The French article in a strange way says that the GOPe has overestimated the power of conservatives in the base. I still can't figure out what Rush is talking about here---for years he's been the chief voice claiming conservatives were undercounted. As best I can tell, French claims that the GOPe sees conservatives as only Bible-thumping social conservatives, but that there were more "wings" to conservatism than just that group. Well, he's right, but that seems to destroy his thesis---maybe someone can explain it to me.
The flip side is that Rush, while edging closer, refuses to get into why conservatives are not flocking to Cruz. I have said here, and continue to argue, that this involves four main points (and I do NOT agree with all/any of them necessarily, but I am trying to explain a phenomenon):
1) Cruz is a part of the establishment that has screwed things up. True, he's cordoned off in the outer cloakroom, but he's still "inside the club," and Trump isn't.
2) Cruz has ties to PACs/Goldman Sachs and the lobbyists that are a big, big problem. I personally think his level of "obligation" to such donors is the smallest of any outside of Trump . . . but it's still an issue.
3) Cruz's overt religiousity turns off a lot of conservatives who aren't "puritanesque" Christians. It's just too much. George Washington NEVER would have allowed someone to say of him that he's "ordained" to be a "king" and "reign over" the United States as Rafael Cruz did of Ted.
4) This is I think the really big one: People don't trust that Cruz can actually get something done, can actually fix things. I think most people think he'd try. But you know your Yoda: "Do, or do not. There is no try." By his own definitions, Trump has held himself to a different standard. He's the "business guy" who "gets things done" and who "makes deals" that are "good for America." There's no "I'm gonna try to do x, y, z." There's, "I'll build the wall."
Now, I don't know if Rush is having trouble with these points because it's Cruz and he IS a conservative candidate, or because he just hasn't "gotten it" yet. But the conservative litmus test of items that most Trump supporters look at has a 200-font first item, STOP THE FLOW OF ILLEGALS AND MUSLIMS. I think any or all other conservative issues are written in 12-point font, much further down the page. Another major Trump litmus test item is, "Make America Great Again." That's not a slogan. That's a deeply held desire on the part of people for a VICTORIOUS America, an America that is #1 in the world in everything again. And his unabashed nationalism, I think, more than anything else is what has the GOPe terrified, because most of them are globalists. I'm not a conspiracy nut, but there is something to the fact that they are all members of the Trilateral Commission, the CFR, and every other freak-show internationalist cabal you can name. Americans are sick of that.
Love to hear your insights if you've heard Rush struggling with this idea this week.
I keep asking Cruz supporters why is Cruz qualified to be president? Being correct on the ideology does not indicate the ability to be an executive. All Cruz's life he has worked for the govt - even when in private practice it was related to govt cases.
I ask Cruz supporters - has he ever made payroll? Cruz is a brilliant lawyer so he should stay in the Senate and make laws. Trump is conservative enough in that he loves America and her traditions enough to preserve them (conservative) and he has a track record of being a star executive. Was he always successful in business? No. Neither was Apple and Steve Jobs.
Americans want stuff done and are tired of a candidate who is ideologically driven but has zero skills in getting stuff done.
Very excellent article!!!
We were so disgusted we turned him off, sorry to say...
I heard part of what Rush said. Unable to hear it all today.
Point 1: Many of us conservatives hear non-conservatives get excited about Trump. It’s not a fake ‘centrist’ movement but genuine bipartizan excitement. Feels good, really good. Especially when foreigners also get excited about him and the Islamo-philic House of Commons gets so hopped up and angry with him. Feels extra good!
Point 2: Trump is called a ‘nationalist’ when in fact he is a ... PATRIOT. We have not had such a patriotic president since Reagan.
Point 3: Trump has more executive experience than any President since Ike. Imagine that. And a highly successful record as an executive.
Point 4: Many keep wondering how long Cruz will let Professor Laurence Tribe get away with calling him a hypocrite. I don’t wonder anymore — Cruz can’t call him out on it because it’s true. Nor can Hannity refute Tribe, nor can Glenn Beck. No one can even though we all despise Tribe. This poisons the very foundation of his candidacy.
No one should run unless he meets all major definitions of natural born status. Leaves supporters wide open and embarrassed. In that respect, Cruz failed us. He is a fine patriot. It’s unfair. But he should have owned up to the truth before running.
What makes Trump’s patriotism so remarkable is that it requires courage. Cowardly patriotism is weak, watered down. Cautious patriotism is just lukewarm. Know what I mean?
Did you hear Rush today? All week he has been struggling with explaining the conservatives gravitation to Trump. In part, I think he has missed it by first relying on the weird article by David French (NRO, always iffy), and second he hasn’t sufficiently explained the key which is, “Why are conservatives NOT, en mass, backing Cruz?”
The French article in a strange way says that the GOPe has overestimated the power of conservatives in the base. I still can’t figure out what Rush is talking about here-—for years he’s been the chief voice claiming conservatives were undercounted. As best I can tell, French claims that the GOPe sees conservatives as only Bible-thumping social conservatives, but that there were more “wings” to conservatism than just that group. Well, he’s right, but that seems to destroy his thesis-—maybe someone can explain it to me.
The flip side is that Rush, while edging closer, refuses to get into why conservatives are not flocking to Cruz. I have said here, and continue to argue, that this involves four main points (and I do NOT agree with all/any of them necessarily, but I am trying to explain a phenomenon):
1) Cruz is a part of the establishment that has screwed things up. True, he’s cordoned off in the outer cloakroom, but he’s still “inside the club,” and Trump isn’t.
2) Cruz has ties to PACs/Goldman Sachs and the lobbyists that are a big, big problem. I personally think his level of “obligation” to such donors is the smallest of any outside of Trump . . . but it’s still an issue.
3) Cruz’s overt religiousity turns off a lot of conservatives who aren’t “puritanesque” Christians. It’s just too much. George Washington NEVER would have allowed someone to say of him that he’s “ordained” to be a “king” and “reign over” the United States as Rafael Cruz did of Ted.
4) This is I think the really big one: People don’t trust that Cruz can actually get something done, can actually fix things. I think most people think he’d try. But you know your Yoda: “Do, or do not. There is no try.” By his own definitions, Trump has held himself to a different standard. He’s the “business guy” who “gets things done” and who “makes deals” that are “good for America.” There’s no “I’m gonna try to do x, y, z.” There’s, “I’ll build the wall.”
Now, I don’t know if Rush is having trouble with these points because it’s Cruz and he IS a conservative candidate, or because he just hasn’t “gotten it” yet. But the conservative litmus test of items that most Trump supporters look at has a 200-font first item, STOP THE FLOW OF ILLEGALS AND MUSLIMS. I think any or all other conservative issues are written in 12-point font, much further down the page. Another major Trump litmus test item is, “Make America Great Again.” That’s not a slogan. That’s a deeply held desire on the part of people for a VICTORIOUS America, an America that is #1 in the world in everything again. And his unabashed nationalism, I think, more than anything else is what has the GOPe terrified, because most of them are globalists. I’m not a conspiracy nut, but there is something to the fact that they are all members of the Trilateral Commission, the CFR, and every other freak-show internationalist cabal you can name. Americans are sick of that.
Love to hear your insights if you’ve heard Rush struggling with this idea this week.
______________________________
Yes, I listened to Rush today. And while you both make good points, you have over thought the Trump phenomenon.
It’s simple, people want a straight talker who can win & who can make America great again. Democrats of Obama’s ilk have gone far left, so Trump will also fit their bill. This election will not be about conservative purity, but bringing back America to a more moderate middle. Trump will win in a landslide.
Nailed it.
We are at war. And, historically, when we are at war, we never see politicians in positions of leadership.
Wars are fought and led by military men.
The primary weakness of military men, however, is they always see the problems as a military problems and the solutions as military solutions.
This war with islam is part military, part cultural, part religion, part espionage, part ____ (insert your own descriptor). Of course, we have another enemy--Liberals/Post Modernists, but they are secondary. In fact, they are appeasers of the real enemy.
Trump, as a deal maker, is accustomed to dealing with multifaceted challenges.
Our enemy cannot be sorted using the "conservative vs liberal" paradigm. It is way beyond that.
When Trump said we need to stop muslim immigration until we can figure out what the hell is going on, he demonstrated that he gets it.
We cannot win the war with islam (a war they declared against us) with only a military strategy. This is a war across many fronts.
This is a unique challenge. Trumps gets challenges.
First, you must define the challenge. Then you must define a strategy for overcoming all dimensions of the enemy challenge...not just the military facet of it.
Only one candidate gets it.
Haven’t listened to Rush, since he and Levin first started fighting CRuz’s fights, for him.
You’ve hit on all of the points - 1 through 4 - of why Trump supporters, like me, support Trump, though.
Great post. I would also add that :
1) Cruz is a senator and they make horrible presidents
2) Cruz is a lawyer and they always end up making more problems than solutions
And finally this connection to Goldman Sachs through his loans and through his wife is horrible. This company is pure evil. For the last 30 years with the exception of 2 the treasury secretaries have all come from Goldman Sachs including the various Fed governors. This connection to GS is absolutely a deal killer. GS destroys everything it gets its hands on.
Margaret Thatcher, when she realized her role would be on the national stage, took elocution lessons, trained her voice lower than the typical English middle-class matron's nasal falsetto, had her hair and her clothing redesigned so that her image would better elicit the public's acceptance of her as a leader, and to signal authority to the male leaders with whom she would have to contend and over whom she would have to predominate. In a media age, these refinements show that you're not just all about yourself; you will meet others halfway for the sake of getting things done.
How about Bob Dylan's " When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose".Sarah in her campaign speech explains that in the attempt to send conservatives to Congress we get full funding of Stupidcare and funding of Planned Parenthood. There's no big mystery. we're sick of money grubbing fricking conservative Obama boot licking scum traitors.
When I found out that Cruzty the clown's wife was a big shot in Goldman, I knew there was a problem. None of this has to rise to the level of explication of Kant's impenetrable philosophy. Regular people are sick of the phony bull crap and Trump is what you get when there's nothing left to lose. He has created the new paradigm without us knowing exactly what it is. Maybe it will be worse then the current rule by Orcs and trolls but I doubt it.
Great little opus there. Worthy of front-page vanity post.
Really great insight. Thanks. Glad I stumbled across it.
I haven’t been listening to Rush, but I agree with every point you’ve made and that’s why I’m voting for Trump.
I’m not going to be influenced by whoever chooses to endorse him and I’m not going to be swayed by whoever rips him.
If that makes you believe I can no longer consider myself a conservative then so be it.
I believe he’s our last chance to pull America out of this death spiral we’re in. If he can’t do it, then I’m willing to go down with him.
Well said LS, once again you’ve nailed all the points, as matter of fact I can’t add anything to it.
Excellent post. Many point on comments !
Please add me to your ping list if you do any other analysis on FR