Posted on 08/24/2023 1:06:51 AM PDT by redheadedshannon
There's a big question confronting all right-wingers about American conservatism & our national future. In six months we are going to be heading into the 2024 election cycle. Another presidential election, congressional elections & state & local elections are all approaching. To say that it's a pivotal year almost produces a shoulder shrug with most people because that's been said about every election for the last 25 years.
Though I was only a toddler during his term, President Reagan, much like Thatcher in Britain was a solid & immovable champion of modern day conservatism. He was a happy warrior as well! His positivity and cheerful demeanor eventually convinced 49 out of 50 states to pull the lever for him. Looking back, he certainly made mistakes that in retrospect seem obvious (immigration amnesty anyone. To this day, he is viewed as a staunch conservative and patriot to his core. Certainly, this was the last time in the moder era that someone was so overwhelmingly supported by the population. Because of that, conservatism was viewed as ascendent and the default philosophy of most Americans.
Sadly most everything between then up to Trump took on an establishment tone of cheerless moderation & a unilateral aversion to the confrontation of philosophies. Maybe there were some positive aspect to 1994s Contract for America & the tea party movement 15 years after, but the most either produced were temporary periods of keeping Democrats out of power. Sadly I think we also learned toward the end of this period that although the establishment in the Republican Party claimed to be conservative, increasingly their brand of conservatism seemed painfully divorced from rank & & file conservative voter. They seemed geared toward big business, take it or leave it free trade deals, unfettered immigration, constitutional moderation & a bland cultural stance that didn't actively take a side. As a result, we bec a me a movement turning out in election cycles picking the lesser of two evils.
After a full 8 years of Obamas plan to remake America & a congenital lackluster performance by establishment Republicans in responding- conservative voters had made a clean break from Republicans in congress, right leaning media like Fox News & all of the leaders that had been deciding the fate of our side. We were all hyper aware that we could no longer support the Romneys & Bushes that had disappointed us at every turn & we were interested in direct warfare with the left.
At this point, Donald Trump walked onto the national stage. His brash manner & confrontational approa was something none of us had really seen speaking on behalf of conservatives. It was more like what we were used to out of Democrats. Rank & file response to seeing someone on our side not only fighting back, but moreso throwing the first punch was in a word- thrilling! Particularly since it was happening in an age where we were now experiencing the misery of political correctness and the daily voices and opinions it was working to silence, Trumps kind of response was something we were all yearning for.
I knew that Trumps credentials as a conservative weren't particularly well established. He was like a lot of people- different political parties at different stages in life. I think for most of us, it really wasn't a disqualifier. It was part of life. I knew maybe he wasn't particularly traditionalist & pious, or wedded to constitutiona absolutes & a much more limited government- but that he seemed to believe in enough basic, real world, common sense stuff that I knew he was certainly on our side. On top of that, he took a decidedly average guy conservative stance on issues that establishment types joined the left on- like immigration, falling wages, jobs being shipped overseas, cultural assimilation & opposition to victimology & group identity.
During this period & throughout Trumps term as president we willingly knew that we weren't ultimately deciding the future of conservatism or political philosophy. We were choosing to fight the issues the nation had been embroiled in for the last several years- ranging from culturally marxist political correctness & cancel culture to the disappearance of a guarded southern border & tens of millions of illegal aliens to elite abandonment of middle class Americans. At the very least, there would finally be a discussion with two sides on a national stage.
Trumps term was mostly what I expected- a confrontational president defending the issues & people who put him in office, a fight to overhaul the Republican Party & make it more representative of average people instead of elites, a thoroughly biased press core attacking on a daily basis, a foaming-at-the-mouth Democrat Party working against him and an all party establishment conspiring to undermine everything he said or did. He was constantly battling- most of it necessary, but also some petty stuff that seemed pointless.
His first election mid-term congressional election in 2018 wasn't surprising. Most of us expected a protest vote to show in full force. It happens to nearly all presidents. We ended up with a Democrat Congress, but that wasn't unexpected. I think most of us gave him high marks just on his fighting ability alone. He never backs down. I think we were all impressed with the judges he chose for the courts & his attention to the issues he campaigned on. By the end of his first term, I think most of us were overwhelmingly supportive of electing him again for a second term as president.
Having voted for him twice and remaining supportive of him throughout, I feel safe in making any criticisms of him because I have only our best thoughts at heart. It wasn't until 2020 that his flaws and downfalls became more apparent. I knew Biden wouldn't make as convenient opponent as Hillary. I could also see that Covid was designed to exact damage. What I wasn't expecting was Trumps inability to be nimble and change tactics when needed. I also was shocked at the number of unnecessary arguments with people on our side of the aisle that he started. The truth is, a president will create goodwill and support in his own party by campaigning for all of the candidates & training his criticism on the opposition. Instead he argued with anyone he perceived as not sufficiently loyal- a big mistake in an election year.
Many of us also began to notice the factionalism taking over our side & the us vs them mentality that was taking precedence over issues & winning elections. A lot of us could see in the year leading up to 2020 and the entirety of the election year, that our side needed to train its focus on reinforcing & strengthening election laws and undergirding every institution that we knew Democrats would attempt to undermine in Trumps reelection. Any president or leader in a branch of government and any head of a political party or philisophical movement should be concerned about election processes to ensure the stability of the nation. He was not paying attention & as a result Democrats changed election structures we ith the aid of Republicans throughout the nation's swing states. Some of this could have been avoided sith proper attention.
As a result of Covids designed impact on society & the lack of attention from political leaders on our side, we helped hand the 2020 election to Democrats on multiple levels. One of the aspects that conservatives have learned in spades due to that experience is that we have to keep our eyes on electoral procedures throughout the country and that the persons elected to represent our conservative philosophy, political party and movement-chief among them our president- should be leading the charge at all times. In this, Trump and all our representatives deserve criticism. When you are opposed by a party and movement that sees undermining American institutions as central to its philosophy, you should probably be concened above all else with any changes or weakening to election laws and standards.
On too many levels, Trumps failure by 2020 to predict what most of us with just a general familiarity of modern American politics could see from a million miles away was alarming. It's like knowing ahead of time that the Democrat in any election cycle is going to accuse the Republican of racism. Given everything that we know, isn't it a safe assumption that that will be part of their playbook & wouldn't it be smart to plan a response, or better yet- make sure that you are insulated from this tactic from the getgo.
The lack of basic political survival skills and working knowledge of government procedure were what handicapped us in 2020. The other handicap has been the unwillingness of Trump and Trumps most vocal supporters to even hear criticism and to change tactics in order to win elections. Too many of the flawed candidates that Trump campaigned for (usually based on perceived loyalty to him as the chief concernn) went down in flames because they were completely inexperienced, weren't well chosen for the race chosen or had too much baggage to win an election.
These aren't small matters or trivial complaints. They are both absolutely necessary to triumph electorally, build a lasting and working coalition and win the battle of ideas and heart and soul of the country. Particularly when you are fighting to maintain the basic constitutional rights that are your birthright, demanding absolute awareness and attentiveness of these things by all who seek to lead the nation and conservatism in general is imperative. It us therefore a severe handicap when a president and his unfailing supporters refuse to acknowledge this.
Trumps loss in 2020 almost certainly had something to do with Democrat election shenanigans and their push to weaken strong election procedures and oversight. But Trumps lack of foresight, petty arguments with others, bungling of issues & alienation of crucial parts of the electorate were also equally contributing factors. The entirety of that election year was mishandled and as a result we now have the most extreme leftist president occupying the Oval Office, wreaking havoc across the nation. We have also ceded practically every institution in this nation to leftist philosophical control because neither the establishment nor Trump came up with a working plan of how to fight against it.
2022 should have been a beacon election where we reestablished dominance- even if in opposition- to Democrats. But much like 2020, Trumps hand picked candidates (based on loyalty to him) again failed in races across the nation. Almost all solidly conservative candidates that Trump refused to endorse won large majorities in their races. He has not shown a good track record in figuring out how to win the last couple of elections. Ultimately it doesn't matter how much fight someone has if they don't have the skills to figure out how to win.
In the battlefield of ideas you need fight, but you also need skill in building coalitions, forming majorities, winning elections and enacting your visions. The old establishment seemed good at nothing. Trump seemed great at some stuff- but not others. Perhaps it's time to consider someone else for the job. One that show skills in winning elections and fighting for a conservative philosophy. One of the shining lights in the last few elections were staunchly conservative governors reelected by overwhelming majorities and racially diverse coalitions in major states like Florida, Texas and Virginia (DeSantis, Abbott, etc.). There are also newer conservative voices like Ramaswamy speaking out.
I have long thought that we needed to think longer term in regards to what we conservatives hope for in the future. The entire future of American conservatism should not be vested in any one man. It should be broader than that and able to weather multiple election cycles. It has to be geographically and ethnically more diverse than 50 years ago. It also needs to have happier and more hopeful disposition. The constant negativity that's become the norm has become self reinforcing. If we fail, we fail not because we are doomed to fail- but because we have lost faith in ourselves.
Elections and philosophical movements come down to a competition of ideas and who paints a more hopeful vision of the future. Every philosophical move gets stuck in a rut and forgets its happy disposition and friendly demeanor. Sometimes it starts to become a circular firing squad for a while, fights amongst itself and gets lost in its factional competitions. American conservatism needs to be reminded that it is a philosophy that has always dominated the land. We are by nature a deeply religious nation in the developed world. We are also market oriented and defensive of our constitutional rights and liberties. We have never succeeded by whining or being negative. We've also never succeeded by sticking with losing strategies!
Our future has to be based on more than Trump or the establishment. Give some new voices a chance. Take the best of the past, the best of Trump and combine with new voices for the future. I'm tired of the negativity and expectation of failure. This hasn't been the best version of ourselves. It's time to find it again! 😉
What are you talking about?
Forget the empty rhetoric and get to your point.
Literally no one could withstand the abuse he has taken and is taking. No one fights like he has and I am in no mood to give a noob a chance and ‘see what he/she can do.’
President Trump has earned the right to return to office by serving the country continuously since being sworn in Jan 20, 2017 up to the present. He’s more powerful now than he was when first taking office - why would we throw that away?
The left is terrified of him, that’s why all the impeachment shams. He’s the only one who can drive the news cycle; he’s the only master communicator we’ve got.
If any candidate threatened the establishment like Trump has, the left would have jailed them by now, and indicted all his associates. Trump has fought off multiple impeachments at the same time he made huge strides in Making America Great Again. He is really phenomenal.
I am always incredulous to find people feel switching to an uninitiated person without Trump’s experience would be a wise move at this time.
Oh, the rhetoric is not only empty; it’s the same old deep state rhetoric. When you’re hit with phrases like “conservatives like Ramaswamy”, you know you’re being abused.
Mental masturbation.
He does in the end saying, let’s get someone else in there.
Another idiot who thinks Biden won.
Let’s not waste time. You’re either in the game for Trump or not.
After today’s arraignment and smiling mug shot, it should be obvious.
Trump more than ever.
The problem is that the Republican Party has spent the last 20+ years completely undermining its own credibility among its grassroots supporters. And the GOP did this by marching in lockstep with the Democratic Party on almost every major issue that mattered most to these supporters — from immigration to trade to ObamaCare to stupid endless wars in Third World dumps all over the globe.
complete narcissistic windbaggery.
Was this an RNC position paper? Trump is the only reason the GOP is on life support. A lot of so called conservatives are part of the Republican establishment. Trump is hardly to blame for the conservative movement’s decades long ineptitude and incompetence to fight back against the leftist tide.
Was this written by an AI chatbot?
If not, I don’t know what they were trying to say.
Worse, I don’t think the author knew what they were trying to say either.
What do these statements mean in concrete terms? I bet if forced to answer the author just couldn’t answer. It’s blather.
William Shakespeare said, “comes the hour, comes the man.”
Trump is the man for the challenge to freedom that Americans face in these perilous times. I have looked at the alternatives and I don’t think any of them can bring what Donald Trump brings to the table. Perhaps there is somebody out there who could change my mind about that, but not anyone on the current political scene.
I continue to think Ted Cruz is a good man and could serve the nation in some capacity but I believe that unlike some, Ted Cruz has come to the realization that the Republican nominee should be Donald Trump, so he has not declared any interest in the nomination for 2024 (as far as I know).
I have nothing against Ron de Santis but this crisis of globalist over-reach makes these very abnormal times, and only Trump seems to fit the bill — I believe he was robbed of the presidency in November 2020 and most people know it. Americans wanted Trump to continue, but elites decided they had a right to overturn that decision. The media run interference for them, claiming at every opportunity the dubious proposition that election fraud is a lie and a conspiracy theory. The pattern of vote “results” was so transparently contrived that I don’t see how any intelligent person could avoid the obvious conclusion.
This trial in Georgia is a golden opportunity to force a national conversation about what really happened in 2020, and also, what is the reality of the globalist agenda and who are the various figures we know about but most people think to be no threat to them, what is their real objective and why do they make so many seemingly irrational and dangerous decisions?
They propose to eliminate Donald Trump with a show trial but I think it is going to backfire on them, people will see through the rhetoric and I think that conversation will begin, whether our self-appointed minders want it or not (they don’t want it, of course).
We should be praying that God will help us to get justice and truth exposed to the light of day. Don’t give up on freedom or the concept of America (and I say that as an outsider but one who knows the value of a strong America as leader of the free world, look at the twerps who have oozed up from the swamp now that Biden is supposedly that leader, I wouldn’t send that guy to the corner store to buy a newspaper, let alone run the world’s strongest military and a powerful economy. Biden is an idiot, there is no nice way to say this, but almost anyone picked at random from any crowd or street would make a better president. We have the same sort of disgrace in Canada too. Another idiot, they must be mass prodcing them at Davos.
Too bad they can’t use a directed energy weapon on DC. The entire place should be wiped off the map. The Nation’s capitol, heck the entire world would be better place. I wouldn’t miss any current politician, lobbyist or other grifter in that nasty city.
They’re screwing me, you and everyone they get their hands on. To be honest I sometime pray we get bombed, it’s the only way this country can be saved. I’m voting for Trump a 3rd time. I’m not confident my vote counts, I’m not confident he gets elected and chooses people that aren’t deep state for his cabinet and I’m certainly not confident that both sides of the political argument won’t be fighting each other before the election.
I’m pretty confident the demon party currently operating in the white hut have scheduled the start of ww3 in order to cancel elections. Hopefully I’m proven wrong.
My first response is GO JUMP IN A LAKE!
My second response is TAKE YOUR HOGWASH AND STUFF IT!
This war is not being fought in any conventional way, however.
Please get a copy of General Flynn's and Boone Cutler's: Citizens Guide to 5th Generation Warfare, and read it at least twice. Then read their newest book about AI generated psychological warfare .
You will have a much clearer picture of what is really happening in this country, (and why you need to back Trump), if you do this.
Also, please pray for President Trump, and his family, and everyone being persecuted by the deep state, they are up against dark forces .
If republican state legislatures had enforced voter ID, signature verification of the cheat-by-mail-ins, and audited the Dominion ballots in 2020, Trump would be president today.
In 2022, any republican candidates who were not part of the establishment were thrown to the wolves in the same way. Kari Lake had her election stolen in broad daylight by cheat-by-mail-in ballots. Hershel Walker lost in GA. We're supposed to believe that GA republican voters split their ticket and voted for Kemp for governor and a rabid communist for the Sentate. And in PA, the establishment hated Dr. Oz because he got the nomination beating out RINO McCormick.
The message from Mitch McConnell and Ronna McDaniel is obvious: If you don't nominate RINOs in the primaries, then the GOPe will allow Democrats to cheat. They would rather see a Democrat win than have MAGA take over the Republican party.
RINOs are the absolute scum of the Earth. And we all saw in the debates last night that RINOs hate Trump so much that they will vociferously deny that there was any election fraud in 2020, giving Democrats cover to do it again and again.
Pretty telling you post a vanity and yet don’t communicate.
And yet the author then goes full negative on Trump.
Who is “we” all throughout that meaningless diatribe? You have a mouse in your pocket?
“Give some new voices a chance. Take the best of the past, the best of Trump and combine with new voices for the future.”
You sound like that backstabbing bitch, Sarah Huckabee, a few months ago. I think it was in her speech after SOTU Address. She alluded to the idea that Trump is too old.
Why dilute Trump with new blood? If it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it. Let Trump be Trump.
When an election is stolen what ideas prevent that?
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