trump should or should not be given another four years, while a possibly greater number believe Trump is a danger to the country for many reasons including that he is responsible for the economic disaster.

I, like many, believe the country’s economy and employment are CRUCIAL issues simply because we are all so very dependent on salaries and employment for family support.

Trump had strong campaign arguments based on the economy and employment continued positive outlook — but then disaster struck in January of 2020 — a deadly virus invaded the country with a vengeance — coronavirus began its deadly march striking at will, causing sickness and death. In an effort to stop the onslaught the best scientific minds with great experience in fighting diseases attempted to stop the onslaught — but in this, Trump failed the country.

He feared following the scientific advice of our nation’s top science and health advisers, the economy would crash and unemployment would soar, so he rejected their plan and advice.

Regarding the economy and employment, his fears proved him right — the economy faltered and unemployment erupted with a vengeance not seen since the 1930s Great Depression years.

In a desperate effort to reverse the onslaught, Trump decided it was more important to recuperate the economy and gain back the lost employment than it was to support the nation’s scientific community.

That decision has to date caused close to 230,000 American deaths with thousands more estimated. Now Trump tells us the pandemic is on its way out, that a vaccine is near and its distribution not far into the future, so that meantime we need to live with the virus and its deaths as “it is what it is.”

He tells us to vote for him because he can bring back the economy and employment to new heights far superior to any growth the nation has ever seen. So, he asks for us to have faith in him and reelect him so he can accomplish these vital goals.

We are faced with questions — do we believe him? He was wrong in not following the plan and advice from the prominent scientific minds not only in our nation, but world-renowned for their expertise and experience. And saying that the vaccine is near is an admission that science was right — is it not?

Ah, but the economy, the economy? Trump reasons that reopening businesses and allowing people to patronize local stores, bars, restaurants, theaters, sporting events and all other enterprises will bring back the economy and create the much-needed employment though the prize will be more deaths.

If we accept his reasoning and vote for his economic and employment recuperation plan, we must also set aside who we are and are as a people.

Are we to set aside the abduction, the snatching of babies, toddlers from their mothers’ and fathers’ arms and place them in cages? Then to throw their parents out of the country to teach others who seek asylum yearning for a better life in our country, as in times past, millions of others have done.

Through our silence are we not guilty of the monstrous crime against humanity and our own immigration laws? Do we willingly accept our scandalous and odious rotting of our honor, decency, and national heritage?

Ah, but the economy, the economy!

Oh God, what are we becoming? God forgive us for we know not what we do.

Patrick Osio Jr. is an award-winning, San Diego-based former editor and former columnist associated with San Diego Metro Magazine and the former Knight Ridder newspaper group.