Posted on 01/24/2016 12:44:29 PM PST by Calpublican
Growing up in an unhappy and unsupportive home, I took pride, at least, in our family history. My great-great grandfather, a Southern boy, defied community and family pressures and supported Lincoln. He went to Illinois and joined the Union Army. We were Republican ever since and it was the one inspiration I took from my heritage.
Over time though I was no longer proud to be Republican as the party began to stand for almost nothing. I found solace, however, in describing myself as Conservative.
"Conservative" embraced my values and political positions exquisitely. I unashamedly proclaimed myself to be Conservative.
Recently a candidate has presented himself as "Conservative", yet his rhetoric, behavior, positions and principles (or lack thereof) do not represent Conservatism as I have understood it for so many years.
He touts Single Payer, bank bailouts, has a tax plan that a study has just shown will add $34 Trillion debt,ethanol subsidies, and could not be bothered to support the March for Life because, in honesty, he is pro-abortion and in recent years supported partial birth abortion. In addition he does not humble himself before God.
Conservatives in droves who criticized DC politicians for abandoning their principles, are abandoning their principles and finding excuses to follow him.He is an extraordinary salesman and they like the way he says things and is conservative on 2-3 issues;they count that enough. They say he is the only one who can beat Hillary as a driving excuse even though head-to-head polls say otherwise.
Now I am embarrassed to use the Conservative label for fear I will be associated with this person who has co-opted it.
There are alternative labels (Libertarian, Indpendent, etc.) and minor parties (Constitutional). None fits or appropriately and easily conveys my philosophy politically. Somehow I feel invaded and robbed of my identity.
But, more importantly, I feel sad for the future of our country. The counterbalance of opposing thought is truly disappearing. The Uni-Party has trickled down from the Legislature to the masses.
Another incredibly bitter pill is that even now in D.C. McConnell & McCain must be discussing Conservative "Wacko Birds" and laughing their flaccid butts off. Their assessment of Conservatives is proving to be too true.
That's where "Conservatives" are today. Wacko Birds.
To any Trumpophiles who might actually read this & wish to blast me, please know I don't care.
And this agog infatuation with a candidate is simply embarrassing to watch.
I identify myself as a “social and constitutional conservative.” That helps clarify things. And that is why I support Ted Cruz. But there’s no way Trump should be thought of as a conservative or be associated with the term. Trump is not guided by conservative principles.
I think Trump is the best conservative capable of winning the Presidency. You think Cruz is the best conservative capable of winning the Presidency.
There, that s the best argument I got and I haven t belittled anyone, except for the apostrophe. Damn the apostrophe all to hell.
Start identifying yourself, as I have, with freedom, individual, political, and economic. Not the Libertarian Party, but a true Lover of Freedom. Political freedom is a country ruled by law, not man, in our case, the Constitution, which is our only legal bulwark of freedom against federal tyranny.
“Now I am embarrassed to use the Conservative label for fear I will be associated with this person who has co-opted it.”
My advice is suck it up and get over yourself.
The term “conservative” became worthless a few years ago. It happened when our so called conservative leaders in congress rammed cromnibus through, funding another expansion of government. Another stake was placed in its heart just last month when the GOP conservatives, led by Ryan and Mconnell, rammed another budget through, expanding government and fully funding all of Obama’s agenda, including funds for planned parenthood. It was finally destroyed when these same conservatives rammed through funding for the biggest corporate welfare spigot of our time and a thing that should be anathema for all that called themselves “conservative”, the ex/Im bank. Focusing on Trump and other candidates ignores this reality. We’ve moved on based on the lies and bastardization of the term. You should as well. It’s time to remove them all and start over.
For me I have been voting Republican for 40 years and only Reagan really panned out. I would consider him only moderately Conservative. It seems most Establishment conservatives have replaced Conservatism with international laissez faire, a policy that erases borders and reduces all nations to serf status and the international corporation are the land lords. Many call this cabal the Cheap Labor Express.
Trump comes along and finally talks about this without being PC. It is a miracle and I have decided that if a guy like him can actually slow this down then the political calculations are that he gets my support for that reason alone. Again if you feel that the USA is nearly terminal like me then their is very little to loose at this point.
Well, with every day that goes by I get more and more annoyed with Walker for dropping out.
And while I can see the appeal of Trump, and even appreciate his “moving the goal posts” on things like immigration, like you I’m flummoxed by the support he has gotten from folks who are quick to throw anyone else over board for one false word or one mistaken stance.
But here is Trump, with his bs flag flying freely, and they are happy to jump on the bandwagon.
I really don’t know what to think these days.
Not happy with what it seems to stand for today. I now would say “yes I am conservative, not like that new brand of conservatives”. I guess I would say I would be a Cruz/Lee conservative now.
Plenty conservatives support Trump like almost everyone I know in the South
SOME Cruz folk think they own it
Most Trump folks I know like Cruz too
But noooooooooooooooo!
That’s not good enough
Like ancestor, like son. Your great-great-grandfather left home to join an army whose function was to make war on the family he left in the South.
And you bemoan the future of the nation while berating the candidate best-positioned to bring about change.
No wonder you’re conflicted.
{”My advice is suck it up and get over yourself.”}
And you just proved my point.
The Conservative Donald Trump:
- Tough talk on Immigration.
- Tough nationalistic talk. That, in and of itself, is not necessarily limited to conservatives.
So, where else is he conservative?
I think you mean best republican. Trump isn’t conservative in hardly any aspect. He loves America however, and wants us to do well. That is a lot better than anyone on the left, who hate America and want to profit off the rubes.
You sound like me. This cult of personality will fade.
But also, when there's so much rejection and negativity out there it was bound to come full circle and hit not just the more moderate candidates, but the ones who claim to be the most conservative as well.
No, I meant exactly what I said.
You sound like me. This cult of personality will fade.
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It will....but hopefully not too late and we’re stuck with yet another faux-conservative (but with personality).
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