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Attack on the GOP Ascendancy
Commentary Magazine ^ | 12 Nov 2016 | John Podhoretz

Posted on 11/12/2016 12:11:04 PM PST by oblomov

The Republican Party is in the ascendancy. Who could have predicted it? No one. The response of Democrats and liberals since the election has been screaming, crying, and telling tall tales about racist incidents on social media while providing no evidence that they’ve taken place—and, on the activist Left, rioting. That, alas, maybe anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear could have predicted.

First, the ascendancy. Among the many things everybody got wrong about this election, including me, was what we were seeing happening on the Right side of the political divide. We looked at the heated primary, the rise of Donald Trump, the right-of-center politicians who refused to support him and criticized him, and the conservative media that attacked him, and we concluded that the Republican Party was in crisis and in danger of breaking up. Up until the moment it became clear Trump was winning Florida, the major discussion point about the Right was the “civil war” that was about to break out and whether for the first time in 160 years the United States would see the rise of a serious third party.

Oops. Crow eaten, very much including by me.

After election night, the Republican Party is just fine. More than fine. The Republican Party is arguably in the strongest position it has held in the modern era—holding the Presidency, House, Senate, 33 governorships, 69 of 99 state legislatures, total control of offices in 25 states.

It turns out the crisis is not within Republicanism, but within conservatism. This isn’t a complete surprise, of course; fissures have been evident for years on various aspects of foreign and domestic policy. But if Trump does 20 percent of what he has said he’ll do when it comes to his policy agenda...

(Excerpt) Read more at commentarymagazine.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: gop; podhoretz; trump
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Podhoretz will have to be dragged into winning, kicking and screaming.
1 posted on 11/12/2016 12:11:04 PM PST by oblomov
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To: oblomov

The Republican Party is in the ascendancy. Who could have predicted it? No one.

****

Dem 4 years Carter
GOP 12 years Reagan-Bush
Dem 8 years Clinton
GOP 8 years Bush
Dem 8 years Obama
GOP 8 years (hopefully) Trump

And we didn’t see this at least possibly coming. Hmmmm.


2 posted on 11/12/2016 12:15:10 PM PST by InterceptPoint (Ted, you finally endorsed. About time.)
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To: oblomov

I’m playing with “corporate conservatism”, “conservatism for hire”, “cash conservatism”...


3 posted on 11/12/2016 12:16:18 PM PST by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat/RINO Party!)
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To: oblomov
Perhaps Podhoretz and others missed some important signals which ordinary citizens held to be important for their lives.

Trump's speech at Gettysburg may remind us of Lincoln's words:

". . . That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." - Abraham Lincoln
That Trump is not Lincoln is certain. Perhaps, after the last decade of decline in American Constitutional awareness, he is only the "bell ringer" to awaken citizens to action, as well as the politicians in both Parties who failed them and the Constitution.

If those citizens seem to come from the Taxed Enough Already movement, the Christian Evangelical movement, and even from those others who have appeared to be in an almost hypnotic state of concern about America's status, then they may come from that portion of the citizenry most likely to be trustworthy arbiters in the battle between America's founding ideas and those of so-called "progressive" politicians and their mind-controller-"we-know-better-than-you" political operatives.

Many citizens within those groups have done independent study of the founding ideas, and they know that liberty is at risk when so-called "change" agents who, like Hillary, believe in the counterfeit ideas of socialism and "progressive" erasing of America's founding ideas, are in charge of the nation's future.

Remember, Paul Revere is said to have been a "peripheral" factor in the Revolutionary War for Independence, but he was an important link in that historical event which changed the world. Revere, too was a successful business man and craftsman.

Our own LS posts on his web site:

"He designed and printed the first Continental money; made the first official seal for the colonies and the seal of Massachusetts (still used today); directed the manufacture of gunpowder in Canton; and eventually commanded a garrison at Castle William in 1779. After the Revolution, Revere’s foundry provided copper accessories and other metal items for the U.S.S. Constitution , better known as “Old Ironsides.” His Revere silver to this day remains a popular style of dinner ware, and his rolling process for sheet copper provided copper plates for Robert Fulton’s Clermont, the first steam vessel. As a businessman, patriot, artist, civic leader, husband, and father, Paul Revere has remained a legendary figure of the American Revolution."
Others had to assume their individual roles as the philosophical foundation articulators who wrote the "Declaration of Independence" and framed the "Constitution of the United States of America," and served as Presidents and Legislators and Justices under the limitations and bounds of that Constitution.

If, indeed, there is a "movement," then the "movement" must assert its will to hold its leaders to strict adherence to the Constitution.

Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall, when the wise are banished from the public councils, because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded, because they flatter the people, in order to betray them. - Justice Joseph Story

No man can suffer too much, and no man can fall too soon, if he suffer or if he fall in defense of the liberties and Constitution of his country. - Daniel Webster

Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution and to the Republic for which it stands. Miracles do not cluster and what has happened once in 6,000 years, may not happen again. Hold on to the Constitution, for if the American Constitution should fail, there will be anarchy throughout the world. - Daniel Webster

America is like a healthy body and its resistance is threefold: its patriotism, its morality, and its spiritual life. If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within. Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin

That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. - Abraham Lincoln


4 posted on 11/12/2016 12:25:56 PM PST by loveliberty2
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To: oblomov
Who could have predicted it? No one.

the many things everybody got wrong about this election

"no one" "everybody got wrong" Huh? Us Trump supporters didn't get it wrong.

By "no one" and "everybody" he means his Never Trump circle of jerk buddies, like Jonah Goldberg and Bill Kristol.

Screw you, Podhoretz. Don't go away mad, just go away.

5 posted on 11/12/2016 12:27:48 PM PST by Meet the New Boss
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To: oblomov

I’m not sure I agree with him. Tea party? Yes. Peasants with pitchforks? Yes. Deplorables? Yes. Rya, McConnell, Podhoretz? No.


6 posted on 11/12/2016 12:27:58 PM PST by major-pelham
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To: loveliberty2

I learned that by failing to obey orders and move the artillery Revere commanded, he contributed to the greatest naval defeat in American History.


7 posted on 11/12/2016 12:28:13 PM PST by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPc;WASP .... What did the raped snowflake whine?)
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To: oblomov

Who could have predicted it?

Certainly no one watching the MSM.

Certainly most of us who watched Trump rallies.

Karma.


8 posted on 11/12/2016 12:31:21 PM PST by bigbob (We have better coverage than Verizon - Can You Hear Us Now?)
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To: oblomov
It turns out the crisis is not within Republicanism, but within conservatism.

Poor John. He thinks the Republican party is conservative. Such a dolt. Trump's win does give the party a chance to change direction back towards conservatism but only time will tell. They didn't earn the moniker "The Stupid Party" without a lot of hard work by a lot of dolts like John.
9 posted on 11/12/2016 12:32:27 PM PST by Garth Tater (What's mine is mine.)
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To: oblomov

Obama has presided over the utter destruction of the Democrat Party. They hold fewer offices at all levels nationwide than ever.
Their bench is bare, the future is bleak and they have Obama and his “I won” attitude to thank for it.


10 posted on 11/12/2016 12:43:01 PM PST by Lurkinanloomin (Know Islam, No Peace - No Islam , Know Peace)
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To: oblomov
While I am glad about winning, the fact is, only 150K or so votes was the difference. We could easily have lost this, or the next, or the next one. Republicans these days can only just BARELY win.

So yeah, lets be glad we have this one, but Eternal Liberalism is just around the corner.. waiting...

11 posted on 11/12/2016 12:46:36 PM PST by Paradox ("Wishing for a tautology to enact itself is not a strategy.")
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To: oblomov

Isn’t this one of the nevertrump twits? Why should I care what he thinks? He can go join the rats he so loves.


12 posted on 11/12/2016 12:48:54 PM PST by RKBA Democrat (Nigel Farage for US Ambassador to the UN!!)
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To: oblomov; Impy; NFHale; GOPsterinMA; LS; Clintonfatigued; BillyBoy
"Who could have predicted it? No one."

Yeah. Quite a few of us, actually. Those who knew the media polls were rigged bull$hit. Trump knew it, too, otherwise he'd not have bothered to run in the first place.

13 posted on 11/12/2016 12:49:26 PM PST by fieldmarshaldj (Je Suis Pepe)
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To: oblomov

Don’t put too much confidence in the idea of a majority. There are moderate and liberal republicans that can change the call any time.

In the senate, Susan Collins from Maine, Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, Dean Heller from Nevada, Mark Kirk from Illinois, and last but not least, Lindsey Graham from South Carolina have consistently collaborated with liberal on many bills from the repeal of don’t ask, don’t tell to the Ryan budget. They are the first people the libs will go after.

In the house, I think you will be shocked at the voting records. You can find them on this website:

http://thatsmycongress.com/house/

Now how many of them survived the last election I’m not sure. But this is kinda scary. Have a majority? As Myogi said, “Things not always as seem.”

red


14 posted on 11/12/2016 12:59:25 PM PST by Redwood71
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To: Redwood71

I thought Mark Kirk (RINO-IL) lost to Duckworth (D-IL) in the Senate race. Did I miss something?


15 posted on 11/12/2016 1:14:49 PM PST by Seattle Conservative (God Bless and Protect our Troops)
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To: Garth Tater

>> It turns out the crisis is not within Republicanism, but within conservatism.

IMO, the only crisis is within the elites at the top of the party. They, just like their democrat brethren, think they know better than the peasants they rule over. They are out of touch with Jane and Joe Sixpack. They don’t know what it’s like to get up early, work a normal 40+ hour workweek, pay taxes without special loopholes created just for them, choose between skyrocketing health insurance vs. paying the tax penalty, raise kids on a shoestring, go to church, drive the carpool, vacation at a campground or maybe not at all, worry about paying to fix the leaky roof, or any of the things that normal hard-working Americans deal with every day.


16 posted on 11/12/2016 1:37:47 PM PST by generally ( Don't be stupid. We have politicians for that.)
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To: Paradox

Ending election fraud would do a lot to change that. I hope Trump makes that a high priority.


17 posted on 11/12/2016 1:38:42 PM PST by generally ( Don't be stupid. We have politicians for that.)
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To: mrsmith

Bingo. The word conservatism is now meaningless.

Conservative is now used to mean big government on nation building, big government on trade, big government on immigration, big government on infrastructure, big government on law n order.

Conservatism also means small government on all of the above. And these just touch the surface.

Are social issues now irrelevant to conservatism?

Libertarian is a word that Gary Johnson has now made meaningless.


18 posted on 11/12/2016 2:27:42 PM PST by spintreebob
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To: loveliberty2

“...the Taxed Enough Already movement...”

Great articles, LL, but the Tea Party was never about taxes alone. It was about all of the issues that the left has inflicted upon this country. The very same issues that gave rise to our 45th President.


19 posted on 11/12/2016 3:35:56 PM PST by Windflier (Pitchforks and torches ripen on the vine. Left too long, they become black rifles.)
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To: Windflier

Thanks. You are exactly right, Windflier. My use of the spelled-out version of that great movement’s identity was only meant to remind folks of the original incident which triggered another great movement on behalf of liberty over 200 years ago. We remember that “progressives” tried to blemish that name in all sorts of ways.


20 posted on 11/12/2016 3:50:50 PM PST by loveliberty2
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