Posted on 01/22/2016 7:20:11 AM PST by TBBT
The National Review, the very legacy of William F. Buckley, has put out two hard-hitting pieces regarding the candidacy and possible nomination of Donald J. Trump as the Republican choice for president. While neither piece is going to be very persuasive to the crowd of Trump bandwagoners both among the populace and the media, they are nonetheless a line in the sand regarding unprincipled Republicanism and Conservatism. It is a line where many of us on the Right will make our stand, not because we are part of some great Establishment or RINOs, but because we believe in what we stand for.
In the movie "The Dark Knight Rises," the villain, Bane, tells Batman that he merely adopted the Darkness, while Bane himself was born in it. This holds true for Trump, who has adopted the mantle of conservatism while many of us have been fighting under it for years, if not our whole lives. We have, time and again, fought for what we believe in, pushed candidates who hold the beliefs we do, vetted for them, and even when we lost, we felt accomplished for having done the right thing.
The campaign of Donald J. Trump is a leviathan that needs to be eradicated. It is a nomination that cannot and should not happen, if we are to hold ourselves up as any sort of conservative. We have every right to be angry with Washington D.C., and every right to demand secured borders, but we are not guaranteed that from a man who negotiates his way into power in the business world. Negotiation involves compromise, and soon enough, many of his supporters may come to realize his positions on a wall, freezing Muslim immigration, and competing against China are not final positions, but starting ones.
(Excerpt) Read more at redstate.com ...
That's true of any candidate in any election (except liberals of course). The trick is to at least be on the right side of things when you get elected and have to get down to the business of getting deals passed.
Yeah, All I have to do is look at the cover with Romney pictured on it.
Conservative? No Establishment? Yes
A lot of Trump supporters are single issue voters - immigration. And since he's the loudest on that, even if he's not really more conservative than some of the others, that's enough.
The rest, and there's overlap, simply want to detonate everything, and I don't think they're all that concerned about what comes after.
So pointing out his liberal positions is kind of irrelevant at this point. Unfortunately, in my view.
Your rhetoric will lose Cruz voters he would need to win if he became the nominee.
The name calling never stops with you.
>>>Infuriating that in a year when the Presidency is there for the taking by a real conservative, Trump is going to take the nomination<<<
I’m a Cruz guy first, but if Trump wasn’t in the picture, the only so called “conservative” that would be in the lead would be JEB!. Rubio would be number two and Cruz next.
Even die hard Trump haters know that. It would be JEB! 24/7.
As far as Trump supporters having an open mind, it appears to me that more Trump supporters here would Vote for Cruz in the General Election than Cruz supporters here would Vote for Trump.
Just my observation, but I’m positive that’s the case.
Very well said FW, I concur. There is only so many ways one can blame the failure on that which they had some control over.
... Infuriating that in a year when the Presidency is there for the taking by a real conservative, Trump is going to take the nomination. I think at the very least, I think Trump supporters should have an open-enough mind to read this NR collection.
I would love to know. The most I have read is “the wall” which is ridiculous since despite DT lying about it Cruz has always been for and ran in 2012 senate that he was pro-wall.
Trumpees do not read anything unless they know it is pro donnie. They defend all donnie, repeat his lies as truth and love it when donnie communicates like bambi, trying to destroy anyone who does not kiss his butt. Wanna bet the dems are holding their fire to use on him if we gets the nomination?
If you figure out why please let me know. There is no logic in it and nothing conservative about it. They have blind allegiance to him no matter what he has said or done in the past yesterday or today. I have never seen anything like it. I used to think only liberals drank the koolaid.
Take heart, voting has not started yet.
I agree. Can’t sway with logic people driven by emotion.
I, also, prefer a conservative; and just if, how or when Trump is conservative will be known only after he is elected. This is also true of others running, regardless of what they say now. It will be known by their policies, and if/how they are carried out. The road to conservatism is already littered by betrayal, disappointment, and hollow promises for us who are true believers.
The great difference this time is that we have run out of time. Another Liberal in the White House will finish America, as we have known it. With Trump we will have a mixed bag, but he is our best last chance to prevent that.
Donald Trump has become, For the time being, the name of the movement and Party without a name, that has been taking form and life over the last ten years or more. Before Trump it was a movement;maligned,ridiculed and misunderstood by the elites of both Parties, but especially The Republican Party. Incredibly, they didn’t see that this was the broadly based coalition of; new voters, blue collar ex Dems, disaffected black voters, and yes even their FORMER base of Evangelical,Tea Party fiscals, and defense conservatives they had been dreaming of. It was there for them.
Instead of reaching out with a warm hello, and you all come in and make yourselves comfortable; they pulled back into their shells fearing for their power and control, ridiculing and rejecting their greatest opportunity for massive growth in 100 years.
Now this Movement that wants to restore America and it’s Constitution is no longer an undefined something moving in the mist out their. It is self aware and has an identity as one of the strongest and growing Movements in American history.
For now the Movement without a name has become a Party without a name, and our destiny and Country is in God’s hands. May He lead us to choose wisely and give the strength for battle.
Thanks. I believe you have made the best case possible for Trump. I still don’t agree, but at least your argument makes some sense.
Remember, though, Mr. Buckley himself said â I support the conservative candidate, who can WINâ.
Buckley actually said his support would go to, "the rightwardmost viable candidate".
Today, that would be the most conservative viable candidate.
Thank you for saying it so I didn’t have to.
I don't know that this is anything new for him. I remember him pushing his father's book(s) on air too.
Of the 22 “Conservatives” that signed on to the NRO Stop Trump tirade....
1. How many of them said to NOT go into Iraq?
2. How many of them made a statement “regretting” the Iraq Invasion?
3. How many of them signed a Statement asking for Mitch Mcconnell’s resignation?
4. How many of them asked Mitt Romeny to renounce Romney Care or face a similar statement stating that Republicans and conservatives NOT support Romney 10 days before the primaries?
5. How many of them called for an indictment of Hillary Clinton or resignation of the heads of the Republican Party?
6. After the Tea Party rallies of 2010, how many of them organized “protests” (like the left does) in FRONT of U.S. Capital to protest Congress, the President, The U.S. Federal Reserve?
7. How many of them......
You see, it must be nice to sit in the comfort of your studio, desk, cubicles of your DC offices, and write of the virtues of being a true “Conservative”!
It’s different when you put “Your” own reputation, your own money, your own financial empire built over a lifetime at risk, your own personal safety, your own family’s personal lives and reputations, your own....you get the picture! I don’t think ANYONE (even Trump supporters) think that Trump is 100% “Conservative”! even if he’s 50% “Conservative” AND can WIN is what we’re facing! There will be NO United States of America in 50 years if the ship is not straighten out! BTW- I say this as a Cruz & Trump supporter....
LOL! He fired two others and kept Geraldo on his reality show. Showed how bad his judgment is right there. And this is the kind of SOS discernment they want in the White House? Already got it. No thanks.
Trump was already an executive of multi billion dollar enterprise for 40 years before the TV show. But nice deflection. What is Cruz’s bonafides for being an executive?
That’s great!
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