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We Don't Have to Break It to Fix It
Townhall.com ^ | April 8, 2016 | David Limbaugh

Posted on 04/08/2016 6:43:07 AM PDT by Kaslin

I constantly hear that only Donald Trump supporters can understand the Trump phenomenon, as if it were inaccessible to nonbelievers, like the secret knowledge of ancient Gnostics. But I don't believe it's a matter of comprehension.

Trump supporters are so tired of the ruling class and are so adamant about a handful of issues that they seem willing to overlook even monumental flaws in their candidate, so long as he will carry the torch against Washington -- at least on those major issues. They aren't just willing to ignore flaws; they don't care about them, because things are so bad that only a rogue-like character will have the guts and wherewithal to shake things up.

I believe that these Trump supporters present a false choice. I do understand and share their frustration, but I reject the notion that only a virtual misfit can lead us out of this mess. I disagree that we have to burn the house down to rebuild it. Human nature and human history tell us that mob rule is a reckless path to correct governmental abuses.

Please don't misunderstand Ted Cruz supporters, either. We are hardly complacent about what has transpired over the past 30 years -- and especially the past eight. We are outraged, as well, and don't believe we are going to work ourselves out of this hellhole with mere baby steps. But we don't want to give in to the seductive temptation to lose our heads and betray the Founding Fathers' vision in the process. We will not recapture America's greatness through powerful determination alone. We must discipline ourselves to work within the constitutional framework, or we will forfeit the system that has made us unique in history.

Some may dispute that Trump supporters care only about certain core issues and are willing to employ extraordinary measures to address them. Well, a new Quinnipiac poll reveals that 53 percent of Trump supporters agree with this statement: "What we need is a leader who is willing to say or do anything to solve America's problems." This is consistent with what I hear from far too many Trump supporters.

Frankly, I would hate to be so pessimistic about our ability to overcome our problems that I'd be willing to compromise the rule of law and constitutional order to do so. In the end, Trump supporters may not go that far, but you wouldn't know it from their rhetoric.

To illustrate their boundless willingness to forgive Trump, let's look at Trump's written statement after his defeat in Wisconsin. He was ungracious. He didn't congratulate Cruz. And he showed no humility, though he was ahead in polls in that state not long ago.

He complained that "Lyin' Ted Cruz" had the support of Gov. Scott Walker, many conservative radio talk show hosts and the entire party apparatus. He directly accused Cruz of "coordinating with his own Super PACs (which is illegal), who totally control him." He said Cruz is attempting to steal the nomination from him.

These were not off-the-cuff comments but weighed and considered and then put into writing for publication. You see, it's not just a matter of lacking discipline and not reining himself in on the fly. This is who Trump is. It's what he does, even after thinking about it.

Trump supporters tend to say that this is what makes Trump so great. He's not PC, and he won't be shamed into behaving as everyone else does. But since when does opposing political correctness mean we must be rude, petulant and ungracious? Political correctness is cultural and media pressure to suppress our speech and force us to conform to liberal norms. We must not trivialize our battle against political correctness by insisting that what we are fighting for is the right to be rude and boorish. It has never been about that.

Several Trump supporters said they saw nothing wrong with the statement. If that is true, then a chasm separates us. Even Mike Huckabee, who has been sympathetic to Trump, said he should have "shown a little class" and not released that statement, which "was ill-advised."

Though entrenched Trump supporters may believe such behavior is acceptable in these exceptional times -- even admirable -- few outside their circle will agree, which is why Trump has difficulty exceeding 40 percent approval anywhere.

Trump's supporters are inordinately forgiving not just on his behavior and temperament but also on his limited knowledge and vacillation on policy outside of his few signature issues.

I can't fathom being unconcerned about radical daily flip-flops on issues, such as the abortion flap of last week. The most troubling thing about it is not his initial remark about punishing women who obtain an illegal abortion. It's that he kept switching back and forth after he was criticized, revealing he just hasn't given it much thought.

You don't have to be a policy wonk to be a good president, but I would hope that you would have at least given serious consideration to important issues beyond the few that brought you to prominence. You must have at least rudimentary knowledge on issues before you can make proper decisions, even with the best advisers available.

I get that only a few issues matter to some Trump supporters for now and they're willing to risk rolling the dice on the others. I, too, feel strongly about protecting our border and restoring America's uniqueness. But I refuse to believe we have to make a choice between a personally volatile candidate who cares only about those issues and a highly qualified, well-informed candidate who cares about those matters and many others and whom we can also expect to behave in a manner befitting the highest office of the land.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: alsoinwnd; davidlimbaugh; tedskeywordtroll; tedskeywordtrolls; townhall; trumpcultists
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1 posted on 04/08/2016 6:43:07 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
...because things are so bad that only a rogue-like character will have the guts and wherewithal to shake things up.

How can someone whose goal is to Make America Great Again do any worse than one whose goal is to fundamentally transform America into a globalist, Islamicised, socialized hellhole?

2 posted on 04/08/2016 6:46:31 AM PDT by JimRed (Is it 1776 yet? TERM LIMITS, now and forever! Build the Wall, NOW!)
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To: Kaslin

Mr Trump is not the servant of Soros or Goldman Sachs.

Mr Trump did NOT vote to allow SECRET ObamaTRADE.

Ashley Cruz, the pompous impetuous unfaithful lawyer
who lies and falsely accuses, is and did, both.


3 posted on 04/08/2016 6:47:52 AM PDT by Diogenesis ("When a crime is unpunished, the world is unbalanced.")
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To: Kaslin

I am afraid David will take the “bar of soap” from the nice guard at the FEMA camp and walk right into the “shower”.


4 posted on 04/08/2016 6:48:14 AM PDT by SubMareener (Save us from Quarterly Freepathons! Become a MONTHLY DONOR!)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...
It's not surprising that some party-line talking-head nitwit can't understand that his criticisms or objections to Trump (or any other candidate) don't constitute some kind of objective standard.

5 posted on 04/08/2016 6:49:29 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
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To: Kaslin
Please don't misunderstand Ted Cruz supporters, either. We are hardly complacent about what has transpired over the past 30 years.......

And a litany of more "we are's"....ad nauseam.

Actually, he and other GOPe's are just now coming to realize that their little scheme of elitism and pontification interspersed with bald faced lies (about what they want and will do) is perched precariously near that abyss of immateriality. They realize they have to destroy that one symbol of the last push that would put them over the edge - Trump, and those that support him.

Frankly, I don't give a damn about his party, his comfortable existence, nor any of the other DC denizens who subsist of the carrion that are WE, the lifeblood of this country. Eff them all and the horse they rode in on. I'll see that whole party burn down before I start believing duplicitous tripe like this.

6 posted on 04/08/2016 6:50:34 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: Kaslin

Just more Cruz-booze propaganda.


7 posted on 04/08/2016 6:50:44 AM PDT by Mollypitcher1 (I have not yet begun to fight....John Paul Jones)
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To: Kaslin

Not interested, David. I know how your bread is buttered.


8 posted on 04/08/2016 6:51:24 AM PDT by Mamzelle
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To: SubMareener

They won’t give him any soap. They will just Einsatzgruppen him.


9 posted on 04/08/2016 6:51:58 AM PDT by Despot of the Delta (It's time for Trump to become Vlad the Impaler. I want Progressive/Globalist/Establishment heads)
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To: Kaslin

Sorry, Mr. Limbaugh.

Only someone who does not need money (and hence cannot be bought by K Street), and who really does not give a flying rip what the media or anyone else thinks about him can fix this.

If you know someone who fits that description better than Trump, we’re all ears.


10 posted on 04/08/2016 6:51:59 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Kaslin
To illustrate their boundless willingness to forgive Trump, let's look at Trump's written statement after his defeat in Wisconsin. He was ungracious. He didn't congratulate Cruz. And he showed no humility, though he was ahead in polls in that state not long ago.

Trump was gracious enough not to mention the thousands of Democrats who crossed over to give Cruz, the social conservative, "certain" WI counties which historically vote for the Republican social squish, and categorically reject the Republican social conservative.

And Trump also didn't mention that he got the WI social conservative counties where there wasn't any Democrat thumbs on the open primary scale...

11 posted on 04/08/2016 6:52:03 AM PDT by kiryandil (.)
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To: Kaslin

My post from yesterday on this topic:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3418538/posts?page=45#45

“The Tea Party wing of the GOP is bigger than ever, but there are two factions.”

“The Trump faction believes DC is corrupt and we need to burn the whole thing down. Throw out all the rascals, since they are all tainted. Everyone, almost without exception, who thinks DC is a cesspool with no redeeming features supports Trump.”

“The Cruz faction believes DC is corrupt and we need to drag them back to following the Constitution and the rule of law. Replace the rascals with someone they hate so much that they said he could be murdered on the floor of the Senate and no one would vote to convict. That was Lindsey Graham six weeks ago, when the establishment hoped that someone, anyone other than Cruz would stop Trump. Cruz is the same man he was six weeks ago. The difference is that the voters have rejected everyone else but Trump and Cruz.”

____________________________________________________________

Obviously, I agree with Limbaugh on the diagnosis. We at least partially disagree on the conclusion, but the Trump supporters have rejected everything inside DC as tainted and worth burning down. I hope they are wrong, but I’d rather have Trump than anyone who supports Amnesty, Obamacare, restrictions on our individual God-given right to keep and bear arms, or ANY expansion of the federal government.


12 posted on 04/08/2016 6:53:24 AM PDT by Pollster1 (Somebody who agrees with me 80% of the time is a friend and ally, not a 20% traitor. - Ronald Reagan)
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To: Kaslin

David,

No sale.

L


13 posted on 04/08/2016 6:55:01 AM PDT by Lurker (Violence is rarely the answer. But when it is it is the only answer.)
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To: Kaslin

David Limbaugh, may your chains rest lightly upon you...


14 posted on 04/08/2016 7:02:08 AM PDT by MichaelCorleone (Jesus Christ is not a religion. He's the Truth.)
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To: Kaslin
rude, petulant and ungracious

And they say one can't define NY values?

15 posted on 04/08/2016 7:02:32 AM PDT by T. P. Pole
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To: Kaslin
It takes leadershio,to fix it and after this campaign then only name that comes up in my mind is Trump
All the others have been in govt power for years ( yes even Ted) and have floundered fumbled or flipped ( Ryan)
They are so crippled by PC they are totally ineffective
Out with the old
16 posted on 04/08/2016 7:05:02 AM PDT by silverleaf (Age takes a toll: Please have exact change)
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To: Kaslin

Limbaugh says he understands Trump supporters and then bashes them because they don’t condemn Trump for being “ungracious.” Being gracious to the PC police, being gracious to those who would undermine our sovereignty, being gracious to those who wish to impose socialism, being gracious to those who want to import terrorists, being gracious to those who want cheap labor undermining American jobs...being “gracious” is what has gotten us to this impasse. The time for civility and playing with the left by Marquess of Queensbury rules is long past. Being “gracious” in the face of evil is killing us.

We are done being gracious with those who are destroying our country. Absolutely done. You do not understand Trump supporters, Limbaugh, not one tiny little bit.


17 posted on 04/08/2016 7:05:14 AM PDT by LNV
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To: T. P. Pole
Maybe that's where Hillary gets hers
“ Ms Congeniality” indeed
18 posted on 04/08/2016 7:06:13 AM PDT by silverleaf (Age takes a toll: Please have exact change)
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To: JimRed

Our political and cultural elites (of which, both Limbaugh brothers are members in good standing) approach this and other elections as if we are playing a game of touch football. Even though they and we invest tremendous emotional energy the game, nothing in life changes for the people running the game. The gravy train continues with its journey fueled by the systematic destruction of the American middle class.

Trump supporters and I suspect a large proportion of Cruz supporters believe the problem to be much more consequential. We have identified the elites to be our mortal enemy, even as they pretend to serve us. We do not want to destroy our system of constitutionally restrained government. However, we recognize that virtuous, constitutional government cannot be restored without destroying the death grip that elites have on the machinery of government and the culture. The choice of standard bearer boils down to a few judgement calls: 1) Who has the best chance of being elected and 2) Having been elected, who is most likely to effectively lead the demolition of the oppressive establishment machine? I have made a judgement and assume that others here either have or will do so.


19 posted on 04/08/2016 7:06:35 AM PDT by TheConservativeBanker
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To: Kaslin
Human nature and human history tell us that mob rule is a reckless path to correct governmental abuses.

Sorry David, you're late to the party, we already have Mob Rule in America and it's the Mob that will see you in a "reeducation" "camp".

You would be wise to get behind the Trumpsters that will let you keep your typewriter.

Tagline.

20 posted on 04/08/2016 7:08:18 AM PDT by Navy Patriot (America, a Rule of Mob nation)
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