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A Response to My Conservative Critics About Trump
Townhall.com ^ | June 6, 2017 | Dennis Prager

Posted on 06/06/2017 4:34:31 AM PDT by Kaslin

Writers never know when something they write will strike a nerve -- or, in the common phrase of the internet, "go viral."

Yet my last column, "Why Conservatives Still Attack Trump" did both. Aside from being reprinted on almost every conservative website, Newsweek published the column, and The New York Times quoted it.

More importantly, many major conservative writers responded to it, mostly in disagreement.

It is interesting that the column elicited so much attention. Maybe, like the man who bit the dog, an articulate case by a mainstream conservative in support of the president is so rare that people felt a need to publish it and respond to it.

Whatever the reason, I feel compelled to respond to some of the disagreements.

Before doing so, I want to note the respectful tone that permeated virtually every one of the disagreeing columns. We have enough cannibals on the left without conservatives eating each other up.

After reading the responses, I feel confident in saying that they confirmed my primary thesis: Anti-Trump conservatives do not believe that Americans are fighting what I call the Second Civil War, while pro-Trump conservatives do.

Indeed, Jonah Goldberg in National Review said as much. He denied that we are in the midst of a civil war on two grounds: One is that it is not violent, and the other is that we are fighting a "culture war," not a civil war.

Whenever I write about the subject, I almost always note that this Second Civil War is not violent. I never thought that the word "war" must always include violence. The word is frequently used in nonviolent contexts: the war against cancer, the war between the sexes, the war against tobacco, the Cold War and myriad other nonviolent wars.

Perhaps Goldberg would respond that he did not write that all wars are violent, only that all civil wars are violent. But if there are nonviolent wars, there can be nonviolent civil wars.

Nevertheless, what most disturbs me is his second argument -- articulated in various ways by most of those who disagreed with me -- that there is simply no civil war. And many repeated the universal belief among Never-Trumpers that a Hillary Clinton victory would not have been a catastrophe.

My response is that "culture war" is much too tepid a term for what is going on now. Maybe anti-Trump conservatives are fighting a "culture war," but the left is not. The left is working to undo the American Revolution. It's very close to doing so.

Of all people, one would think Jonah Goldberg would understand this. He is the author of what I consider to be a modern classic, "Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, from Mussolini to the Politics of Change."

His book leads to one conclusion: We are fighting fascism. How is that not a civil war? When you fight fascism, you are not merely fighting a "culture war."

So, shouldn't the primary role of a conservative be to vanquish leftism? To me, that means strongly supporting the Republican president of the United States, who has staffed his Cabinet with conservatives and already won substantial conservative victories. As I suggested in my previous column, conservatives would have been thrilled if any Republican president had achieved what Trump has at this point in his administration.

"But what about Trump's character?" nearly all my critics ask. Or, as John Podhoretz, editor of Commentary Magazine, tweeted, "For Dennis Prager, who spent 40 years advocating for a moral frame for American politics, to argue as he argued today is, may I say, ironic."

First, I have indeed dedicated much of my life to advocating for morality -- for ethical monotheism as the only way to achieve a moral world; for raising moral children (as opposed to concentrating, for example, on raising "brilliant" children); and for the uniquely great Judeo-Christian moral synthesis developed by the Founding Fathers of America.

But I have never advocated for electing moral politicians. Of course, I prefer people of good character in political office. But 30 years ago, I wrote an essay titled "Adultery and Politicians" in which I argued that what political leaders do is more important than their character. To cite but one of an endless list of examples, I would prefer an adulterous president (like John F. Kennedy) who supported Israel than a faithful family man (like Jimmy Carter) who was an anti-Zionist.

Second, as a religious Jew, I learned from the Bible that God himself chose morally compromised individuals -- like King David, who had a man killed in order to cover up the adultery he committed with the man's wife; and the prostitute Rahab, who was instrumental in helping the Jews conquer Canaan -- to accomplish some greater good. (And, for the record, I am not suggesting that God chose Donald Trump.)

Third, though I listed his moral defects in column after column during the primaries, I believe that Trump is a better man than his critics maintain. I see no evidence, to cite one example, that he is a misogynist. His comment about famous and powerful men being able to do what they want with women was a) said in private -- and we are fools if we assess people by their private comments (Harry Truman, a great president, frequently used "kike" in private comments about Jews), b) not a statement about anything he had actually done, c) not misogynistic and d) often true.

Fourth, even if he were as morally defective as his critics maintain, my response is this: Trump's character is less morally significant than defeating the left. If the left wins, America loses. And if America loses, evil will engulf the world.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: presidenttrump
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1 posted on 06/06/2017 4:34:31 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Jonah is the enemy.

Jonah is faux American


2 posted on 06/06/2017 4:38:49 AM PDT by bert (K.E.; N.P.; GOPc;WASP .... The Fourth Estate is the Fifth Column)
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To: bert

He is blind, and so is every #never Trumper.


3 posted on 06/06/2017 4:43:26 AM PDT by Kaslin ( The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triump. Thomas Paine)
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To: bert

I agree. Jonah is a complete enigma to me. His book “Liberal Fascism” is a great explanation of the nature of our enemy: Fascism/Progressivism. Jonah clearly “gets it”.

And yet Jonah was always reluctant to attack Obama, hates Trump, and is not actively opposed to the pro-Hillary people. He might occasionally talk a good game, but he surrendered to the enemy long ago.


4 posted on 06/06/2017 4:46:21 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (Abortion is what slavery was: immoral but not illegal. Not yet.)
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To: Kaslin

Trump may not be perfect but at least he discerns reality. He is most bitterly opposed by the politically correct delusional Left. They will not or cannot admit that at the core of jihadist terrorism is Islam. The 9/11 terrorists, the barbaric jihadists and over three thousand documented suicide bombers were all motivated by Islam and went to their deaths and murdered believing they would be rewarded with some sort of pleasant afterlife. The Left thinks they can use these lunatics to destroy Western culture and capitalism. The West faces an existential crisis. It is under assault from the bizarre within and alien barbarians. Throughout history the generals and leaders who won the critical battles had flaws and personalities that may have been even repulsive. But in the final analysis they were remembered for their accomplishments. The Left must be defeated for the West to survive. Trump now commands and despite his flaws must have the support of decent people.


5 posted on 06/06/2017 4:46:36 AM PDT by allendale (.)
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To: Kaslin

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” Ronald Reagan


6 posted on 06/06/2017 4:49:10 AM PDT by McBuff
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To: Kaslin
Very well done, Mr. Prager.

A cultural revolution

7 posted on 06/06/2017 4:49:32 AM PDT by arthurus
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To: allendale

Trump, whatever one thinks of his true relationship with Conservatism, or his elegance of speech, is the only man to have been running for President who is capable and possibly willing to do what is necessary to bring America back from the abyss. I think there is only a small chance he will do those things that must be done but no one else among those who ran or might have run is either capable or understands.


8 posted on 06/06/2017 4:54:22 AM PDT by arthurus
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To: bert

More and more it is evident to me that those like Jonah Goldberg and Bill Kristol were covert liberals and were never conservatives.


9 posted on 06/06/2017 4:58:36 AM PDT by xzins (Retired US Army chaplain. Those who truly support our troops pray for their victory.)
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To: Kaslin

I like Dennis Prager but you’d never know from reading this he’s had 3 or 4 wives. How Trumpian!

These guys just can’t believe a man who talks like a truck driver and kind of looks like one too, is president. It offends their delicate sensibilities even though neither of them is a Rose of Sharon. Personally, I don’t think Jonah looks like he bathes much.

And we are in a Civil War and it is violent as well. Do any of these guys watch Tucker?


10 posted on 06/06/2017 5:00:44 AM PDT by miss marmelstein
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To: Kaslin

Most conservative republicans who oppose Trump are not conservative at all. Naming a few will prove the point, Jeb Bush, McCain, Myth Romney, George Bush, Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnel, Glen Beck, I think it proves the point


11 posted on 06/06/2017 5:02:54 AM PDT by stockpirate (SETH RICH gave the emails to wkikileaks, murdered he was, cover up it is)
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To: xzins

Like Krauthammer they came from a liberal tradition and now in middle to old age, all 3 are falling back into it. For some reason, they thought Hillary represented their interests much better than Trump.


12 posted on 06/06/2017 5:04:18 AM PDT by miss marmelstein
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To: Kaslin

These people have been exposed as elite by President Trump.We owe President Trump a debt of gratitude for that and much more.


13 posted on 06/06/2017 5:05:05 AM PDT by HANG THE EXPENSE (Life's tough.It's tougher when you're stupid.)
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To: xzins

I remember back in ‘98 that Jonah spoke at our after March For Justice pizza party. I don’t remember what he said but I recall it was a conservative stem winder.


14 posted on 06/06/2017 5:05:17 AM PDT by bert (K.E.; N.P.; GOPc;WASP .... The Fourth Estate is the Fifth Column)
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To: Kaslin
I'm surprised Dennis Prager presented this whole discussion in the context of a "cultural" civil war.

That's certainly part of the problem here, but in a political context that wasn't really the defining difference between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. The real basis of their distinction was one of nationalism vs. globalism.

You didn't see Trump make a big deal about social/cultural issues during the election, probably because he could only win the election with support among large numbers of Americans who have already surrendered most of the cultural war already.

15 posted on 06/06/2017 5:05:34 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris." -- President Trump, 6/1/2017)
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To: Kaslin

Goldberg is a coward. It is easier to bash Trump politically than support him.


16 posted on 06/06/2017 5:09:34 AM PDT by bray (Pray for President Trump)
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To: Kaslin
I thought his first column was offensive because it excused the stupidity, and moral vapidity of the nevertrumpers. It was written with the same naivete as the moderate wing of the GOP.

This one is better, although he still kind of excuses them.

At this point, there is no excuse for their obtuse stupidity, and they need to be told that with no prevarication.

17 posted on 06/06/2017 5:12:20 AM PDT by Lakeshark (Trump. He stands for the great issues of the day. Stay the course!)
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To: Kaslin
Jonah is only one of many NR "Never-Trump" writers - but oddly enough they never seem to respond (or respond well) to the NR contributors with a more sober view of Trump, like Conrad Black or VDH.

Trump surely isn't Reagan, but he's no John Kerry either.
He's pro-RKBA and pro-life - those two alone should enable them to dispense a little grace, but he's also put together an exemplary cabinet.
He still ticks me off from time to time, but he's far, far better than what we could have had.

In the immortal words of Sgt Hulka: "Lighten up, Francis"

18 posted on 06/06/2017 5:12:53 AM PDT by Psalm 73 ("Gentlemen, you can't fight in here - this is the War Room".)
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To: Kaslin

Dennis why bother answering a piss ant like Goldberg? He is really of no consequence in the everyday lives of real Americans.


19 posted on 06/06/2017 5:13:46 AM PDT by jmaroneps37 (Conservatism is truth. Liberalism is lies.)
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To: xzins
Stockholm Syndrome Republicans at best.

They've become like the useless salt thrown under horses......

20 posted on 06/06/2017 5:14:26 AM PDT by Lakeshark (Trump. He stands for the great issues of the day. Stay the course!)
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