Is Donald Trump A ‘Common Sense Conservative,’ Or Just Mostly Liberal?

Investor's Business Daily ^ | 2/19/2016 | Staff

[IBD editorial writer]

Ideology: Donald Trump now calls himself a “common sense conservative.” What does that mean? Based on positions he’s taken out so far, it appears that “common sense conservative” means siding with liberals like Bernie Sanders on a number of issues.

[IMR 4350]

The world is not black or white it’s gray.

You mean it’s kind of like Triangulation, a Third Way?

Where have I heard Triangulation and Third Way before?

OH yea, Triangulation and Third Way comes from the bestest best best bestest friends of Trump, the Clintons.

What a coincidence.

Truly is amazing how Trump’s entire campaign strategy was orchestrated by the Clintons years ago.

[norwaypinesavage]

The late great Milton Friedman, and many others disagree with your analysis.

[HotHunt]

You're sore because a candidate doesn't open your emails and kiss your a**? Geez. Get over yourself.

My wife and I are both veterans and have already voted early absentee in Florida. Our guy: Trump.

[Beagle8U]

Just a typical pro-abortion, anti-gun, NYC liberal.

[central_va]

Doesn't want increased tariffs, the cause of the Great Depression

That is so much BS. The Smoot-Hawley fake boogey man.

[central_va]

Trade was only 4% of the economy in the 1920’s and 1930’s had nothing to do with the Great Depression but it does make for a good straw man argument. It’s red herring.

[usconservative]

Common Sense Conservative?

Trump's a POPULIST. That's what he is.

Border Security, Building a Wall? That's very much on the minds of Average Americans, independent of political ideology. No Centrist or Right Leaning Democrat OR Republican that I've met is against building a wall to protect our southern borders. That's not necessarily a Conservative position, across the board it's just COMMON SENSE.

Tax Cuts are another Common Sense position. While typically considered a Republican, Conservative or Right Wing position, the fact is Average Americans KNOW we're over-taxed! This isn't the "tax the rich" argument Democrats have made for DECADES now. This is about stopping paying people to NOT work while doing the minimum to help themselves and the sticking their hands out to demand more from others! This is about actually HELPING those who DO WORK and DO THE RIGHT THING so as not to be a burden on others so that they're actually REWARDED for working and taking care of themselves and their families!

How is that anything other than COMMON SENSE independent of political ideology? I know of absolutely NO Centrist or right leaning Democrat who's against tax cuts! Why does anyone think Donald Trump is wooing the Blue Collar / Blue Dog Democrats?! I've written about that extensively here on FR early on during Trumps candidacy! This is one of their CORE ISSUES right along with Border Security! Ask any Blue Collar / Blue Dog Democrat!

Guns. COMMON SENSE! Here again, moderate Democrats (Centrists, right leaning) actually AGREE with Republicans (moderates, right leaning, right wing) that we are increasingly facing a TYRANNICAL GOVERNMENT who by itself has ZERO interest in enforcing the law! Rather, we live under an Administration that endorses BLACK LIVES MATTER and violence against non-blacks! Then there's the drugs and the violence that brings, massive unchecked immigration and the crime that brings too. It should be easy to see for ANYONE with a brain why Americans are arming up at record levels. That's because we all KNOW the Government IS NOT HERE TO PROTECT US and in fact, they're doing the EXACT OPPOSITE! We have to DEFEND ourselves from these tyrants!

How are Guns a "Conservative" issue anymore? They're just common sense!

Education. Common core is DEAD. It's been repealed. The challenge now is to ELIMINATE the Department of Education and return FULL CONTROL of education back to the states. Again, as a Social and Fiscal Conservative myself, I don't see how this is strictly a "Conservative" or "Common Sense Conservative" issue -- it's just COMMON SENSE!

I'm not going to get into what IBD identified as "Liberal" or "mixed bag" issues with Trump because there, it's true Trump's changed his position repeatedly. Sometimes dramatically, other times more nuanced. They're not worth arguing about on this forum IMO because of the bigger issue IMO which is LIFE.

I've been a Trump fan in the past (I am not any longer for reasons I've already disclosed.)

The biggest issue for me is Trump's position on LIFE and Abortion. Anyone who's had as dramatic a change of position on Abortion as Trump claims to have can describe the moment and the very argument or example of why their position changed.

Trump can't do that. Or at least hasn't so far so on his position regarding Abortion --- I just don't trust the guy. I really don't. The truth is, without a Culture that VALUES LIFE IN ALL STAGES from conception through natural death, none of the rest matters. At least IMO.

As much as I can't trust Trump at this point, I can't trust Cruz either. Cruz may be right on LIFE but on other issues (Immigration, H1B's, etc..) he's also changed his positions and I don't trust him either. I really also don't like what he did to Ben Carson in Iowa and his "Voter Alert" B.S. That to me was a new low and beneath Cruz. One cannot claim the moral high ground and then do these kinds of things. That's just inconsistent (like Trump.)

The sad reality for me at this point is this: I don't have a Candidate I can support. What a shame that is, since it may actually be the case for the first time in 30 years that our primary votes here in Illinois might actually matter.

Barring some earth-shaking event that causes one Republican candidate to say or do something that I can fully get behind, I'm likely staying home on Primary day. Again, at this point.

[jimbo807]

I’ll take Common Sense Conservative over Compassionate Conservative any day. The compassionate one started a big ass war that is still going on.

[Leto]

Cruz he is the ONLy candidate that has listed a specific set of Government agencies to CLOSE.

HE has a tax plan that would cause businesses to move jobs back to America.

The agencies he proposes closing would reduce burdensome regulations.

His immigration plan is stronger than Trump’s. It also acknowledges and corrects his mistaken position on H1B visa’s.

He proposed entitlement reform something Trump doesn’t address.

[PGalt]

Thanks Leto. I can support Cruz 99%. HOORAY Cruz.

[usconservative]

Trump may not be 100% Conservative, but at least he's 50% Conservative with the potential of being better. He's much better than all the other candidates who many consider as Conservative but already betrayed us while in office.

The problem with the above statement is twofold. First, that the 50% of positions that you and I may agree with Trump on, are in fact CONSERVATIVE positions, rather than modern day MAINSTREAM positions (for reasons I outlined above.) Second, that there may be a handful of Conservatives who haven't betrayed the Conservative Cause (Jeff Sessions comes to mind ....) while others (Cruz, Rubio) have "bent" on some positions to the point of not being discernable from a Democrat.

I would NOT label Trump as being better than a Jeff Sessions or a John Thune (who I wished would run for President) to name just two what I believe to be solid Conservatives. I think there's a handful of solid Conservatives in Congress. The rest, meh --- not so much. Again, my opinion.

Fact is, Republican LEADERSHIP and the GOP-E have absolutely betrayed Conservatives. The bastards also dramatically outnumber us AND THEY KNOW IT. The dummies however haven't figured out they can't win without us and they're again in the process of POISONING THE WELL which will guarantee a Clinton or Sanders Presidency.

God Help America!

[Theophilus]

but at least he's 50% Conservative

I've never thought one could be half conservative. The way I've always seen it, one either is or is not. For me, the crux of the difference between liberalism and conservativism is not a spectrum where one plot ones opinion about issues on a chart. It is about how human nature is percieved.

• Conservatism views human nature as bad, corrupted by Original Sin, totally depraved, in rebellion against God. In conservatism governments are needed to restrain the anarchy of human autonomy, but in turn, are corrupted by depravity of its officers. Progress is attributed to the grace and providence of God in spite of men.
• Liberalism views human nature as good and noble, only requiring good management, leadership and education to achieve utopia. In liberalism all of humanity and it's resources need to be marshaled by, through and in government to achieve "progress". Liberalism cannot tolerate dissent and non-cooperation. All success is attributed to the brilliance and nobility of the leaders ex: "the job creators"

[Theophilus]

perceived

[jimbo807]

Conservatism views human nature as bad, corrupted by Original Sin, totally depraved, in rebellion against God. In conservatism governments are needed to restrain the anarchy of human autonomy, but in turn, are corrupted by depravity of its officers. Progress is attributed to the grace and providence of God in spite of men.

---

And you wonder why people don’t want to vote for Ted. Hahahaha

[mj1234]

Thanks for the comments-

I go to 2 churches- the ministers of both churches
SAY AND DO SOME OF THE DUMBEST -&”WRONG” things
in the WORLD!- LOL - at least in my mind- LOL

then I step back, take a look at the whole man-
what are they doing, what have they done- their
WHOLE life- Trump is popular because he is:
1. a celebrity
2. has been covered by the msm for the past 20 years
Nation wide- (most people out side of Texas had not
heard of Cruz-)
3. has hit it out of the ball park when people question
his motives,loyalty,character- he does not back down.

back to my ministers... has Trump supported America?
Values? his Family? like my ministers have?-

well- that’s for everyone to research themselves and decide

good luck

[j.argese]

I don't believe Mr. Trump ever claimed to be some conservative messiah. Just somebody who recognized border issues and stated he would resolve them. Support the 2nd Amendment. Reassess trade issues. Take care of veterans. If he does one of four it would be great.
Oh, yeah, what were the issues of the candidates PRIOR to Trump's entry? Oh, yeah, the same old shit.

[servantboy777]

Scares the hell outta me. Anyone remember “compassionate conservatism”?

Common sense conservative / compassionate conservatism.

Sounds exactly the same to me.

[Theophilus]

And you wonder why people don’t want to vote for Ted. Hahahaha

Conservatism is admittedly rare but the Lord gives and the Lord takes away and conservatives will give Him the Glory for the outcome, not Cruz, our fellow servant and instrument of God.

[jimbo807]

Uh huh...

[r_barton]

Bitter loser. Get use to it.