We had the chance, and we blew it.

FreeRepublic ^ | 2/19/2016 | Washi

[Washi]

It's appearing obvious that Trump will win South Carolina, and logic would tend to indicate that that makes him the odds-on favorite to win the Republican nomination (baring any GOPe dirty tricks at the convention).

While I will gladly vote for Trump over Clinton or Sanders, I'm still disheartened.

Ever since the last day of Reagan's administration, America has been in need of conservative leadership.

GHW Bush's squishiness gave us Clinton.

GW Bush barely won election. I'm glad he was in office after 9/11 instead of Gore, but he loaded us up with tons of debt and a lot of government growth. He also gave us Obama.

McCain was a squish and got his ass handed to him in Obama's first term.

Romney was a squish and got his ass handed to him in Obama's second term. Even Obama was surprised he won that one after the destruction he wrought in his first term.

Now, our chance has come.

On the democrat side, we have a nasty, entitled, corrupt, untrustworthy, unlikable, old hag and a grungy, mooching, old, socialist running for office.

On the republican side, we have a solidly conservative, well spoken, highly informed candidate that isn't afraid to stand up to the GOPe and fight for conservative causes. It's what we ALL have been waiting for.

We've ALL thought that we could win the presidency and right the wrongs of the past few decades of creeping socialism if we would just put a true conservative up as our nominee in the general.

Well, this is our chance. But, we're about to piss it away.

I think I understand the appeal of Trump. People are pissed and Trump has tapped into that. But this is a time for thinking, not feeling. Trump is a demagogue. People want to be on "Team Trump" because he's loud, proud, and unapologetic. But, Trump is also practicing a scorched Earth campaign of character assassination against Cruz in order to win the nomination for himself, and his whipped up supporters are dog-piling on anyone who dares to point out the emperor's lack of clothes.

Two years from now, when we discover that all of the red flags and warnings being blared by Trump's past positions and statements really are an accurate representation of Trump, and we find that "campaign" Trump was just that, we will kick ourselves when we realize that we had our chance, perhaps our last, to nominate the true conservative we had all been waiting for, and we screwed it up.

Turning a blind eye to Trump's liberal leanings just because he says the things we want to hear, and helps us express our dissatisfaction with the status-quo, doesn't make his leanings any less liberal.

We've said that electing a conservative could set us back on the right track.

We have, right now, a chance that we won't have again for a very, very long time. A chance to prove we were right.

But we're about to blow it.

[central_va]

Cruz isn’t much of a conservative. He wanted to increase H-1Bs by 500% and his support for TPA showed his true colors.

[Cobra64]

Wait... Someone just said that was contrived and not true.

[plain talk]

Bush gave us obama? The buzz of the 1st black president gave us obama.

[deltanine]

“Well said: I predict two years from now (if they are even the tiniest bit conservative) most of Trump’s die hard supporters WILL be cursing him for betraying us.”

That is assuming, of course, that Trump wins the general election.

I don’t think he can beat Hillary or Bernie.

[Washi]

But closing the borders is so important I really don't care about much else.

And if he is unable to achieve that, what are you left with?

[crusher2013]

He sure doesn’t want to conserve jobs for Americans.

His appeal is social conservatism, but those issues are mostly decided by the Supreme Court or the States. So what would he really accomplish?

[Williams]

Bingo. I’m fine with Trump or Cruz as president, but do not think Ted Cruz will appeal to a majority of voters. All the candidates have flaws. Rubio might be best for the general except he looks like a high schooler.

Not sure at all a majority will accept Trump either. That’s just reality talking.

[867V309]

I held my nose for Mclame, and Romney ... never again. If America wants to elect another RINO, they will do it without my vote.

Problem is, Mclame and Romney were establishment garbage.

Like him or not, Trump is not establishment.

[Washi]

Thank you for your well reasoned, intellectual response to my post.

[Truthsearcher]

It’s depressing find out how many in the socalled conservative movement aren’t actually conservative. Although I suppose even nationalistic populism is still better than suicidal nihilism of the left.

[Cobra64]

True. The altruists will be administering aspirin to America while she is bleeding from an illegal invasion and terminal financial melt down.

[Washi]

Thank you for your well reasoned, intellectual response to my post.

[Windflier]

Ted was originally my guy. I donated four times to his presidential campaign, and only stopped donating when he voted for TPA. In addition, I voted for Ted in his U.S. Senate race - in the primary, the run-off, and the general elections in Texas.

So why don't I support Ted now?

TPA
Corker bill
H1-B visas
"Poison Pil" amendment tickery
Teddy bears and soccer balls for illegals
Glenn Beck already swore him in as President
Married to Goldman Sachs
Robert Mercer
Homo mega-donors
Wants to have a conversation about illegal invaders
"NY values"
Me too!
Canadian born (not NBC)
Career government employee
Freshman Senator, wet behind the ears
Iowa dirty tricks
Loans? What loans?
Preachy, not natural (a personal turn-off)

I soured on Ted for all of the reasons above.

When Trump came on the scene, he came out of the gate saying the exact things I needed to hear from a candidate. Even still, it took me some weeks of studying the man, to give him my support for president. I'm now comfortable with that choice, and have no expectations of changing it.

[central_va]

We want a Nationalist, someone to put America and Americans first. The truest form of conservatism. If Trump can’t deliver we’ll find someone else. It s a new paradigm, out with the corporate Cheap Labor Express Republicans and in with the Nationalists.

[Grizzled Bear]

I obviously Stand With Ted, but I don’t think these observations are crazily biased. Just my opinion, though.

---

They hate Cruz. That is all they need to say.

Everything else is projection.

[nathanbedford]

Deception? There was no deception which is a knowing telling of an untruth with an intent to deceive. No such deception occurred.

In order for Cruz to be guilty as a Christian he must first be guilty and he simply is not.

In contrast, Donald Trump is guilty of immorality and probably fraud and criminality but he is not exonerated because we all know that he is a hypocritical Christian. That defense might have been available to Bill Clinton but there is no reason to exonerate Donald Trump for his sins simply because he doesn't pass the laugh test as a Christian.

We have now gotten to the point with Trump supporters that we should oppose Ted Cruz because he is a believing Christians but we should support Donald Trump because he is a lying, hypocritical Christian.

[Outlaw76]

It was DSC claiming Trump was the second coming of Hank Reordon.

LoTR is a great trilogy. I enjoyed reading it.

[matthew fuller]

Right now the RCP averages show that Trump will lose to Clinton 42.5 to 45.3. (2.8).
Cruz beats her by 0.8.
Rubio beats her by 4.7.
Kasich beats her by 7.4.
Bush loses to Clinton by 1.8.
Looks like Trump is more like a rerun version of Romney or McCain, another pubbie loser.

When the race narrows, which it will, most of the supporters of the dropouts will wind up voting for OTHER THAN TRUMP.

[Washi]

Based on your post, I don't think you have a clue on what Trump's appeal is.

Then tell me.