The Trump Movement Isn't About Conservatism -- It's About Americanism

RushLimbaugh.com ^ | 09/02/2015 | Rush Limbaugh

[nhwingut]

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Here is Shari in Valparaiso, Indiana, as we stick with the phones here on the Rush Limbaugh program. Hi, Shari. Great to have you here.

CALLER: Hi, Rush, glad to talk to you again.

RUSH: You bet.

CALLER: I have a question for you. First of all, do you remember how people have been calling you over the months and they've been all depressed about the country and upset with the direction we're going and saying that, you know, they think America is over and stuff like that? And you said to them that you didn't know what was gonna happen, but you're an optimist, and you didn't know what would happen, but you thought something would happen to pull us back from the brink. Well, my question is, do you think that Trump was what you were waiting for?



RUSH: Well, no. I'm answering your question specifically. I mean, I didn't know what the event would be. All I knew is that something was likely to happen that would reinvigorate people, or that would illustrate to them that all isn't lost, or that they're not in a minority in terms of the way they're thinking about the country. In other words, something would happen to make everybody realize we haven't lost the country yet, there's still a good chance here of saving it. Now, I didn't anticipate, I didn't know what it would be. I had no idea. If anything, I was thinking more along the lines that something would happen that would expose Obama as a giant, total fraud.

[Mollypitcher1]

“Do-er” or not Trump is popular-du-jour because he is a “say- er”

He is saying what some of you want to hear

Not much different from Mr Hope and Change
........................................................
Not much different? Trump has the proof and credentials. He is an American Success Story and did it on his own. Obama never even ran a lemonade stand. He was bought and paid for to bring America down by the likes of George Soros and every other hater of merica.

[bray]

The FR Sanhedrin are not pleased with Trump or his supporters. They believe calling supporter names is going to convert them.

Pray America is waking

[bray]

Exactly, are they going to sign a loyalty agreement if Trump wins?

[nathanbedford]

Some time ago before Donald Trump entered the race some of us were calling for a populist campaign arguing that a candidate that tied jobs to trade and immigration could win this election and win elections for conservative/Republican's for a generation to come.

Donald Trump has clearly taken this path and the success of his campaign so far confirms our initial analysis and our exhortation to the party. At the time I recall defending this position against charges that modifying our trade deals to reflect a more mercantilist approach was not contrary to conservatism because it was purely conservative to use government to undo the harm caused by big government.

Some style the route Donald Trump has taken to be a populist revolt against the Republican establishment or, more accurately, against a uni-party of establishment Republicans and Democrats. Evidently, Rush Limbaugh is styling Donald Trump's campaign as "Americanism."

Labels are extraordinarily powerful things. Once you can affix your own label to an issue you have effectively won the debate. Who can argue against "Americanism?" It is important for conservatives who have so often been the victims of the language police and victims of labeling done to us by leftists that we do not simply get swept away with language.

Because Donald Trump inveighs against the "stupidity" of our government does not mean that he is contemplating conservative solutions. I don't think Obama's negotiators are stupid, for example, in their negotiations with Iran, I think they quite knowingly sold the country out in order to get any deal. The problem with the Obama administration is not stupidity but ideology. What sort of ideology does Donald Trump offer us?

"Americanism" is a necessary but insufficient description of what we need from a president who, before Obama, was presumed to have the best interests of the country at heart. What does Americanism mean in the context of trade negotiations? How do we know that a mercantilist approach will not pitch the world into a disastrous trade war? How do we know that Donald Trump who has been described as a bull who carries around his own china shop will have the finesse to improve our trade balance but not precipitate a trade war? Is it enough that he he loves America?

Is it enough that Donald Trump hates the Republican establishment? Yes we know that it was the Republican establishment in league with Clinton and now in league with Obama enabled the latter to proceed with TPP, that has favored big business in our trade deals and sold out the middle class and jobs. But to hate that is not a solution. To say that they will negotiate smart is not a solution because the problem is that invariably in these trade deals, going back to the administration of George Washington when the colonies of the North East squabbled and nearly went to war with the colonies of the South about tariffs, some interest will be favored and some will be injured.

What is the "American" position on supporting sugarcane interest in Florida, international banks for Boeing, IT transfers of work to India, importation of cheap televisions from China and telephones from Korea? Who gets hurt and who gets helped? Are we to help manufacturers, then are we not hurting consumers? It is not so easy that we can simply say our negotiators are stupid and Donald Trump will find the smartest negotiators. That is so simplistic that the argument is pathetic. Populism by definition is popular, but is it prudent?

So far, we have permitted our understandable frustration with the ruling elite to lead us to a populist reaction and that can be very good. But it will not be good if we throw away our conservative principles in a self righteous urge for change or if we cease to use our critical faculties to weigh the virtues, or the lack of them, of our candidates.

"Make America great again" what a great sentiment, what a great slogan, a great label, what does it mean?

[ichabod1]

I say NO! A Thousand Times NO!

[Jim Noble]

Making America Great Again is really covert for Taking Back America

Yes, you are correct. Marco Rubio was bold to try calling Trump out on this - "Are you saying America isn't great now (because of the flood of Mexicans)?"

The problem Rubio and Busheron have is that they have surrendered before we've lost the war.

Trump's message is "it's not too late".

[Mollypitcher1]

Bennett objects to Trump’s lack of signing the loyalty agreement with the RNC.
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In my opinion, Trump should Not sign the loyalty agreement, because if he does, he is giving the RNC a weapon against him they do not now have. As long as he doesn’t sign, if the RNC tries to declare Bush or Rubio the winner, he can fight with the voice of the American people behind him. If he signs, they have eliminated him and can do as they please. DO NOT TRUST the RNC.

[Jim Noble]

I don’t even like him much personally, and his theology is atrocious. But dang it, he FIGHTS

A Senator came calling on Lincoln, appalled that he had promoted Grant.

"Mr. President, the man is an alcoholic, and I can prove it!"

Lincoln answered, "Tell me what he drinks, so I can send a case to my other generals".

[ichabod1]

“I appealed to Lincoln for his own sake to remove Grant at once, and, in giving my reasons for it, I simply voiced the admittedly overwhelming protest from the loyal people of the land against Grant’s continuance in command. I could form no judgment during the conversation as to what effect my arguments had upon him beyond the fact that he was greatly distressed at this new complication. When I had said everything that could be said from my standpoint, we lapsed into silence. Lincoln remained silent for what seemed a very long time. He then gathered himself up in his chair and said in a tone of earnestness that I shall never forget: ‘I can’t spare this man; he fights.’” - Andrew McClure

[Jim Noble]

Labels are extraordinarily powerful things

The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names.

[CSM]

“The Trump Movement Isn’t About Conservatism — It’s About Americanism”

Gee, what could go wrong with a leader that is pushing strong Nationalism with a streak of Socialism.....

But hey, he will be ours, so that makes it OK.

[Servant of the Cross]

Love, love, love ... this thread!

There is no "Trump is our ONLY savior" ... nor any "Trump is a Soros plant" going on.

There are multiple posts which state clearly, logically and convincingly why ... at least until Ted Cruz starts building his own momentum and larger following, or Trump steps aside to "hire" Cruz as his guy for POTUS ... taking the risk on a Trump candidacy is acceptable to a conservative in 2016. This is the 80% who are acting logically not emotionally.

IMHO

[dfwgator]

Gee, what could go wrong with a leader that is pushing strong Nationalism with a streak of Socialism.....

You lose.

[KGeorge]

(I’m not singling you out, Anitius. I’m only replying to you because you;re the first to express this- yet again.)

Your post- & the many like it, reminds me of the Scripture ‘’those who have ears. let them hear…because hearing, they do not hear & seeing, they do not see’’.

Y’all acknowledge that Trump is saying what needs to be said- & most of us know that, if elected, Trump WILL DO everything in his power (which is a lot, btw- & i don’t mean ‘’pen & a phone’’, like 0bama)…
And yet you turn right around & say that you will cast your vote for a man who not only will not say the kinds of things Trump says, but has actually *done the opposite* of what both Trump says *& what [your candidate] has himself said*.
It comes out of *your own mouths* & yet you don’t follow it.

I am going back to lurk now- & eventually, not even that. This is sickening & it hurts my relationship with the Lord (of course, it is NOT Him, but I am barely praying & haven’t been to church in weeks, now. I know you don’t mean to, but you discredit the Word of God.) to see people who profess to be Christians engaging in such behavior.

[ichabod1]

But you know that unfair trade is not free trade, and the trade system has been warped beyond recognition by pols currying favor here and abroad, resulting in the loss of the American middle class. We can NEVER compete against slave labor (harrumph China). We HAVE to have protection, and we can argue why the free trade process is not working, but we have to have protection to get jobs back.

[CSM]

Yeah, cuz he is not pushing Nationalism and hasn’t donated to Bloomberg’s gun grabbers...

Oh, wait...

[ichabod1]

Great minds think alike

[ichabod1]

When did NAtionalism become a dirty word? It’s the antidote to Globalism. I like it.

[nathanbedford]

Yes agreed, that is why we were pushing for trade and immigration reform but we must acknowledge that these reforms come at a cost.

The elites spend so much money buying Congress because there is so much money at stake and they will not cease buying Congress just because a real conservative or a charismatic character like Donald Trump is in the Oval Office.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

You are what I am terming a binary voter. Your behavior borders on insane.

If you support Trump, then the way you behave is this:

Trump is in the ‘on’ position, therefore nothing he says or does can be criticized by me or I am not supporting him. When someone says or does anything that does not support Trump 100%, then they are his enemy.

Since Trump is in the ‘on’ position, then all other candidates are in the ‘off’ position. Therefore, I can say or do nothing that is supportive of other candidates. Anyone who says or does anything that is supportive of other candidates are my candidate’s enemy.

---

So let me clarify this for you. I do not support Trump in his views on the second amendment. I do not support Trump in some of his views on taxes. I do not support Trump on some of his trade issues. I do not think Trump will be as effective in some areas that I do agree with him as Ted Cruz would be.

I do support Trumps views of immigration. I do support Trumps destruction of the media and the political elite.

Those areas of support do not mean he has my support in the primaries. I support and agree with Ted Cruz on more issues and have more faith in his ability to advance the conservative agenda.

I can support different aspects of different candidates and yet still support the candidate of my choice. I have free will and I will exercise it using the intelligence and discernment that the Lord has given me.

I will not be talked down to from a moralistic simpleton who using his flawed understanding of scripture to denigrate and bludgeon people who disagree with him.

For you to attack me for “discredit(ing) the Word of God” is a huge affront to me.