To Save Conservatism From Itself, I Am Voting for Harris

The New York Times ^ | Aug. 11, 2024, 6:00 a.m. ET | David French

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I believe life begins at conception. If I lived in Florida, I would support the state’s heartbeat bill and vote against the referendum seeking to liberalize Florida’s abortion laws. I supported the Dobbs decision and I support well-drafted abortion restrictions at the state and federal levels. I was a pro-life lawyer who worked for pro-life legal organizations. While I want prospective parents to be able to use I.V.F. to build their families, I do not believe that unused embryos should simply be discarded — thrown away as no longer useful.

But I’m going to vote for Kamala Harris in 2024 and — ironically enough — I’m doing it in part to try to save conservatism.

Here’s what I mean.

Since the day Donald Trump came down that escalator in 2015, the MAGA movement has been engaged in a long-running, slow-rolling ideological and characterological transformation of the Republican Party. At each step, it has pushed Republicans further and further away from Reaganite conservatism. It has divorced Republican voters from any major consideration of character in leadership and all the while it has labeled people who resisted the change as “traitors.”

What allegiance do you owe a party, a movement or a politician when it or they fundamentally change their ideology and ethos?

Let’s take an assertion that should be uncontroversial, especially to a party that often envisions itself as a home for people of faith: Lying is wrong. I’m not naïve; I know that politicians have had poor reputations for honesty since Athens. But I have never seen a human being lie with the intensity and sheer volume of Donald Trump.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

Yes, electing an authoritarian-Left regime that will complete “the fundamental transformation of America,” will do wonders for conservatism, and electing those whose sacrament is aborton and who promise to “enshrine” Roe v. Wade is going to do wonders for the unborn.

BS slinger posing as a “public intellectual.”

[mjp]

Since the day Donald Trump came down that escalator in 2015, the MAGA movement has been engaged in a long-running, slow-rolling ideological and characterological transformation of the Republican Party. At each step, it has pushed Republicans further and further away from Reaganite conservatism.

The Hillsdale College article titled "National Conservatism, Freedom Conservatism, and Americanism" discusses the three waves of modern American conservatism. These waves are characterized by distinct ideological and political shifts within the conservative movement:

First Wave (Mid-1950s to End of Cold War): This wave is symbolized by figures like William F. Buckley, Jr. and Ronald Reagan. It united traditionalists, who emphasized virtue, and classical liberals, who prioritized liberty. A key concept during this period was "fusionism," which argued that freedom was essential for a virtuous society. The common cause of anti-communism helped maintain unity among conservatives during this time.

Second Wave (1990s to Early 21st Century): Represented by Paul Ryan and the Bush presidencies, this phase embraced globalization and free trade, supporting policies like the North American Free Trade Agreement and China's entry into the World Trade Organization. It also involved increased immigration and a focus on spreading democracy globally.

Third Wave (Ongoing): This wave is characterized by a nationalist-populist revolt against the second wave's policies, particularly concerning immigration, trade, and national identity. Figures like Jeff Sessions and Donald Trump are prominent in this wave. The third wave emphasizes "immigration moderation" and a focus on national sovereignty and identity. The article also highlights the current divide between National Conservatives (NatCons) and Freedom Conservatives (FreeCons), which reflects the ongoing tension between third-wave and second-wave conservatives.

This article states that the third wave is more like Buckley and Reagan conservatism than the second wave is.

[aynrandfreak]

“The Conservative case for being a Democrat”

[central_va]

It's one thing to abstain from voting. It's a totally different thing to vote for the other side in protest. What a creep.

[JBW1949]

David French is a paid writer for the New York Times.....

That says it all......

[cross_bearer_02]

I’m a pro-life conservative who is trying to save conservatism from itself, so here: Let me vote for this woman who whored herself into the political position she’s currently in and who supports abortion at every turn, is all in for bringing in illegal aliens to take American jobs, who worships at the altar of Wokeism, espouses socialist and communist doctrine, and generally stands against nearly every political position I claim to have because “Orange Man Bad?”

Does anything thing David could maybe see how that train of thought doesn’t follow?

[caww]

The author of this article is 'David French'.... he's very adamantly anti-Trump, or at least Never Trump....French wrote in 2016..."When I look at Trump, I see a catastrophe in the making,” .....

[No name given]

So am I.

[Secret Agent Man]

Its funny

I’m a Christian first, which makes being conservative the most natural supporting philosophy...

And I have never considered voting for socialists as the way to save anything...

[The Duke]

TOO_SMART_BY_HALF_PING!

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

David French.....I see this a**hole is still pretending he’s relevant to anything.

What a loser!

[willk]

If Harris wins and the Dems win the House and Senate it will be game over. The country will be like California. A true conservative will never get elected. Harris already said she will try and install country wide mail in ballots. Since they will pack the Supreme Court she will have no trouble doing that.

[Skywise]

Good Lord... the stupid, it burns.

Hey, I’m super duper pro-life and have been fighting to repeal abortion for decades and, oh, I’m also a super duper life long conservative but Ima vote for Kamala because, like even though she supports abortion after birth, Trump made mean orange tweets and upturned the conservatism establishment and actually got roe v wade repealed and that’s not what I signed up for!

[9YearLurker]

Yeah, that Bush family was just full of “character”!

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

But I’m going to vote for Kamala Harris in 2024 and — ironically enough — I’m doing it in part to try to save conservatism.

No. You're just an idiot.

[JBW1949]

When I look at French, I see a democrat/communist homosexual.....

[Secret Agent Man]

Heres another thing.

We don’t necessarily follow a person. Trump is human. Hes been incorrect on things and we’ve spoken out about it. We don’t do blind cult of personality worship. If we did we wouldn’t have gotten the dam comments of “stop criticizing your own guys” when they got things wrong, from people here.

[FlipWilson]

I honestly don’t give a crud what the New York Times publishes. It is pure fiction and propaganda and has been a while.

Lest we forget:

The NY Times Editorial Board in March said that Biden should dump Harris from the ticket for the good of the campaign and to “save democracy.”

The NY Times a month ago told us Biden was at the top of his game.

Anytime the media works this hard to tell us something, they are trying to make it so, not telling us what is.

[BookmanTheJanitor]

"To save my job with the New York Times...I'm writing this column"

[Ann Archy]

FRENCHIE....YOUHAVE ALWAYS BEEN A PHONY!