Erick Erickson: This Thanksgiving, we should all be thankful for Trump. I know I am

For more reasons that you might expect, I think we should all be thankful for the President. I know I am thankful.

President Trump is not perfect. He was not my choice to be President. But I am thankful for him in many ways.
I appreciate that President Trump has brought about the great sorting of the conservative movement. Though disappointing to see, it has confirmed for me that the nation is not as conservative as I once thought and also that there are a lot of people who have made a lot of money in the conservative movement who do not really believe in the ideals of conservatism.
President Trump has made me recommit to my faith. I could be distracted by politics for the longest time, but seeing the country headed toward the darkness with many so called conservatives cheering on the dark, I have been forced to reprioritize things. I have realized how much of my politics and faith do not align and how many Christian conservatives have worked very hard to conform their faith to their politics instead of the other way around.

The richest reward in the age of Donald Trump is a clearer vision of the country and a greater appreciation for the necessity of relying on God, not men.

I am thankful he put Neil Gorsuch on the bench. I am thankful for many of the President's policies and stellar personnel appointments like Ajit Pai, Justice Willett, Nikki Haley, Rick Perry, General Mattis, etc.
Though it has not happened to the extent I would like, President Trump's election has forced some Democrats to finally realize what conservatives were talking about when they said character counted. It has not been good on the GOP side now, but some Democrats are finally having to recognize it. Likewise, Democrats are starting to realize that defending President Obama's legacy at the expense of reality may not be the greatest thing. It will take further time for this to shake out, but from Iran to Russia to North Korea, at least privately Democrats are starting to acknowledge Barack Obama's failures.
Though not an exhaustive list, there is one last thing I am thankful of because of President Trump. There are people in the old center-right coalition who I may not see eye to eye with at times, but I have a new appreciation for their willingness to stand up. Even now, we do not always agree on things, but it has been nice to see people make it through the great sorting with their integrity intact. I have always had respect and rare disagreement with people like Jonah Goldberg and Bill Kristol, but add into mix with them people like Charlie Sykes and others it is refreshing to see people focus on ideas on the right, not just the cult of personality.
The richest reward in the age of Donald Trump is a clearer vision of the country and a greater appreciation for the necessity of relying on God, not men. This clarifying moment would not have come except for Donald Trump's election and it is clear the turmoil, problems, and opportunism of many were always there festering.
Erick Erickson is a Fox News contributor. He is founder/editor of The Resurgent. His new book is "Before You Wake: Life Lessons From a Father to His Children”. Follow him on Twitter @EWErickson.