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Against Trump [National Review's Manifesto]
National Review ^ | 1/22/16 | The Editors

Posted on 01/21/2016 7:27:45 PM PST by TBBT

Donald Trump leads the polls nationally and in most states in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. There are understandable reasons for his eminence, and he has shown impressive gut-level skill as a campaigner. But he is not deserving of conservative support in the caucuses and primaries. Trump is a philosophically unmoored political opportunist who would trash the broad conservative ideological consensus within the GOP in favor of a free-floating populism with strong-man overtones. Trump's political opinions have wobbled all over the lot. The real-estate mogul and reality-TV star has supported abortion, gun control, single-payer health care à la Canada, and punitive taxes on the wealthy. (He and Bernie Sanders have shared more than funky outer-borough accents.) Since declaring his candidacy he has taken a more conservative line, yet there are great gaping holes in it.

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


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: New York
KEYWORDS: cnsrvtvtreehouse; demagogicparty; erickerickson; establishmentspeaks; glennbeck; marklevin; megynkelly; memebuilding; nationalreview; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; pinkstain; pinkstate; politico; redstate; redstategathering; rogerailes; sundance; trump
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To: catnipman

Great post. I agree.


61 posted on 01/21/2016 8:33:05 PM PST by mmichaels1970
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To: catnipman

My impression is NRO just DESTROYED Cruz’s chance of being elected POTUS ever!! They underestimate how mad we are. This isn’t like other elections. It’s Trump or burn it down. I would rather rebuild than put up with this kind of BS.


62 posted on 01/21/2016 8:33:40 PM PST by LuvFreeRepublic
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To: WilliamIII

As a FR Putinista, probable Trump supporter?, I’m not surprised you don’t want these facts out there.


63 posted on 01/21/2016 8:34:07 PM PST by ETL (Ted Cruz 2016!! -- For a better, safer America)
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To: NRx
If he gets the nomination I will vote third party or stay home.

I'll alert the media...

64 posted on 01/21/2016 8:34:25 PM PST by Flycatcher (God speaks to us, through the supernal lightness of birds, in a special type of poetry.)
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To: JmyBryan

One things for sure, if Trump wins an election and secures the southern border, we will finally know for certain that he’s not a conservative.


65 posted on 01/21/2016 8:35:03 PM PST by The Toll
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To: mmichaels1970
The problem they have is the more they attack [Trump], the more supporters dig in.

That's something they have never experienced before. In the past, the GOPe establishment were usually able to easily destroy the candidacy of anybody they did not want to admit to the club.

The ease in which Trump easily dispensed with them gives me hope that he can do great things once elected.

Any yes, the more they attack him, the more his supporters dig in.

66 posted on 01/21/2016 8:35:13 PM PST by SamAdams76
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To: libbylu
Go fetch a camel, libby.
67 posted on 01/21/2016 8:36:32 PM PST by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: ETL

I’m surprised your still here. With all of your constant ravings I was sure the Soviets under your bed would have gotten you by now.


68 posted on 01/21/2016 8:37:55 PM PST by The Toll
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To: The Toll

Your = you’re (darn you kindle)


69 posted on 01/21/2016 8:39:27 PM PST by The Toll
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To: The Toll

You can’t even spell your own name correctly. You left out the R.


70 posted on 01/21/2016 8:40:07 PM PST by ETL (Ted Cruz 2016!! -- For a better, safer America)
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To: JmyBryan

“I don’t trust the socialists.”

See that is where we differ. I do not see any difference between Trump and the dem socialists because Trump has previously supported ‘assault’ gun bans (as recently as 2013), still supports socialistic healthcare (aka single payer) as recently as 2015, supported TARP bailouts, currently supports Planned Parenthood tax funding, among many other liberal agendas. Trump spent tons of money supporting the Clintons, the pro-gay agenda, and anti-gun candidates (McAuliffe).

That is Trump’s documented record. He now claims to be “pro-American”, but that is nothing more than his current rhetoric, while applying for a job. Nothing in his past supports that assertion since he did support the liberal agendas. I agree that Trump’s non-PC brashness is refreshing, but his current talk does NOT negate years of him supporting traitorous policies.

I don’t trust him or take him at his word and it is sad that too many people on FR refuse to even vet him as long as he says the right things now. Regardless, he is a liberal, based on his ACTIONS, regardless of whether you support him or not.


71 posted on 01/21/2016 8:40:59 PM PST by TXDuke
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To: TBBT

According to Trumpite logic, I guess Thomas Sowell and Dana Loesch aren’t real conservatives...


72 posted on 01/21/2016 8:42:59 PM PST by ConservativeTeen (Proud Right Wing Extremist)
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To: TBBT
... who would trash the broad conservative ideological consensus

With all due respect to the 'broad conservative ideological consensus", the argument against Trump is no stronger than the argument that we may not have time for this wonderful consensus to cure the patient.

But to call either of those arguments stupid ... is not what a thinking man would do. There is good reason to be skeptical of Trump, and there is good reason to think that the purists will be too late when and if they actually get any power.

Purity can't make a dead man walk, or a ruined Rome rise again.

73 posted on 01/21/2016 8:43:25 PM PST by tinyowl (A equals A, And C Edmund Wright thinks I am an idiot and a Trump Sycophant)
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To: catnipman
Oh, well, I'd like to be clear here - I think that Trump will be a deal maker on capitol hill, he'll likely advance many pieces of legislation I absolutely abhor. I don't live in a fantasy world, I live in reality.

I'd guestimate that maybe one or two things Trump has promised so far on the campaign trail would actually come to be.

Personally, I could care less about it. I mean, I care, but with President Cruz it'll be a ‘reluctant hard fought compromise’ or with President H. Clinton it'll be ‘finally getting Republicans to face reality’ or with President Sanders it'll be ‘Look, I tried, but this is only as far as they'd go...’

To me, the most important facet of this election is the 10,000 appointed and executive filled jobs in the federal government. It will be the refreshing change that the Speaker's third cousin isn't put in charge of some department or another, and absolutely immune to any repercussions of doing his job horribly.

Yes, I think Cruz would appoint better judges; I also think they'll get sunk in the senate by his own party.

I want Washintonians to be running in fear. Because if they think a single term of Trump is bad (and no, I really don't expect him to run for a second if he wins) wait until they get a load of the next one down the pipe.

At the end of the day, I think Trump has the possibility for tremendous coattails across the country. But even better, he'll be laying the red carpet for others who are sick and tired of career politicians running things to get off their duffs and put their money where their mouth is.

74 posted on 01/21/2016 8:43:42 PM PST by kingu (Everything starts with slashing the size and scope of the federal government.)
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To: ETL

When they finally throw you in the Gulag, we will start a hashtag campaign for you.


75 posted on 01/21/2016 8:44:14 PM PST by The Toll
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To: TBBT

The self appointed Politburo of Conservative Correctness has given it’s ideological guidance. Now us unwashed proles better get with the program!


76 posted on 01/21/2016 8:44:42 PM PST by Hugin ("First thing--get yourself a firearm!" Sheriff Ed Galt, Last Man Standing.)
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To: catnipman; All

Hitting Twitter. If true, LOL, Hope NRO goes down.

Jack Fowler ‏@jackfowler 7m7 minutes ago
Just got a call from top GOP official. @NRO disivinited from Houston debate on Feb. 25th becasue of #AgainstTrump. http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/430166/houston-we-have-problem …


77 posted on 01/21/2016 8:45:30 PM PST by LuvFreeRepublic
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To: TBBT

I'm sure the National Review issue will make a dramatic and compelling case against Trump.

My response:

We just don't trust you people anymore.

78 posted on 01/21/2016 8:46:28 PM PST by IDontLikeToPayTaxes
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To: JmyBryan

“Trump is not a conservative. He is popular because he has impressed people with what he has said”

You admit Trump is not conservative, but just says the right things. This is not a popularity contest. Since when did conservatives trade their principles for popularity?? Even if we win with a liberal, conservatives still lose!

What is the difference of voting for a liberal Trump that says “We Will Make America Great” and voting for a liberal Obama that says “We will restore hope and change for America”? Both have catchy slogans, both are popular, both are liberals, and both will govern from the left base on their historical records.


79 posted on 01/21/2016 8:46:37 PM PST by TXDuke
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To: TBBT

Is this thread going to get censored too? The better-formatted one already was pulled. It destroys Trump and any pretense he has to ever appealing to conservatives. Trump supporters will never overcome it.

It’s getting scary here how openly hostile to conservatism FR has become. A light bulb came on for me when I realized this was a populist website, not a conservative one. That explains a LOT over the years. Anyone know of a good conservative forum? I’ve been here from the beginning (literally), but never felt at home, and finally understand why. Please PM me with suggestions...


80 posted on 01/21/2016 8:49:35 PM PST by Another Post-American (Jesus died for your sins.)
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