Posted on 02/28/2016 11:40:05 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
The stakes in 2016 are huge and the party is fractured. The rhetoric reflects a Trump Derangement Syndrome in which Trump is either a monster or a savior, instead of a politician. On the left, Bush Derangement Syndrome expressed itself in the conviction that he was unalterably and uniquely worse than every other president and would get around to declaring martial law and ruling forever.
The danger of exaggeration is that previously unacceptable views suddenly become acceptable. Bush Derangement Syndrome made it acceptable for Democrats to descend into open treason by making common cause with Saddam Hussein, the Sunni terrorist groups that evolved into ISIS and Assad.
Bush Derangement Syndrome made him seem so terrible that every other evil could be justified by comparison. The exaggeration of Trump Derangement Syndrome is doing that all over again.
Trump Derangement Syndrome is driving some conservatives to call for destroying the Republican Party and conservatism, and even to usher in eight years of left-wing rule, in order to stop Trump.
Under pressure from Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton is now adopting positions well to the left of Obama. On racial issues, she’s already more extreme than he is. Ponder that for a minute. Both Democratic candidates are now airing blatantly racist views about white privilege. Sanders and Clinton are also scrambling to get to the left of Obama on terrorism, socialized medicine and a raft of other issues.
The switch from “Anyone But Hillary” to “Anyone But Trump” is a sign of fundamentally misplaced priorities.
Political campaigns can get ugly and Trump’s style is, at times, to get as nasty as possible, but it’s a sign of misplaced insider priorities to allow personal animus to matter more than the war against the left. It’s not unreasonable for some conservatives to be angry at Trump and his tactics. It is unreasonable to let that anger turn into a petulance that would let the left rule the nation for another eight years.
We are not in the conservative movement to settle our personal scores. Stopping Trump at any cost is not acceptable just as stopping Romney or McCain at any cost was not considered to be acceptable. Conservatives cannot always have conservative candidates or achieve conservative policy goals. But they can still prevent the left from winning a complete victory in any given election.
Bush Derangement Syndrome began when Democrats decided not to accept the results of an election. Everything else emerged naturally, logically and treasonously from that conclusion. Trump Derangement Syndrome is a preemptive call not to accept the results of political primaries in the Republican Party.
Proponents of the “Anybody But Trump” school argue that his nomination would be catastrophic for conservatism. That may be true, but conservatism as a national program is more likely to survive Trump than it is Hillary or Sanders.
There are important lessons in the rise of Trump. Learning those lessons would make conservatives stronger, not weaker. And refusing to learn those lessons will not make conservatism any stronger.
The most basic of those lessons is to fight hard. Voters choose fighters over ideological purists. That’s human nature and conservatives, unlike liberals, have always recognized the reality of human nature. If conservatives want to win ideological victories, they have to fight harder politically, but without losing sight of the things that they are fighting for above the ordinary pettiness of the political contest.
Trump Derangement Syndrome is obsessive and unhealthy. Critics match what they see as Trump’s inflated sense of self-importance with an equal conviction of his importance as a destroyer. But Trump cannot destroy the conservative movement. Only conservatives can do that.
Bush Derangement Syndrome destroyed the Democratic Party. Even moderate Democrats were suddenly willing to make common cause with the most radical elements of the left and Islam out of the conviction that President Bush had to be stopped at any cost. They lost sight of the real threats to the country, handed over their political party to leftist radicals and billionaires, and gave us Obama.
Trump Derangement Syndrome could give the country eight years of Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders. Or someone even worse. Conservatives understand human weaknesses and the importance of overcoming them. Trump Derangement Syndrome is not a conservative response. And if it allows the left to win, then it becomes treason against conservative ideals and the conservative movement.
It isn’t your job to do anything about “Cincy”.
Don’t like her threads don’t click on them.
And that’s putting it very politely.
An American?
"Because they were the ones who made the bill. They all knew.I understood Pelosi's comment to mean that the public would not be allowed to know what was in it until it was passed."
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FReepers knew!!
Conservatives knew!
Rush knew!
Ted Cruz knew!
It was an attack on us and why WE fought so hard against it - but even knowing as much as WE did, WE had no idea how really dastardly it was - how it is modified on whim.
I'm giving that same warning about Trump.
He’s burning down the establishment - and that’s enough for many it seems.
He’s likely to burn everything else down too, but oh well.
And they’ve turned Cruz into the devil through all this. One of the few champion’s for our cause we’ve had in D.C.
Just wait until the opposition really starts tearing into Trump’s businesses/past for the general election, but only after the primary and he’s a done deal.
At least there’s a record of it here for all to see. It is hope and change all over again. Hope is not a plan.
Why are we worrying about this? Did we worry about this when voting for RINO Romney? RINO McCain? RINO Dole? Now, mind you,... I'm not even saying Trump is a RINO. If you have to conceptualize him somehow, think of him as a very patriotic fiscal conservative, social moderate who loves his country and wants to save it. Just don't expect him to be totally knowledgable about the social issues because that's never front and center on his radar screen.
Have you been listening to the dem talking points about "fascism" and "Hitler?"
You REALLY need to spend a day listening to his kids. No man who raises conservative-minded, constitution-loving kids like he has could be capable of hiding some deep, dark love of fascist dictatorship. Go ahead. Find them on YouTube and listen to their lingo and verbiage as they speak about the Bill of Rights and our Constitution. It will help ease your fears, i'm sure.
Hey,,, I was going easy. : )
Besides, it’s happened to me, several times. I’m not trying to attack , just thought it appropriate to recognize the irony.
Now, back to the pictures. And this time don’t interrupt me until I’m done with the pictures. : )
“I think Carter’s in better shape than Bill.”
Carter says Trump is malleable. Carter’s brain is malleable, like Silly Putty. You can pull it, stretch it, but smack it with a hammer and it shatters into a million pieces. A non-Neutonion fluid.
I do not need to listen to Trump’s “kids” to know what the man is about.
You really lose the argument when you resort to such nonsense.
I agree. Two issues.
Which candidate would make the Best President ?
Which candidate can win the election?
The problem is, one must first WIN the election in order to be President.
Only if they can't find the door.
Kids who both openly endorsed same-sex marriage, complain that women don’t get “equal pay,” fund-raised for Corey Booker and one who is best friends with Chelsea Clinton are NOT, NOT, NOT conservative. If this is the new “conservatism,” I’m going to need a new word to define the beliefs that I, Ted Cruz and all genuine Tea Party conservatives believe.
Trump is NOT, NOT, NOT a fiscal conservative. Not reforming entitlements programs is not fiscally conservative. Not reforming the tax code to end progressive rates is not fiscally conservative. Supporting giving everyone who doesn’t already have it free health care is not fiscally conservative.
Shhhhh.... don’t tell anyone.
I didn't realize we were arguing. And here I've been trying really hard to be sincere and courteous, probably to a person who just can't be content unless there's some kind of conflict or worrying going on around her. Some people are like that, you know.
You have a great day, and let me know when you find your perfect candidate who can also win an election.
ah, now that I read it again, it’s bad, but maybe he was just talking to quickly...
When the students poured into Tiananmen Square, the Chinese government almost blew it. Then they were vicious, they were horrible, but they put it down with strength. That shows you the power of strength. Our country is right now perceived as weak … as being spit on by the rest of the world
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3402950/posts
it’s the old “never say anything even remotely decent about stalin, mao, hitler, Mussolini..cause you’ll sound wrong.
it’s a long time ago. you’re right forget it
I really think it’s the main difference between Trump people and Cruz people.
Realists and idealists.
Also, Trump supporters see the glass half empty or half full and Cruz supporters see water spots on the glass. ;-)
Super Tuesday.
Spot on! Trump may choose a very conservative VP who he can mold into the fiscally conservative expert in the economy that he has achieved. Then the torch will go on. I am repeating Ronald Reagan’s words that I took from a speech that The Ronald gave and I quoted in an earlier post. I think it has relevance to the contention we see on these boards:
“For in this century and the next decades, it will be decided for the generations whether all mankind is to become Communist; whether the whole world is to become free or, in the struggle, civilization as we know it is to become completely destroyed or completely changed. It is our fate to live on that turning point in history.
“We have already come a long way together. . . join me in a new effort—a new crusade. Nostalgia has its time and place . . . but nostalgia is not enough. The challenge is now. It’s time we stop looking backward at how we got here. We must ask ourselves how we can forge and wield a popular majority from one end of this country to the other. A majority united on basic positive goals with a platform broad enough and deep enough to endure long into the future—far beyond the lifespan of any single issue or personality.
We must reach out and appeal to the patriotic and fundamental ideals of average Americans who do not consider themselves movement people but, respond to the same American ideals we do. I am not talking about some vague notion of abstract amorphous American mainstream. I’m talking about main street Americans in their millions. They come in all sizes shapes and colors: Blue collar workers, blacks, Hispanics, shoe keepers, scholars, service people, house wives, and professional men and women. They are the back bone of America. And we can’t move America without moving their hearts and minds as well.
My Fellow Americans, our duty is before us tonight. Let us go forward, determined to serve selflessly a vision of man with God, government for people and humanity at peace. For it is our task to tend and preserve through the darkest and coldest nights that sacred fire of liberty that President Washington spoke of two centuries ago. A fire that tonight remains a beacon to all of the oppressed of the world shining forth from this kindly, pleasant, greening land we call America. God bless you and thank you.”
Because Trump and Clinton share the same disease... Bush Derangement Syndrome.
When a few weeks ago Trump bellowed “ I love Pelosi and she should have impeached Bush. It would have been wonderful” or “ Bush lied and soldiers died” or “Bush knew about 911 in advance or should have” that is when he lost me....I’m not even sure the corrupt Clinton’s are that severely afflicted with the syndrome in question.
Because Trump and Clinton share the same disease... Bush Derangement Syndrome.
When a few weeks ago Trump bellowed “ I love Pelosi and she should have impeached Bush. It would have been wonderful” or “ Bush lied and soldiers died” or “Bush knew about 911 in advance or should have” that is when he lost me....I’m not even sure the corrupt Clinton’s are that severely afflicted with the syndrome in question.
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