Posted on 02/16/2016 4:59:00 PM PST by conservativejoy
It's easy to underestimate Donald Trump. The other Republican candidates in the race continue to do so, writing him off as a clown, a charlatan, a fool. Today, David French of National Review writes him off as a conventional Democrat:
Trump doesn't threaten the Republican establishment because he's too conservative or too populist. He threatens the Republican establishment because he belongs in the other party.
There's truth to this - there's a reason that Code Pink essentially endorsed Trump over the weekend, after Trump veered into Iraq trutherism and blamed George W. Bush for 9/11. And Trump, as I've written before, resembles Bernie Sanders on policy far more than he resembles Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), the most conservative person in the field.
But there's more to the Trump challenge than merely Republicans embracing Democratic ideas. There's the appeal of the strong man.
Worship of the strong man has never been foreign to Democrats. As the American branch of the international left, the Democratic Party has always worshipped at the altar of the strong man. Woodrow Wilson said in 1906, "The president is at liberty both in law and conscience to be as big a man as he can. His capacity will set the limit." Wilson said that if the president could garner the support of the public, "no single force can withstand him, no combination of forces will easily overpower him." In 1911, Wilson stated, "The whole country, since it cannot decipher the methods of its legislation, is clamoring for leadership; and a new role, which, to many persons, seems little less than unconstitutional, is thrust upon our executives."
From FDR to LBJ to Barack Obama, the Democratic legacy has wavered little from this vision of government.
But the strong man has always made conservatives uncomfortable, just as it made the founders uncomfortable enough to rebel against a King. The Federalist Papers repeatedly explain that the presidency is not an unchecked monarchy; the anti-federalists argued that even the specific delegated powers of the Constitution gave too much control to the executive branch. The Republican Party represented an extension of that idea: discomfort with a strong man with unbridled power to "get things done."
Trump, by contrast, recognizes no limits to presidential power. It’s not merely that Trump mirrors Democratic views of the world - he represents Democrats' caudillo-like view of executive power. When Trump speaks, he routinely talks about singlehandedly imposing his view of the world from the Oval Office. He talks about "winning" for particular constituencies. He will "get things done." He won't be all talk. He'll use the power of the government for you.
In 2010, Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez - a man universally reviled by his enemies as a clown and a boor - campaigned again on the basis of his unique brand of power. "I demand absolute loyalty to my leadership…anything else is betrayal," said the socialist. “I am not an individual, I am the people. It's my duty to demand respect for the people." He added, "If you cherish the fatherland, join Chavez." Chavez never had to use violence in outsized measures to consolidate his rule - his populist shtick worked just fine.
It has worked fine for Barack Obama. It's working fine for Bernie Sanders. And it's working well for Donald Trump, too. Before writing Trump off as "just another Democrat," we should recognize that his policies aren't the worst aspect of his Democrat-lite routine. It's his embrace of Democratic notions of the role of the executive and the role of government. Should Republicans choose Trump, they'll be buying into the Democratic century-long project of subverting Constitutional checks and balances in favor of a Wilsonian "big man." The last thing America needs is two parties stumping for alternative "big men."
These anti Trump clowns need to get a life.
They lost.
Now we start to worry about it.
You don't have a border, your constitution doesn't mean $hit.
I don’t trust Trump to name conservative justices to the supreme court.
Now the Trump cultists will say he says he will. Donald Trump has been on every side of every issue depending on the way the wind blows. He makes Mitt Romney look consistent. I don’t trust him when he says he will.
"conservativejoy", serial TrumpBash article poster.
How's about we laugh at you on Saturday evening, cj?
Ross Perot redux...
But Obama & all of the RINO’s and Socialists in Congress aren’t Ben?
I think somebody warned about this road when Bubba was the Stainer In Chief. Can’t remember who those people were.
It may be a threat, but the cronyism of Cruz and Rubio could be considered worse by some.
Well, OK, then, guess I’d better not vote for Trump if Ben Shapiro say so.
BOY are they getting scared !
Trump belongs to “the other party?” Reagan was a Democrat at one time; Sanders was a socialist up until a year ago - now he’s a “democratic socialist.”
Usually I like Shapiro, but he’s wrong on this one
Trump rests on one issue: immigration. He’s now against it and claims he will deport 11M people. This will never happen - our army isn’t big enough given all other obligations. In all other respects, he’s just another big gov’t liberal. Every other candidate in the race is more conservative, and would be a much better POTUS. Do you really want Trump picking the next few Supreme Court Justices? God help this country if it turns out to be a Trump vs Clinton or Sanders race.
I’ll have to vote for Trump, then run and hide.
Absolutely. Don’t these Trump yahoos know that the Constitution guarantees illegal immigrants the unlimited right to cross our border and live here for as long as they like?
Right! None of these Establishment pimps cared nearly this much for the last 7 years as obama and company dismantled the Constitution and the country along with it. But oh boy Trump!!! Ahhhhhh!!!!! Heeelllllppppp!!,
“Ross Perot redux...”
Exactly what I have been saying for awhile!
LOL, the same parade of sad clowns, over and over and over again. Did Ben go on a weekend retreat with Glenn Beck or something? This is about as close to calling someone Hitler without using the actual words as it can get.
The desperation is oozing from my monitor.
There are actually people posting here who will say:
“Trump will save this country”
And mean it sincerely.
www.jebbush.com
click it
You are certifiable, commit yourself, get plenty of sleep, take your medication,listen to your therapist, and someday you may be able to return to normal society.
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