Posted on 02/29/2016 4:26:12 AM PST by Kaslin
I disagree with those conservatives who say they will never, ever, ever, ever vote for Donald Trump should the GOP embrace his special brand of nonsense and nominate him, but I can't blame them. Hell, I'm about one more round of foolishness away from joining them.
But not quite yet. Trump is the lesser of the candidates, lesser of the conservatives, but also the lesser of the two ancient socialist evils that the Democrats are eenie meenie miney moeing between. At least Trump pretends to embrace capitalism, of a sort. And at least he doesn't seem to hate America, just those Americans who aren't awed by his magnificence.
He's no conservative, that's clear. Trump merely mouths conservative ideas, though to characterize them as "ideas" gives them credit for a thoughtfulness and ideological rigor entirely absent from his experience. But Trump is canny enough to know his audience, and he knows what sells -God, guns, and the glory of the good old U.S. of A. And I like all those things. Perhaps he will continue to find supporting those things useful in the future, meaning that with Trump, at least there's a chance we'll be able to protect these things. But Der Crusty Commissar and the Bar-exam-flunking, pervert-enabling, pantsuited, liberal fascist harridan are actively against those things and everything else good about America. So Trump is marginally better only because he's marginally less likely to turn us into a less tropical version of Venezuela.
Yippee. Can you feel the burn?
It goes without saying that the establishment burned us good by ignoring, when not actively lying to, the same folks Trump has now enlisted. Sure, Trump has attracted some cretins, racists and nimrods, though I'll put his bad apple creepy hangers-on up against Sanders's Occupier freaks any day in a Battle of the Political Fringies for the Worst People Ever trophy. But most of his followers are just regular Americans who are tired of seeing the country they spent their lives building, feeding, defending, and loving stolen from them by weirdos, losers and gender-fluid mutations.
They are sick of being told what to do, what to think and what to feel - and to shut-up. It's not only by the left but by our own side - how many conversations have you heard where those folks who didn't get fancy degrees and who don't work in a nice, clean office get derided as extras from Deliverance?
Trump is their response. Trump is their champion. Trump is their avenger.
But to understand Trump's appeal is not to excuse him. He's as faithful to conservative principles as Bill is to Hillary, and when President Trump rethinks everything he has said during the campaign after moving into the soon-to-be-fabulous White House, his followers stand a fair chance of finding that they are now the blue dress.
Still, my assessment is that if he is nominated (which I think is no done deal for several reasons, like his pummeling in the recent debate) we are slightly better off with him than with one of the Dems - and his huge margins among women and Hispanics throw shade on the hope-over-experience notion that Trump can't beat Hillary. I think he'll beat her like a drum, and the amusement value of this bizarrely-coiffed charlatan driving the brownshirted liberal church lady nuts would almost be worth the risk to our Republic. But those who assess the danger of a President Trump as too great, well, you'll get no argument from me.
In 2012, I undertook the thankless task of trying to convince rabid libertarians that they were better off voting for Romney than remaining pure and in their basements. I was convinced I was right, and I was, in fact, right. But don't look for me to chide my principled conservative friends like Rick Wilson and Erick Erickson when they sit out Election Day. This is a strategic disagreement, and I can't say their strategy is too far off to be valid. Trump is not a conservative, and that's reason enough to shun him.
Trump has the potential to be a disaster of epic proportions. I'd vote for him as the nominee only because neither of the Democrats has the potential not to be. But if that's not enough for you to support him, well, I won't tell you you're wrong. And besides, if he's nominated, I'll be too busy stockpiling food and fortifying my rural apocalypse compound to try to convince you otherwise.
With his fluid positions and vagueness of policy, I can’t promise anything regarding the guy, no.
Those that may have withheld their vote last election may have contributed to the loss but I don’t think that will make a hill of beans’ worth of difference this time around; the numbers of sheer voter turnout for Republicans will cover that.
Thank you. I like being proven wrong substantively. Links?
You said...
“You “conservatives” are so magical in your belief that a word repeated often enough will stop the collapse of America. I’ve been fooled by nothing. I’m looking for a mailed fist landing on the southern border and the “news and commentary” industry.”
So you’re looking for a dictator? Although I agree with you about the border issue.
Look. I get the frustration people have. I have it, too. The GOPe has been totally unresponsive to not only conservatives but Americans in general. They ran on the promise of stopping the Obama Agenda and not only failed but went along with it. And they seem determined to help the Democrats flood the country with more poor, unskilled new voters. They run as conservatives but govern as liberals. But what makes you think Trump is the saviour? Why isn’t it justified to question him?
The framers knew people would give up their freedoms, eventually. That’s why Franklin described us as not a democracy but, “A Republic. If you can keep it.”
Just wait til the debate between Hillary (or Biden) and Trump. That will be great TV. Then, as November draws near—then make up your mind who should sit in the White House.
You said...
“When he changes his mind and goes back to his liberal ways and rejoins his liberal friends you can come back and apologize.”
Won’t happen. They’re too committed to him.
Warning people about Trump in 2016 reminds me of the grief many of us took warning people about BHO in 2008. And the arguments we are hearing from the Trump backers are eerily similar to what we heard in 2008
So you will get another Obama or worse!
If you haven’t figured out life yet - you don’t get everything your way.
Not voting is the coward’s way out.
Good line there.
I'm still hoping to hold my nose and pull the lever for Trump in November, but I know a lot of Republicans who are in the I'm not voting for him" crowd.
I don't think there's any way to save the party from a major crack-up this fall. Just too many divisions and anger all around.
I’m looking for someone less tainted by fear of the being labeled by the cultural Marxists. Maybe an average guy from the 50s if we could transport him into the future. Sick of the Eloi, Republican and Democrat.
I have no plans to change my tagline, but the GOPe is crazy if they think they can bring in a "white knight" at this juncture.
The loyalty oath that Trump signed is a double-edged sword. Combine that with the scurrilous tactics employed against Chris McDaniel, and you have a party that deserves to be cast over the cliff.
Out here in flyover country, we've been making a list of those who are now little more than detritus.
Mitch McConnell needs to be put under the harshest light of media scrutiny...exactly what did he say and when did he say it?
Best line of the column.
Hey Schlichter...screw you.
While I will vote for Trump, I am not a "bot". I refuse to bash him though.
That said, the hero-whorship going on here over him is disconcerting. I thought it was only liberals who engaged in that, but I suppose I was wrong.
It will be real interesting to see what happens if one of two things happens: 1 - Trump loses to Hillary. The level of cognitive dissonance will be deafening. or 2 - Trump wins and doesn't do any of the things he claims he will (build the wall, shut down yadda yadda, etc. I wonder how those people will handle that.
If I was a vindictive kind of guy, I would start taking names and calling people out after such an event.
On the other hand, if he wins and does the things he has promised, would the Anti-trump bots admit they were wrong? Either way, this place is going to get a bit more interesting.
Trump is a raging capitalist not the lesser of two evils.
Why isn’t pro America enough?
Personally, I don't believe they really want a larger, more intrusive government. I believe they would be ok with Trump at the helm of such government. It's along the lines of “socialism has only failed so far because it wasn't run by the right people”
There is no "white night" to bring aboard, so we're stuck with what's there now. Personally, I've never liked Trump.. but I detest Hillary, so my vote goes against her.
Roger Stone is postulating that the gopE will try to bring in Mitt Romney to combat Trump.
You haven't been paying attention to Trump's background, have you?
Not going to happen.
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