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Updating the Persuasion Stack (National Review’s Trump Cover)
Scott Adams' Blog ^ | January 22, 2016 | Scott Adams

Posted on 01/22/2016 10:50:22 AM PST by Flick Lives

I need to add one level to the BOTTOM of the persuasion stack. That level involves arguing about the definition of a word.

Persuasion Stack

Identity (best)

Analogy (okay, not great)

Reason (useless)

Definition (capitulation)

You'll see a lot of debate on whether Trump is a true conservative or not. That is argument by definition. It is the linguistic equivalent of throwing your gun at a monster because the clip is empty. National Review's cover story, in which the big question comes down to whether Trump is a true conservative or not, is your tell for capitulation on the right.

The left is still in the fight, but the right just capitulated to Trump.

In the 2D world, it might seem that National Review's organized resistance of "thought leaders" opposed to Trump is a big deal. But that incorrectly assumes "thought" was ever important. In the 3D world of persuasion, National Review's move is nothing but throwing the gun at the monster.

On some level, people can feel that.

Update: Some of you asked why "conservative" is not a valid identity play. It is an identify of sorts, but one that is cobbled together from ideas. It is not the same level as gender, race, or nation. People can stop being conservative in ten minutes, if they choose.

The persuasion stack is an approximation. Assume there is always some reason and some identity in all the levels.


TOPICS: Politics
KEYWORDS: 2016election; adams; cnsrvtvtreehouse; dilbert; election2016; erickerickson; glennbeck; marklevin; megynkelly; nationalreview; newyork; pinkstain; pinkstate; politico; redstate; redstategathering; rogerailes; scottadams; sundance; trump
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Interesting take by Scott Adams of "Dilbert" fame that the National Review anti-Trump article is a sign of capitulation. They're out of bullets.
1 posted on 01/22/2016 10:50:22 AM PST by Flick Lives
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To: Flick Lives

When Trump walks into the Oval Office, a whole lot of ‘gravy trains’ are going to be ‘de-railed’ and that will free up some of the money we need to keep America and getting America out of the ‘sewer cities’ of America!!!

GO.TRUMP.GO!!!


2 posted on 01/22/2016 10:54:23 AM PST by HarleyLady27 ( 'THE FORCE AWAKENS'!!! TRUMP; TRUMP;TRUMP;TRUMP !!! 100%)
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To: Flick Lives

The National Review is nothing more than a communists rag.


3 posted on 01/22/2016 10:57:33 AM PST by Logical me
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To: Flick Lives

I think he has something there. Rush Limbaugh is currently explaining all of this on his show. What we are seeing is members of a Club who don’t like the new guys. In their heart of hearts they realize that the new guys actually want to take over their Club and run it in a different way. Now the some of the older Club members think that they can “work with” Donald Trump, but the younger ones, who have just made it into the Club, really resent Trump’s attempt to take over their Club. And, of course, everyone just hates Ted Cruz. ;-)


4 posted on 01/22/2016 10:59:08 AM PST by SubMareener (Save us from Quarterly Freepathons! Become a MONTHLY DONOR!)
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To: Flick Lives

Will any of the people who contributed to the anti-Trump NR issue begin to regret their contribution to a once fine publication’s descent into irrelevancy.


5 posted on 01/22/2016 11:00:27 AM PST by BigEdLB (Take it Easy, Chuck. I'm Not Taking it Back -- Donald Trump)
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To: HarleyLady27
Rush is hammering National Review

Crying about Single Payer

We got it and GOP has done nothing

Immigration , we got it and GOP have done nothing after two huge wins

Everything they have written about Obama has already done and GOP has done nothing and Trump's voters are being blamed as racist

The ruined the Country according to the media

GOP has given everything to Obama and trying to blame Trump and not the National Review Candidates?

6 posted on 01/22/2016 11:01:15 AM PST by scooby321
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To: scooby321

It’s about darn time that he gets off his butt and starts backing America!!!

But I still don’t trust him.....


7 posted on 01/22/2016 11:02:49 AM PST by HarleyLady27 ( 'THE FORCE AWAKENS'!!! TRUMP; TRUMP;TRUMP;TRUMP !!! 100%)
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To: Flick Lives

Rick Lowery explained it very well on Fox & Friends.

Conservatives believe in limited government
lower taxes
and anti-abortion

Those were the three things he mentioned. I’m sure there are others.

He went on to say that Trump never talks about those things, or very rarely.

They are just not on his radar.

Well, if misguided people succeed in getting the Trumpster in, I have two predictions:

One: (not so sure about this one) He will select Marco Rubio as running mate

Two: He will be a one-term president

Then maybe we can elect a real conservative.


8 posted on 01/22/2016 11:07:14 AM PST by altura (Cruz for our country)
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To: Flick Lives

Scott Adams predicted that Trump would win the nomination and the general election in a landslide back in early August. His take on things has been quite interesting.


9 posted on 01/22/2016 11:09:11 AM PST by Behind the Blue Wall
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To: altura

If Lowry speaks for you - you got troubles.


10 posted on 01/22/2016 11:14:53 AM PST by major-pelham
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To: altura

I’ve reached the point I don’t ever want to read or hear “conservative” again. Our dear conservatives in government have allowed this country to be destroyed. They obviously don’t believe in limited government, lower taxes or anti-abortion. They just voted again to support more government, more taxes and abortion.

Why anyone would believe the new “most conservative” politician will do anything differently amazes me. I refuse to be called conservative any longer. I am now American period. I want my country back.


11 posted on 01/22/2016 11:18:30 AM PST by Duchess47 ("One day I will leave this world and dream myself to Reality" Crazy Horse)
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To: altura; All





12 posted on 01/22/2016 11:18:30 AM PST by Fiddlstix (Warning! This Is A Subliminal Tagline! I reallyRead it at your own risk!(Presented by TagLines R US))
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To: altura

We elected people that promised they’re conservative the last 3 elections (excluding 0b0la), increasing their numbers each time.

They keep promising to fix things but what have they delivered? They’ve delivered everything the dem’s and 0b0la asked for.

Screw ‘em, I’m ready to try something different this time. The way I see it, Trump can’t do any worse and if he does, it’ll be shooting time anyway.


13 posted on 01/22/2016 11:21:39 AM PST by Nacho Bidnith (Leftists can see racism everywhere except the mirror)
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To: Duchess47

I’m with you. At this point in time, I consider being an AMERICAN a lot more important than being a conservative.

After all, what good has being “conservative” done us since 1988?


14 posted on 01/22/2016 11:29:02 AM PST by Nacho Bidnith (Leftists can see racism everywhere except the mirror)
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To: Flick Lives

The are out of bullets.

He’s kicking ass in all the polls, and the latest in Iowa, too.

They know they’ve lost.


15 posted on 01/22/2016 11:31:09 AM PST by xzins (Have YOU Donated to the Freep-a-Thon? https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: Nacho Bidnith

...After all, what good has being “conservative” done us since 1988?...

You are so right.


16 posted on 01/22/2016 11:31:45 AM PST by Duchess47 ("One day I will leave this world and dream myself to Reality" Crazy Horse)
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To: altura

“Low taxes” is not really a moral principle. Once you concede any, it’s just a matter of debate on what’s onerous or not. But it’s hardly a central pillar.

For instance, let’s look at Denmark. It has social democratic institutions and policies but has acted to CONSERVE its norms, values and its social culture of high-trust, low corruption, low interpersonal or political violence by limiting immigration.

Japan is conservative, yet it has many components of what we’d consider leftist policies. It is not the specific policy, necessarily, which renders a country or person conservative, it is the underpinnings of what they articulate and defend. Rendering the planet McWorld is not a conservative ideal. Burke or Kirk are closer than, say, Lowry. It’s a mindset, it’s a stance, it need not hinge on abortion (a kulturkampf distraction) or marginal tax rates.

Conservatives, Inc. on the other hand have thrown their lot in with rootless cosmopolitan billionaires (Zuckerberg, et al) who would cast out thousands of Americans so they can have a captive, lower-paid workforce, just as countless “job creators” have done since even the 19th century. At no point have conservatives acted to defend a coherent American culture, or to the extent they have, they have been defeated again and again-—MAINLY because they did not strongly oppose the influx of peoples alien to our way of life who will make money and live well but never truly absorb or believe in our values, and by the assertion of “America the Idea” we lost all sight of the things that make a people distinct from others and thus were sapped of our ability to ardently defend the nation and its people.

Most European nations had more restrictive abortion laws than the US. Did that make them more or less conservative?


17 posted on 01/22/2016 11:39:41 AM PST by Skywalk (Transdimensional Jihad!)
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To: Nacho Bidnith
I’m with you. At this point in time, I consider being an AMERICAN a lot more important than being a conservative.

After all, what good has being “conservative” done us since 1988?

Stop being conservative, and start being American.

I honestly don't know what to make of that.

18 posted on 01/22/2016 11:48:16 AM PST by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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To: tacticalogic

Scott Adams points out the need for defining conservative.
If you think GW Bush is/was a conservative, then he was surely quiescent. FedGov continued its metastasizing when Bush had a majority in Congress and a conservative USSC. We put them in power to de-ratchet the thrust to socialism and they did nothing. If, then, the Bushies were/are not conservative, then surely the Tea Party movement is, in which case Palin’s endorsement of Trump should point the direction of “true” conservatism, and the NR can go pound sand.


19 posted on 01/22/2016 12:01:28 PM PST by sparklite2 ( "The white man is the Jew of Liberal Fascism." -Jonah Goldberg)
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To: sparklite2
We put them in power to de-ratchet the thrust to socialism and they did nothing.

IMHO, it was worse than nothing. GWB actually had his DoJ lawyers before the USSC arguing to uphold Wickard v Filburn.

20 posted on 01/22/2016 12:29:33 PM PST by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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