Posted on 12/11/2015 10:35:06 AM PST by Steelfish
Trump Doesn’t Represent the Conservative Base Jonah Goldberg. Dec 11
There’s a tendency in politics to mistake personal animosity for ideological animosity. Consider Bill Clinton. His staggering dishonesty, tackiness, and scorn for the rule of law aroused a lot of anger from the Right. But he wasn’t really that left-wing. Oh, he was certainly more liberal in his heart than he let on, but he also worked from the assumption that this was a center-right country, and that limited what he could get away with. Clinton ran for president the first time by “triangulating†against the base of his own party. He took time off from the campaign to oversee the execution of Ricky Ray Rector, a man so mentally disabled, when he left for the electric chair, he told the guards that he was saving the pecan pie from his last meal “for later.†Clinton signed welfare reform (reluctantly), the Defense of Marriage Act (less reluctantly), helped to balance the budget, and proclaimed that “the era of big government is over.â€
And yet, many conservatives insisted he was a no-good hippy left-winger. George W. Bush ran on a platform of “compassionate conservatism.†Once elected, his first order of business was to work with Ted Kennedy on education. He passed the biggest expansion of entitlements in this country since the Great Society (Medicare Part D), increased the federal workforce, and increased federal spending per household. And yet, during his presidency — even before 9/11 — he was routinely called a heartless right-winger.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
Jonah Goldberg writes:
“According to polls, Trump draws heavily from more secular Republicans who are more likely to describe themselves as “liberal†or “moderate†than “conservative†or “very conservative.†Ted Cruz draws more exclusively from the traditional base. And I would argue that his “very conservative†followers aren’t supporting Trump because he’s a conservative but because he’s a walking, talking thumb in the eyes of “elites†in the media and both parties.
The claim that Trump is a committed conservative is not very believable. Until recently, he was for higher taxes on the wealthy, taking in Syrian refugees, and single-payer health care. He almost never talks about the Constitution, faith, or liberty unless forced to. In 2012, Trump condemned Mitt Romney for being too harsh on illegal immigration. In May of this year, he attacked “publicity seekers†who needlessly provoked Muslims. With the exception of a few single-issue voters on immigration, Trump fans love him for his enemies and for his populist bombast, not for any specific principles. In other words, he divides the GOP more up-down than he does left-right. Trump defenders can rightly point to the fact that he draws support from a wide swath of voters. Critics can rightly point out that he draws animosity from an even wider swath of voters. But neither should go around talking about how Trump represents the conservative base.”
Well, we were screwed by the “conservatives” that we elected, so let’s try something different.
Says... Jonah Goldberg? Heaven help us...
Go away, Goldberg. Just go away.
Please - can’t we just nominate another McCain or Romney and lose with dignity...
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He represents me!!!
Stuff it, Jonah. Just another beltway RINO rumpswabber.
So what? He represents a large swath of American’s and our interests. Good enough for me compared to Ryan McConnell etal!
Looks like Jonah is feeling ignored.
Jonah, Romney didn’t bring out the base, yet you were singing his praises.
Ever considered the most likely issue here? That you don’t represent the opinions or beliefs of the base?
I trust Trump to say what he thinks which is more than I can say for the so called conservatives who couldn’t wait to turn GOPe as soon as they got to DC.
“oh Alice, look at those columns”....as Trump says. LOL
Maybe I don’t agree on every thing with Trump, although can’t think of anything I disagree with right now, but on the big issues I agree. Wasn’t it Ed Koch who said if you agree with him 100% of the time you need your head examined?
So for me: Trump/Cruz.
If Trump just appealed to the conservative base he wouldn’t be feared.
He and Cruz would cancel each other out and the establishment candidate could prance to victory.
It’ his appeal to both moderates and conservatives that has made his campaign.
Ted Cruz has a pretty solid track record. I don’t get it. If Cruz was around in 2012, people would be doing backflips.
Now he’s ridiculed. I don’t get it
“Trump Doesn’t Represent the Conservative Base”
Perhaps. He is more a populist, definitely.
But who is Goldberg saying does represent the “conservative base”?
And, more so, what is Goldberg’s point rather than irrelevancy?
History is passing by these guys.
Mr. Goldberg, you self-described political expert, you claim to have it all figured out. Not a chance.
“Romney didn’t bring out the base”
Yes. Romney surely never represented the base.
Which was the beginning and end of his defeat.
In my opinion he is running on the Republican ticket because that is the best spot to fight the communists that have infiltrated the entire democRat party. Also a good spot to gain control of the democRat cheering squad.
Got to love that red faced, red haired Goldberg.
He tells us Trump isn’t a conservative.
But fails to tell us who he thinks is that great conservative.
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