Posted on 01/23/2016 10:09:25 AM PST by TBBT
My colleague Ben Domenech was one of the many smart conservative and libertarians writers who took part in National Review's symposium on Trump. He, like many of the others, offered a measured piece, rationally pointing out the multitude of reasons Donald Trump is neither conservative, principled, nor equipped to be the president. I hope it'll matter.
I did notice, though, as I read through the pieces that I felt far less charitable than most of the writers towards Trump's supporters--perhaps the most sensitive constituency to ever appear in American politics.
Trumpism is an ideology that judges all things on how they interact with Donald Trump. As a result, it is completely disconnected from any cogent philosophy or moral worldview. And though Trump's fans characterize anyone who notes that the word clouds coming out of the candidate's mouth are incoherent platitude-infused puffs of gibberish as snobby, monocle-wearing, America-hating elite, all I'm saying is that if you're shopping around for a dictator, you can do a lot better than Donald Trump.
American politics has become a giant appeal to the base emotions of envy and/or anger--depending on what party you happen to be in. And Republican primary voters are about to bring every liberal fantasy about their regressive, anti-intellectualism, to vivid life. There are many rational people on the right who either justify or are sympathetic to this movement for understandable reasons: They're sick of corruption. Sick of the frauds and the failed promises. Sick of the abuses of the other party. Republicans want their own Obama.
(Excerpt) Read more at thefederalist.com ...
I can respect this
What is Trump going to do with all the illegals?
Is that before or After he builds that wall halting the illegal invasion? If he does this act alone, he’s furthered our cause by 1000%. We can always work on a appropriate response for the ones here, but we need to stop the bleeding already.
Heavy heart reading your response.
Our Constitutional Free Republic is not represented.
...today.
That is cherry-picking the weakest and worst arguments made against him, like Stefan Molyneaux did in that hour plus video that some believe answers every criticism. It doesn't - all it does it answer the stupid, low-hanging fruit criticisms.
So forget the Hitler, dictator, racist criticisms, dumb, etc. criticisms. Forget Glenn Beck and others who make those stupid points.
What about his opposition to limiting entitlements? What about him calling Romney's plan to force illegals to self-deport "mean-spirited" and "crazy"? What about him saying that the government should pay to ensure everyone has health care? What about how forced mass deportations will all require Court hearings that would be backlogged for years even if you tripled the number of courts?
Whatever gives you comfort, sugar.
He didn't turn out to be competent to obtain the low rate loans to fund the Trump Taj Mahal he'd promised government authorities to win their approval for his huge plans. Instead he fell back on the high rate junk bond financing he'd testified wouldn't work and wouldn't be needed because of his unique 'competence.' And the Trump Taj Mahal fell into bankruptcy, hurting not only the big risk taking bond holders, but many little people and small businesses who weren't paid for what they'd done. And I don't see where those government authorities, to who Trump lied about his future Trump Taj Mahal financing, placed any consequences on Trump when the lies manifested. Had they revoked their permission when the junk bonds were issued the only loser would have been Trump. His project would have ended and its potential future employees and customers would have instead worked with other projects offering an honest chance.
I'm not saying Trump's competence is low, but it isn't universal, it isn't infinite and it provably isn't always what Trump hypes it to be. Even in the fields for which he's known for expertise. And not just the Trump Taj Mahal; there were plenty of other planned Trump developments that fell through. Even the, generally, low bar of claiming Trump is more competent than the GOPe isn't necessarily or always true. Yes, the GOPe, and the RATe for that matter, have botched deals even worse than the Trump Taj Mahal. But both are pretty competent at the politically valuable arts of lying and back stabbing. Is Trump more or less competent at them? History has yet to judge that comparison, but it can say that Trump is NOT incompetent at them.
No you won't get flamed because you summed up the state of the modern electorate beautifully.
You're right. I'm of the thought that no matter who wins, nothing will really change as the public doesn't want to hear the things that will need to be done to get us back on track to fiscal sanity and real economic growth.
They want “Hope and Change,” “Make America great again,” “A future we can believe in.”
Trump has warts, as does any of the other candidates, but he also has an impressive resume, at least in the business world. Can he generate the same kinds of success in the political world? Who knows, but Reagan was criticized as being nothing but an actor. Granted he did have experience as the Governor of a large state, which Trump obviously lacks. Critics said that he was incapable of playing on the international field and would be swallowed up like a goldfish in a 1920's school setting. The critics were wrong.
Like me the critics have no crystal ball to see what the reality holds. However, myself and many others proved to be correct with regards to Reagan. That experience tells me that this nation has nothing to lose by once again taking that same chance that we took with Reagan. Will we get burned this time around? No one knows, even you.
So whom do you think we should be taking are chances on? Cruz? Well he too seems like someone that is worth taking a chance on. Should he win the nomination I will gladly support him. In fact initially he had my support, even though he too has warts. In fact I am surprised that I now favor Trump over Cruz. There are several reasons for this. Trump will be beholding to no one. Cruz on the other hand has required help and thus will be beholding to those who have given him the financial support he has needed. There is no free ride when it comes to politics. Cruz has lied a number of times now, which has made me wonder if he is so principled why is he lying? I thought he was going to be the honest candidate, but this has not been the case. Trump may have, and I stress may have, made some statements that are factually incorrect, but I do not believe they were made as bald-faced lies. I cannot say the same about Cruz. Am I really supposed to believe a man as smart as Cruz simply forgot to report loans made to him for campaigning purposes? Makes me wonder why he felt the need to lie about this. The only thing I can come up with is he is attempting to deceive us as to who he really is.
Anyway, my point is, I resent the fact that you and others want to lump Trump supporters as a bunch of uninformed bozo's who are incapable of thinking on their own. I certainly do not denigrate anyone who favors another candidate. I just do not share their feelings with regards to the candidate they have chosen to support. Nor do I attempt to belittle them for the choice they have made. I may disagree with them regarding their choice, and tell them why I disagree with them, but I never resort to the childish tactic of inferring that I posses intellect that they lack.
In truth I would support any of the current Republican contenders, though admittedly much less enthusiastically. Because the worse among them is better than any of the Democrat contenders, by a mile. This of course has led some here to label me a RINO, as well as, other adjectives. But I have always taken the voting process seriously. As such I will always vote for who is best for this country who actually has a chance to win. Not for the candidate, but for the country, period.
This will be the first election since Reagan where I actually support the person I am set to vote for. However, all of my votes cast have been for the best available candidate in that election, even if I knew that person was only slightly better. John McCain comes to mind. I though very little of the man, but the more I learned about Barak Obama, I could not sit the election out, nor vote for some long shot third party candidate.
You said...
“Trump IS the result of GOP and DEM incompetence.”
Yes.
And I would also add their corruption
As for the wall and border security, I absolutely agree that needs to be the priority. And I'm really glad Trump made it such a major issue, and if he was the only candidate calling for that, maybe I could overlook all the issues on which o think he's wrong. But he's not.
That's my basic problem with his candidacy. Being right on one major issue and wrong on soany others isn't enough when there are other candidates with an equivalent position on that one issue, plus being much more conservative on other issues.
No, Trump is the grenade, which pin you have pulled, and while attempting to frag the GOPe, you dropped in the middle of what previously was a band of brothers, fellow conservatives.
When you dropped it, instead of yelling that ridiculous Bronx cheer, you should have said, “Sorry, I see I’ve killed us all.” Boom.
The neo Whig Party must die.
Trump is succeeding because we are tired and angry of being lied to by RINO pussies.
Go Trump!
There is NO political solution for any of what afflicts our nation now.
Our only hope will be found with God.
I'm curious as to how you would solve this long-term
Would you only support self-funding billionaire candidates for the Presidency and Congress?
Or would you change the First Amendment so as to prohibit private citizens from pooling funds to run ads of their choice? Because all this talk of getting politics out of money requires one of those solutions, both of which I think are worse than the status quo.
I hear you and agree. That’s why I’m planning on voting for Cruz right now in my primary. However, if he can’t win, I will gladly vote for Trump. I don’t see Trump as right on only one issue. He’s right on more than that, like banning Muslim immigration, second amendment, pro life, support for Christian’s in the Mideast, his tax plan, etc. The problem I have is can he be trusted to stay on the right side of these issues? I don’t know, so I stick with Cruz right now. But I’m willing to give Trump credit when credit is due, which is far more than some people here seem to be doing.
What the country really needs this cycle isn't someone who can get things done, but someone who can get things UNDONE. Cruz is one of the few that talks about that and is the most believable and electable of those who do. And he doesn't need to get along with anyone in Congress to accomplish that! He can use all the congressional authority they've delegated to order executive agencies to do the least he can construe current laws allow. He can veto their pork and marshall public opinion to keep their override votes under 2/3. And if their fights legally shut down parts of government he'd prefer abolished anyway he'll celebrate and win the next rounds at the ballot box. The establishment knows and understands this so fears Cruz over any 'lets make a deal' alternatives.
This agitprop sockpuppet account has been banned or suspended.
Remember Reagan was a democrat. And Clinton balanced the budget. G. W. Bush ran on the fact that our troupes were were all over the world and we should mind our own business. Obama, called our trillion dollar deficit unconscionable. Tell me what the hell is the cause and affect on what candidates say before they become elected and what they do afterwards. Because I don’t see the correlation.
Here is a correlation I do see. I see the republicans and the democrats enacting laws and playing the government as though the most important thing was to get more republicans or democrats elected. Tell me this, what conservative ideal was the Ryan budget supposed to imbibe. Or the same can be asked about the Bush/Hasert government’s laws.
Maybe its time for a guy who cares about the US more than he cares about the republican party. A guy who spends his own money. A guy who is hated by the media and the elites. Do you think I agree with everything Romney said or Rubio, or Christi. Certainly not.
And if I thought Cruz could be elected I may vote for him. But here is where you and I disagree strongly. I don’t think Cruz can get elected. And you probably do. Trump is 1 or 2 in every state and Cruz is 1 or 2 in only the most conservative states.
Why do not these guys ever look at Trump’s Policy papers which i have read and agree with. And each is conservative. don’t the rest is a guy trying to win votes and appeal to people so they will vote for him. He may or may not do everything he says, but if he lowers taxes, reduces regulation, nad builds the wall. he will have done a great service to this country.
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