Posted on 01/23/2016 4:40:59 PM PST by Ted Grant
This comment on NRO's article is an expanded version of my post on FR earlier today, and I posted it there in response to a Corner pist.
have In just a couple of hours I have got a lot of great feedback, so since I pretty much posted it here first, I thought I’d share a slightly refined version of it. I hope you enjoy it and thanks! Keep the faith!
* * * * *
National Review means well, but they mean well in the same way a retarded cousin means well. Their latest grandstand “Against Trump†play misreads the political landscape.
Most conservatives don’t have a problem with conservative philosophy and genuinely believe in it. Conservatives by nature tend to be more process oriented (develop good, fair processes and you will get good, fair, and predictable results). Liberals by nature tend to be more goal oriented (arrive at a good goal and no matter how you get to it, you will end up getting good results).
This is not a knock on either approach, nor saying each side doesn’t have some of both of these elements, but I am just stating it as a general principle.
Conservatives are finally frustrated with the process, especially as they see a steady stream of tremendous liberal victories which they instinctively know we will all have to live with for anywhere from 25 to 50 years or more.
There’s the realization that the liberals have triumphed on major policy and cultural fronts. Obama is indeed the transformative president he promised he would be.
The process has failed conservatives. There’s a perception that sticking to the rules doesn’t get us positive results, especially when the other side is bending the rules and using every trick in the book to run circles around our elected leaders and their media advocates (outfits like NR).
They win, we lose, and our side has a dozen excuses but they can’t break free of their process oriented mentality. So they keep losing, and still promise their voters they will accomplish great things, but still keep losing when it comes to the process.
The GOP candidates and their friendly media outlets demonstrate that they are remarkably obtuse when it comes to appreciating what is going on.
So we get the usual variations on “Trump isn’t a principled conservative.†These would be a showstopper just a few years ago (when their voters were more process oriented), but in 2016, the voters are alienated and the people making this argument seem genuinely befuddled. “Why isn’t this working? Why aren’t they listening to us?â€
The problem isn’t that the Republican voters aren’t conservative anymore. They simply don’t believe in the agents of conservatism they have entrusted with power.
They’re now finally rejecting them as weak and ineffective, not to mention obnoxious and increasingly nasty to their own voters.
This is true for their feelings towards conservative media outlets too, like NR.
Republican voters have moved away from being process oriented and are becoming goal oriented. They’re not “moving away,†they have “moved away.â€
Appeals to sound, principled process are falling flat, since the voters have seen with their own eyes that liberals triumph without much regard to sound, sensible process, and that their Republican elected officials are so inept at the process that they can’t mount a successful defense against the liberal lines of attack.
Conservatives didn’t stop believing in conservative philosophy. They have just stopped believing in their candidates and their media outlets. They’ve come to the completely rational conclusion that liberals are probably going to win in 2016 anyway, and if somehow a Republican did manage to win, odds are he or she would be so weak, inept, and ineffective that the liberals will probably continue to advance their agenda, anyway.
So now, the only goal oriented candidate is winning. It’s not a shock if you have been paying attention and have clarity.
I’ve called Trump the expected equal and opposite reaction to Obama. I’ve noted to both liberals and conservatives I know that he even swiped Obama’s 2008 campaign playbook (big media personality, well attended & enthusiastic rallies, a broad slogan that allows anyone to project whatever he wants to it and go home happy, new media savvy tactics, etc.), but my friends get nervous when I point this out and few commentators on TV (left or right) seem to be able to make this observation. Or is it that they can’t cope with it?
Republican voters have no faith in the Republican party. It doesn’t help the GOP’s cause that they didn’t show this level of nastiness and passion against Obama and the Democrats. It doesn’t help that when Dubya was president, with a GOP congress, they didn’t deliver much on anything their voters wanted and nothing that has endured.
And their voters told them this. Over and over. They just didn’t listen. Process oriented. The process was too difficult, they just didn’t want to go through it. Talk a nice game, then back to business.
Meanwhile when liberals have political power and set goals, they succeed.
The voters have noted this The Republicans have lost a lot of credibility. I see no reason to have any faith in any of them. They’re following the usual script and don’t seem to understand that the audience has seen this movie before and we don’t like the way it ends.
News Flash to GOP Inc: The voters aren’t rejecting conservative philosophy. They’re just rejecting you.
I’ve been a conservative since my teens, through college and law school, and into my professional life. I’ve been a Republican since 18 (1986). I’ve been a fan of NR for decades. And all that being said, I think we’ve completely lost but if you pick up an issue of NR (or like minded journal), or speak with your Republican Congressman, they will be quick to tell you that we’re just one election away from turning this around. It won’t be easy, but once we win, we’ll roll up our sleeves and get it done. You’ll see. We’ll really deliver, this time. Stick to the plan. It got us this far, right?
It’s time to try something else. Sticking to the old game plan is complete nonsense and may be a form of insanity. Like the smart lady said, “what difference, at this point, does it make?â€
As for me, with no other credible reasonable choice, I choose to say #MakeAmericaGreatAgain
I'm glad you (or the original poster) highlight this point.
That was my first reaction when I saw that NRO cover with '11 Conservatives Against Trump'.
Where was this passion against Obama in 2008 - when it was clear we had a Marxist, Christian hating, American hating, fraud running for President? It was nonexistent.
Where was this passion regarding this Administration's desertion of our people in Benghazi? Just a bump in the road. Maybe a few harrumphs by these Media pundits - but no full page magazine cover calling them out.
How about Hillary's malfeasance in handling secure documents? Anyone else would be in jail. Again, just some minor tisk-tisks from these same Conservative members of the Chattering class. They don't want to lose their invitations to the best Washington D.C. parties, so they keep it low when attacking the in-house enemies in Washington D.C.
But sure, grow a spine and go after Trump.
Their opinions register zip on my Geiger counter. Or, if anything, it pushes me more into Trump's corner.
Well reasoned and written. Many thing become clear to those who inform themselves on all sides of an issue and apply integrative thinking, rather than living in an echo chamber.
If it was not you intent to disparage Cruz for taking out (and paying back) a loan mu apologies
As far as Mr Trumps success.. then why not elect Blomberg or gates they also did quite well in business.
As I said if D.Trump really had a conservative conversion all well and good but he has shown little in his past for me to see it as real and much to say it is not..
Note I will vote for ANY one on the R ticket to keep hrc and bernie for selections USSC Justices.
On the policy issues No did he do anything to stop them as he is a political gadfly most of the time. Well he did run for pres on the Ross Perot party but did not get the nomination loosing to Pat Buchanan.
The opposite reaction to Obama would be a conservative. Trump is not a conservative. You are correct in saying that some (in my opinion, gullible) conservatives are projecting their hopes and dreams onto Trump, just as liberals did with Obama, but while the liberals got much of what they want, given Trump's record and obvious lack of a defining conservative ideology, conservatives will not.
We will not see a significantly smaller, less costly, and less intrusive government after a Trump Administration - Every indication, based on Trump's own words and record, is that it would be significantly worse. And that assumes that he can even rise above his polarizing negatives to be elected in the first place.
You might want to rethink that since Elmer has stated that his liberal sister, a federal judge, would make an excellent SCOTUS Justice.
Exactly!
It’s worse than just the GOP leadership being process oriented and the Dem leadership being goal oriented: The GOP-leadership process has been doing nothing but helping the Dem-leadership goals.
“Did he? last I heard he wouldn’t even acknowledge that he borrowed the money.”
Gosh images were posted here, that showed the loan was reported to the Senate in July 2012.
So are stupid or a liar like Trump?
Perfect! LOL!
Needs to be said a few million more times.
“Sorry but the free speech for me and not the does not really work for me..”
My apologies, good sir.
And that's all it would take?
False negative, due to a Freeper who misunderstood the parameters of the issue, which only occurs on quoted text.
my comment was to the fact that it seems to many the bluster of what Mr Trump says he will do... (few details on how.. other than.. “good management”) is conflated with his record as a business man.
I would like to point out that much of that record would be anathema to many that now support him had he still been saying things like his comment about san fan nan...
“because I want her to do great, and I want this country to be great, and I [didn’t] want her to fail as Speaker. And I like her.”
for all those that seem to hate the uniparty that also like the donald there should be some serous logical issues trying to hold them both.
“I met her a number of times and I liked her,†he added. “And I really want her and everybody in office to do great. so because of the fact that i met her a number of times and really liked her, and then she became Speaker, I sent her a note. And I wanted her, and I continue to want her and everybody else in office, to do great for the country”
Note this is all in the last 9 years.
Trump also said he would not consider his sister for the Supremes.... apparently you do not have a sister, or you would understand what a brother says about his sister...
So you didn't write what you wrote?
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