Free Republic

Last week, Donald Trump held a news conference in which, if I counted correctly, he responded specifically to 46 direct questions — most of which were not very supportive. Frankly, I could not find a single instance in which any other candidate, either Democrat or Republican, had the guts to do that. And I also could not find a single instance in which I took issue with his positions. 1. Mr. Trump is his own man; finances his own campaign; solicits no political contributions and will be obligated to no lobbyist or PAC. How refreshing! 2. He stated the obvious:...

Donald Trump has taken many positions that annoy conservatives and some that infuriate conservatives; but on the issues that matter most: securing the border, making America respected and feared and stabilizing our economy, his positions are quite appealing. Therefore, with nothing left to throw at him, the GOPe’s personal choice for president, Jeb Bush, has decided that voters can be swayed away from Trump and toward him by showing us film clips of statements Trump made up to several years ago. Making believe (at least I hope so) that they don’t understand why Trump the Businessman would say things that...

1. He's advancing a populist economic message Tax-cutting and deregulation have been key parts of Republican orthodoxy since the days of Ronald Reagan. Mr Trump isn't reading from that particular hymnal, however. Instead he preaches a populist salvation for the economically disaffected. Poll after poll shows economic security is the most important issue for Republican voters, and Mr Trump's entire message - his anti-illegal-immigration stance, his condemnation of Chinese and Mexican trade practices, his calls for taxation of Wall Street hedge fund managers and his constant touting of his resume as a successful businessman and "job-creator" - is built around...

In 1854, confronted by the moral evil of slavery and the inability of the Whigs to provide clarity against it, the Republican Party formed. Whig Party leaders either shifted their party allegiances or quit politics altogether. Even Abraham Lincoln got out of politics for a time. By 1858, the Republican Party had majorities in almost all Northern States even without a Southern presence. The party won the Presidency for the first time in 1860 and commanded the White House throughout the end of the nineteenth century and beginning of the twentieth century. With the rise of Soviet evil after World...

It isn’t often that Coach is Right publishes an entire piece not written by one of our own staff. But author Wayne Allyn Root has done such a masterful job exposing the fear Donald Trump has elicited from members of the Washington D.C. “Uniparty” and the sheer panic which drives their every response that it would be an injustice to excerpt only the occasional remark. Americans of every political stripe will recognize the truth of Root’s presentation. Some may not like it or admit it, but there is no getting around it—Donald Trump has turned the political world on its...

Among a very long list of harms inflicted upon the United States by Barack Obama and his party, perhaps the worst was Caesarism. Obama relished the worship of millions in 2008. From his star turn at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, he was treated not as a political candidate, but as a savior. Progressives fell into a swoon, typified by Newsweek editor Evan Thomas' 2008 comment, "I mean in a way Obama's standing above the country, above -- above the world; he's sort of God." Now, a similar kind of unreasoning adulation is greeting (improbably enough) Donald Trump. Fred Barnes...

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Republican Party has agreed to hold a presidential caucus The party’s executive committee approved a proposal on Saturday to hold a presidential caucus on March 5. The plan would let Paul run for president and re-election to his Senate seat at the same time without violating state law that bans candidates from appearing on the ballot twice in the same election. Republicans agreed to approve the caucus on one condition: The state party had to have $250,000 in its bank account by Sept. 18 specifically reserved for caucus expenses. If the money is not...

This is a cautionary tale of how New York’s Republican Party committed suicide rather than win with votes from, “those people.” It happened in 1994 and life has gotten worse for New York Republicans ever since. Republican Dennis Vacco was locked in a very close battle to become the state’s Attorney General. During the closing days of the race Vacco’s campaign manager announced that the Democrat, Karen Burstein was unqualified because she is a lesbian. The New York Times called the comment “gutter politics.” Nevertheless, Vacco won by just fewer than 2% and the seeds of the NY State GOP’s...

Part of what makes Trump dangerous to the Republican elites is he's willing to cater to the opinions of the Republican base in ways that the Republican establishment wouldn't dare. In doing so he can exploit longstanding cleavages between the Republican Party and the voters it represents.

I’ve written several pieces on Donald Trump. Reaction to these musings either fire up the Trumpster’s wrath or garner me their instant support. I’m accused of being an establishment lackey or I’m lauded as a Trump supporter. But nothing I’ve written is that black and white. My takeaway from these responses is that I’m not getting my point across. However, being nearly as stubborn as Trump, I refuse to give up. So today I’ll approach the subject in a manner that all men and most women will get. I’m going to use a sports analogy. Football. Oops, is that sexist?...

America and the Republican Party are dead. America was murdered by Barack Obama and his supporters. The Republican Party was murdered by John Boehner, Mitch McConnell and the US Chamber of Commerce. Bringing them back to life is not something we should bank on happening. The number of people who see America as being on the wrong track hovers above 65% and it has not been less than 61% since mid-February. Approval ratings for the Republican Party are at historic lows. Both are dead. The Hippocratic Oath advises Doctors to, “First do no harm.” Their job is to help mend...

Conservatives lambaste Republican leaders over Planned Parenthood, Export-Import Bank Jon Ward Senior Political Correspondent ‎July‎ ‎29‎, ‎2015 Conservative grassroots anger at Republican leadership in Congress and in the presidential contest has crescendoed in recent days, and the outrage on the right is forcing the GOP to respond. The unrest came to a climax on Monday when conservatives tuning back into the political discussion after the weekend saw that on Sunday, the Senate had failed to take up a bill to eliminate taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood. Meanwhile on Friday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., had forced through an amendment...

The professional hand-wringers are freaking out over Donald Trump's straight talk while displaying abysmal indifference to the deserved targets of Trump's charges. The United States is incinerating, but all they can think about is Trump's heated rhetoric. Trump is resonating because, as a presidential candidate, he is giving public voice to many of the concerns that have Americans beside themselves. Some commentators have called attention to these issues for years, but it's different when a candidate does it, especially a Republican candidate. Democratic candidates have no fear of making controversial statements or even of taking extreme positions, because the liberal...

A few weeks ago when billionaire Donald Trump made his remarks about the number of violent Mexican criminals sneaking into our country illegally it made the biggest splash of the young campaign season. The reaction was maddeningly predictable from the Washington Uniparty and the media. Both lined up to get their breast beating comments heard on the nightly news shows. The snide remarks came fast and furious – to borrow a phrase. Some were even personal with nothing to do with policy. Next came the oh-so learned comments from political “experts”- like the ones the Republicans hire to help them...

The ancient Romans coined the phrase "dog days" based on the period of time that the brightest star (Sirius, the Dog Star) rose and set in conjunction with the sun. The Romans believed that Sirius radiated heat to the Earth, causing the hottest part of the year as it traveled with the sun. The date range for the annual "dog-day" period varies based on the source. The Old Farmer's Almanac refers to the 40-day period that begins July 3 and ends August 11. The 1552 Book of Common Prayer refers to the period from July 6 to August 17. Many...

Tactics are important. History is replete with examples of superior forces being defeated by smaller armies with a better battle plan. Conservatives lose for the same reason: We have no battle plan. For years conservatives were content to be correct. Socialism doesn’t work. Fascism was a horrendous failure. Communism collapsed under its own weight. Each time conservatives were vindicated in their opposition to these failed branches of the progressive ideological tree. But at the end of each battle we made the mistake of assuming the war was over. It wasn’t and never will be. Every progressive victory was preceded by...

What is the Obama administration working towards? There are signs of the past, and what his own words have spoken to as to the future of the United States. There is no moderation in the progressive cabal that runs the country. And with the help of traitorous Republicans, the left is working on the final few steps needed to destroy the cultural and societal basics that have served this country well. The judiciary, thanks to hard leftists and Justice John Roberts, has effectively gutted the Constitution on behalf of “social justice,” a socialist agenda leading to the destruction of the...

Under the terms of the Constitution, the president must persuade a two-thirds supermajority of senators to approve any binding agreements he may make with a foreign power. Of course, a president may legitimately make non-binding agreements as permitted under his power to conduct foreign affairs. But to obligate the United States of America to any such agreement, a president must either persuade the Senate to ratify it as a treaty, or persuade the full Congress to pass a law accepting his agreement by ordinary legislation — a bill passed by a majority of both houses and signed into law by...

The large turnout Donald Trump was able to draw on Saturday in Arizona is a sign of something; but what? Is it a sign that a showman can draw a crowd on any given day? Is it a sign that the Republicans are now split in such a way that the Democrats can coast into the White House next year? Is it a sign that we, as a people, are moving closer to the “enough!” tipping point necessary to move us to action? I favor the latter. Yes Trump has been, and remains a man who is primarily for Trump....

In 1854, around one single issue—opposition to slavery—the Republican Party was formed. As historian David Barton notes, “The Republican agenda was clear, for every platform since its inception had boldly denounced slavery. In fact, when the U. S. Supreme Court delivered the 1857 Dred Scott ruling protecting slavery and declaring that Congress could not prohibit it even in federal territories, the Republican platform strongly condemned that ruling and reaffirmed the right of Congress to ban slavery in the territories. But setting forth an opposite view, the Democrat platform praised the Dred Scott ruling, and the continuation of slavery, and also...