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Trump Doesn’t Represent the Conservative Base
National Review ^ | December 11, 2015 | Jonah Goldberg

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.”

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 ...


TOPICS: Politics
KEYWORDS: 2016trump; jonahgoldberg; thinskinned; trumpanzees; trumpettes
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To: Steelfish

He represents the conservative base better than anyone not named Ted Cruz.


61 posted on 12/11/2015 11:52:43 AM PST by SeaHawkFan
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To: moehoward

Well .. after the actions I saw on Bret Baier’s TV program yesterday, what Jonah is saying is going along with the same pattern.

That’s what’s making me suspicious.


62 posted on 12/11/2015 11:55:14 AM PST by CyberAnt ("The fields are white unto Harvest")
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To: Steelfish

Shut up you snot nosed little jerk. You don’t represent me.


63 posted on 12/11/2015 11:59:28 AM PST by jmaroneps37 (Conservatism is truth. Liberalism is lies.VE)
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To: Steelfish

I’m part of the conservative base. And I’m loving everything he’s said so far. Too bad other candidates aren’t proposing similar ideas.


64 posted on 12/11/2015 11:59:44 AM PST by Jim Robinson (Resistance to tyrants is obedience to to God!)
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To: The Final Harvest

Jonah is a nice guy, he’s a smart nerdy type, he’s friendly on Twitter too. Stopped following him when his Trump Derangement surfaced.


65 posted on 12/11/2015 12:02:52 PM PST by moehoward
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To: Steelfish

I’m certainly no fan of this writer, or his publication, but nonetheless, it’s quite a spectacle watching the rank and file of the Republican Party jump out of the unprincipled GOP establishment frying pan into the unprincipled Donald Trump fire.


66 posted on 12/11/2015 12:03:24 PM PST by EternalVigilance (Democrats and the GOP. They love our enemies, and hate you and me)
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To: Steelfish
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.

I think this is precisely right - Which is why the 'Trump/Cruz 2016' isn't going to work, not any better than McCain/Palin did.

If Cruz exits, I don't think Trump will inherit his voters... 'Trump/Cruz' will lose for that exact reason. However, if Trump exits, I think Cruz would inherit the lion's share - And for the first time since Reagan, there would actually be a Conservative in the White House.

Trump is a stalking horse to take the air away from Conservatives - It's what happens every time. If you want to find the Conservative, look at who the media ignores. Too bad so many are so blinded by them... But that's what propaganda does.

67 posted on 12/11/2015 12:20:06 PM PST by roamer_1 (Globalism is just Socialism in a business suit.)
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To: Steelfish

Yea I heard Dr Krauthamer on Special Report when he talked about the Ham/ Bacon sandwich test ....I want a Trump adherent say what is he going to do when an obvious Muslim tells us he is Episcopalian?


68 posted on 12/11/2015 12:38:18 PM PST by woofie
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To: Steelfish

Wrong as usual. I get so tired of this crap.


69 posted on 12/11/2015 12:44:45 PM PST by ThePatriotsFlag ( Anything FREELY-GIVEN by the government was TAKEN from someone else)
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To: Steelfish

There goes Jonah pissing and moaning again. The peasants are revolting!


70 posted on 12/11/2015 12:47:27 PM PST by Buckeye Battle Cry (Hillary - Ethically sleazy and politically stupid)
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To: 2banana

Exactly. Even if Trump is a disaster, at least we have the added bonus of burning down the GOPe’s house.


71 posted on 12/11/2015 1:05:45 PM PST by Future Snake Eater (CrossFit.com)
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To: Steelfish; woofie

>> what if Trumps negatives are so high that Hillary wins and we have a left-wing Supreme Court for life <<

A room of 12 year olds throwing spitballs couldn’t care less.

(See post no. 33.)


72 posted on 12/11/2015 1:06:39 PM PST by Hawthorn
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To: 2banana

Romney would have been President now if he had not been a mormon. Some Christians simply could not pull the handle for a mormon even though they hated the moslem usurper.


73 posted on 12/11/2015 1:12:00 PM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar
Romney MIGHT have been POTUS now if he had not been the unprincipled greedypig leftist that is and always has been and always will be Willard Mitt Romney, Obozo's brother by another mother.

There was absolutely no point in electing a pro-abort, gun grabbing, leftist judge appointing, evirowhacko, spoiled child of privilege POS shit, etc., etc., etc., like Romney and his Mormonism is entirely irrelevant.

As a Catholic, I disagree with the remarkable beliefs of Mormons but I also disagree with many beliefs of Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Baptists, Congregationalists, Unitarians, and adherents of any faith not my own. That does not stop me from voting for candidates of other religions. In fact, I have gladly done so all my life so long as they were genuinely conservative. Isn't that the standard?

74 posted on 12/11/2015 1:26:07 PM PST by BlackElk (Dean of Discipline: Tomas de Torquemada Gentlemen's Society/Rack 'em Danno!)
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To: greene66

there is indeed nothing left to lose.

You will notice it when its gone


75 posted on 12/11/2015 1:34:12 PM PST by woofie
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To: Fido969

Has Trump ever claimed he was conservative? I don’t remember ever hearing that from Trump himself.


76 posted on 12/11/2015 1:53:16 PM PST by Dutch Boy
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To: Steelfish
He does have a point. Much of Trump's support is moderate, maybe even liberal (for Republicans), and so is his background.

But non-Evangelical conservatives have often been more willing to support a less conservative candidate, rather than the choice of religious conservatives.

Even Jonah's done that sometimes. Evangelicals and other religious conservatives may return the favor.

Any candidate too closely associated with one kind of conservatism (religious, economic, national security) loses some conservative votes to a more moderate candidate who's less tied to one particular faction.

If you're a Cruz fan, you may think that Cruz is conservative in all ways and therefore should be the favorite of all conservatives. But not all conservatives feel that way (which is why some of them aren't voting for Cruz).

Regional concerns also play a role. Trump has a nation-wide appeal (at least among Republicans). Other candidates are less popular outside their own regions.

77 posted on 12/11/2015 2:08:59 PM PST by x
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To: Steelfish

“Trump Doesn’t Represent the Conservative Base”

EXACTLY. That’s why he needs Cruz on the ticket. Good call here.


78 posted on 12/11/2015 3:43:03 PM PST by BobL (Who cares? He's going to build a wall and stop this invasion.)
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To: skeeter

Jonah Goldberg??? Isn’t he the fat guy from the movie “Moneyball”? /s


79 posted on 12/11/2015 4:17:47 PM PST by Roger Kaputnik (Just because I'm paranoid doesn't prove that they aren't out to get me.)
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