No, I Don't Believe Donald Trump Is a Conservative

Townhall.com ^ | March 22, 2016 | David Limbaugh

[Kaslin]

This short essay is in response to a friend who asked me to explain how Donald Trump is unacceptable to "movement conservatives."

Let's first acknowledge that many Trump supporters don't even claim to be conservative -- though others do -- and Trump himself is rather dismissive on the point, so they may consider this column a meaningless academic exercise. But a Trump supporter asked, so I'll try to explain.

Because I think my questioner was inquiring mostly about issues, I won't delve into Trump's apparent lack of presidential temperament and public deportment -- as reflected mostly in the debates and his speeches -- other than to suggest that they betray values that don't strike me as particularly conservative.

On the issues, Trump appears to have no ideological core. He can't sufficiently define "conservative" and, when pressed, says that even Ronald Reagan wasn't that conservative. Trump cites Reagan's earlier affiliation with the Democratic Party as his excuse for having supported liberal causes and politicians all his life, though unlike Reagan, Trump can never point to a personal conversion. He prefers to work with the uncompromising, extremist left, represented by Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, rather than defeat it.

But having no internal conservative antenna, what goals would he seek to achieve through his legendary negotiating wizardry? Indeed, many conservatives sense that Trump is not one of them because while he champions national sovereignty and patriotism, he evinces no understanding of conservative ideology and much less of the Constitution and its design of limited government. Under some political pressure, Trump promises to appoint strict constructionists to the Supreme Court, but there is no indication he has any real commitment to this vital principle.

It's not just that Trump, for a presidential candidate, is conspicuously ill-informed on political science and policy but also that he has no abiding allegiance to conservative policy solutions, as evidenced by his flip-flops, which are wider-ranging and more frequent than those of other notorious flippers. Even on his signature issue of immigration, he's exhibited a surprising openness to soften his positions. In any event, he is easily less reliable on this issue than Ted Cruz.

Movement conservatives are also uneasy with Trump's conflation of "Art of the Deal" business practices with conservative governance. Trump's success in creating thousands of jobs signals to conservatives that he is a friend of business, but it doesn't assure them that he comprehends the government's role (or lack thereof) in creating a job climate. Presidential statecraft isn't the same as private entrepreneurship. Government doesn't "create jobs"; it enacts policies and laws to remove the shackles of government so that the private sector can flourish on its own power. A private CEO is under different constraints than the president. Though Trump's acolytes boast that he "knows how to get things done," he won't -- and shouldn't -- enjoy the same latitude to operate as president.

Trump seems disinclined to laissez faire and too comfortable with a major role for the federal government on economic issues. More troubling is his support for tariffs and protectionism, which could significantly damage our economy. Tied to this issue is one of the most distressing developments of this campaign: the emergence of class warfare themes emanating from the "right."

Trump gives lip service to reducing spending and balancing the budget but offers few specifics; see his hollow promise to end fraud, waste and abuse. Experts believe that his fiscal plan would lead us into further debt. Having been coached to prepare a tax plan palatable to conservatives, he has made some progress here, but he is disturbingly open to punishing the "wealthy" through progressive tax policies -- which would add more fuel to class tensions and be counterproductive for the economy.

Trump stubbornly refuses to reform Social Security, which is on a collision course with national insolvency and cannot be "saved" by robust economic growth as Trump glibly contends. We have more than $100 trillion in unfunded liabilities with our entitlement programs, and no marginally informed person believes we can simply grow out of this inevitable train wreck. In refusing to acknowledge that or put forth a plan, Trump has sided with demagogic liberals.

It's not just on economic issues that Trump betrays an alarming lack of knowledge. Indeed, Trump substitutes slogans for serious policy proposals on many issues, and conservatives instinctively know that he doesn't get it -- that he's not even interested in getting it.

Accordingly, Trump's promises to make America great again and to restore winning are pathetically devoid of specific plans to achieve those goals. No presidential candidate in my lifetime has demonstrated less command of the issues than Trump, and his lack of intellectual curiosity and interest cannot be adequately remedied by his selecting smart advisers. We need someone at the helm who has an understanding of important issues and who will be guided by conservative instincts. Instead, Trump has shown a tendency to favor strong government action to get "results" -- more government, more authoritarianism, not less. This is a serious danger signal to conservatives.

On a smattering of other issues, Trump's conservative bona fides are in doubt, from affirmative action to the Second Amendment to universal health care to religious liberty to the Iran nuclear deal to his professed neutrality on Israel and Palestine to his dubious support of life, including his endorsement of federal funding for America's premier abortion factory, Planned Parenthood. I realize he and his supporters vehemently deny some of these criticisms, but I've heard his disconcerting statements on them, even if he later modified or retracted them.

Trump has been brilliant in hijacking anti-government sentiment and in amplifying his immigration and trade message through manipulating the press, and I admit he might seek to honor some of his basic campaign promises. But we have no assurance beyond these few issues that Trump would behave or govern like a limited-government conservative, and because of his practiced vacillation and refusal to commit to many other issues, he'd have a mandate to do what he darn well pleases -- and that's more than a little scary to me.

It concerns me that after Americans had finally united in strong opposition to Barack Obama's leftist record, the movement was co-opted by a populist with a super-amped megaphone. The solutions to America's problems are not some hodgepodge of policy goals fueled by nationalistic pride that is untethered to principles of limited government. You don't restore America's greatness by burning the house down, especially when you can remodel it from the inside out through a rededication to America's founding principles and constitutional conservatism.

I could better understand the support behind Trump if there weren't an infinitely superior candidate in Ted Cruz, who would specifically address the problems that plague us -- and without abandoning the principles that made America unique in the first place.

[Redleg Duke]

The way the Texas vote fraud happened, what is gooing to happen in Utah chills me!

[longtermmemmory]

because cruz and kasic’s usual platitudes work so well this morning...

[UCANSEE2]

Conservatism has become a cult. These self appointed high priests of conservatism declare who is pure enough.

Conservative has turned into a convenient 'label' just like environmentalism.

It even reminds me of the current trend in our society of labeling yourself whatever suits your emotions at the time. Like Bruce Jenner declaring he's a female.

[jacknhoo]

I think it is funny how the term “conservative” is tossed around. Like Lindsey Graham and John McCain and Mitt Romney use it to describe the Republican Party members they trumpet. Like they’ll say Marco Rubio is a tested conservative or Jeb Bush is a proven conservative.

These embiciles must think the rest of the world are complete fools.

They’ll say, Donald Trump is not conservative like it is a stain on the party to have him run.

The thing is, Donald Trump may not be “conservative” in all he does, but he’s a whole lot more conservative than Graham, McCain, Romney, Bush or Rubio.

Personally, I don’t consider a North American Union and Amnesty to be conservative principles. Nor do I consider UN directive Islamist invasions or UN directive trade agreements to be conservative.

[Nifster]

Sorry boyo I don’t care what you think or what you want. Both you and your brother thought W was a conservative

[moovova]

Well said, sir. The part that scares me the most...

“We either win this now or we have little chance of ever doing it again politically.”

[Nifster]

meh.

Try reading his policy books or listentening to his interviews or speeches over the years. He dislikes govt regulation. He dislikes the tax structure. He loves the US. Frankly he never worked in the GOPe ranks

Good enough. Better than Ted (I love my govt job and I am a lawyer) Cruz

[TexasCajun]

"effete"

My word for the day. :)

[Nifster]

What crapola. The brothers Limbaugh convinced people that W was a rock solid conservative. I don’t trust their judgement particularly the lawyer David

[Nifster]

That oh so conservative W tried to open the borders with Mexico just shortly after 9/11.

I am so tired of the lawyerly political class. These wonks can go pound sand.

By the by nicely written response. True words well said

[Bubba Gump Shrimp]

Since National Review and the GOP get to decide who is a conservative and who is not, I think I too will refrain from joining in their exclusive club.

It’s not worth the admission fee for the privilege to be called “conservative”.

[The_Republic_Of_Maine]

Rush must have said "Listen here brother David, if you don't hit Donald Trump hard, I'll never push another of your books!"

And David responded by saying "Of course I will brother ElRushbo, I know how important your connections to Mexico are, I'll do as you command, now let me have some pain killers."

[Bubba Gump Shrimp]

It takes a Harvard lawyer to explain how the founders meant that Natural Born was really: Chinese Born/Iranian Born/Soviet Born/Mexican Born/Kenyan Born/Canadian Born.

Sorry, I’m just a poorly educated Trumpeteer, I don’t understand that sort of nuance....

Only in the minds of a snake (or lawyer).

[carjic]

Well written and spot on!

[nitzy]

..When I began entering into the give and take of legislative bargaining in Sacramento, a lot of the most radical conservatives who had supported me during the election didn’t like it. “Compromise” was a dirty word to them

I wonder if those conservatives were against his amnesty plan in '86? Sometimes fidelity to principal and NOT cutting deals is the best policy.

“Conservative” politicians talk a good game and then go to DC and accomplish nothing. After 30 years of fail, it is time to try another solution. The winning candidate is, brace yourselves.... going to have to cut DEALS! And some times those deals require..compromise!!!

Of course they accomplish nothing when they are one or two Senators amount 98 socialists or socialist sympathizers. The idea of "compromise" that has been embraced by the GOPe has been, "We will be so happy if we let the socialists move our country further to the left as long as they give hand outs to our corporate benefactors.

As Cruz has said, his type of deal is..."O.K. I will accept only half the loaf of bread. Then once I have the bread, I immediately ask for the other half."

Our idea of victory cannot be one in which we temporarily stop the Democrats from moving to full on Socialism. It needs to be a completely free market, a universal embrace of the 10th amendment, no abortions in the United States, no more subsidization of bad behavior among the poor, no more corporate welfare, etc...

Those should be the goals. Only their full realization should be considered a victory. Anything less than that should be considered a half victory / half loss. Moving even one inch closer to socialism in any regard should be considered an unacceptable failure.

[poconopundit]

...Conservatism has become a cult.

Totally agree.  And despite all these claims that Trump is not 98.4% pure, Trump has done more to advance Conservative principles than any person since Reagan.  And yet both Trump and Reagan were not member of the Conservative cult, nor the Conservative prophecy, nor the Conservative world domination... or something like that.

Time for the GOP to rally around a true leader and the one who the majority of Conservatives, Evangelicals, NorthEasters, Southerners, and Rust Belters have voted for.  Time to...

[Paradox]

I have some pretty serious concerns about Trump. Yes, I would vote for him over Hillary, but yes, I would far prefer someone like Cruz over him.

If only Cruz hadn't stabbed us all in the back by blaming Donald for the violence, that really bothered me.

Trumpbots dont seem the least bit concerned about Trumps negatives, and thats why I dont like them. But Trump is the tip of the spear in so many fights we have these days, as "ugly" as he might be, the fights he is on our side on, at this time in history, is enough.

[bella1]

Do you listen to Rush? Is he conservative in real life? How many times has he been married? Who was the guest of honor and singer at his last wedding? Do you know the answers? If not they are easily gotten and once you get them ask yourself if those are conservative family values.

[Mozilla]

I do believe that Trump is conservative on many issues but not all. He is a common sense guy who is like Palin and Coulter on various issues like border security, immigration and trade. I get that there is a string of populism to him. So you could say his policies and platform is one of a common sense populist conservative.

[Arm_Bears]

If not for his brother, would we have ever heard of David Limbaugh?