I have nothing more to add.
Posted on 08/16/2015 1:02:06 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
“Trumpites” are only “lightly attached to the political process”
George Will has written a thought-provoking piece over at WaPo in which he argues that the GOP should purge itself of Trump and Trump’s supporters.
Will explains:
"When, however, Trump decided that his next acquisition would be not another casino but the Republican presidential nomination, he tactically and quickly underwent many conversions of convenience (concerning abortion, health care, funding Democrats, etc.). His makeover demonstrates that he is a counterfeit Republican and no conservative.
He is an affront to anyone devoted to the project William F. Buckley began six decades ago with the founding in 1955 of the National Review — making conservatism intellectually respectable and politically palatable. Buckley’s legacy is being betrayed by invertebrate conservatives now saying that although Trump “goes too far,” he has “tapped into something,” and therefore . . . ."
Therefore what? This stance — if a semi-grovel can be dignified as a stance — is a recipe for deserved disaster. Remember, Henry Wallace and Strom Thurmond “tapped into” things.
Unlike Ted Cruz who embraces Trump supporters, Will wonders who Trump’s supporters are:
Conservatives who flinch from forthrightly marginalizing Trump mistakenly fear alienating a substantial Republican cohort. But the assumption that today’s Trumpites are Republicans is unsubstantiated and implausible. Many are no doubt lightly attached to the political process, preferring entertainment to affiliation. They relish their candidate’s vituperation and share his aversion to facts. From what GOP faction might Trumpites come? The establishment? Social conservatives? Unlikely.
They certainly are not tea partyers, those earnest, issue-oriented, book-club organizing activists who are passionate about policy. Trump’s aversion to reality was displayed during the Cleveland debate when Chris Wallace asked him for “evidence” to support his claim that Mexico’s government is sending rapists and drug dealers to the United States. Trump, as usual, offered apoplexy as an argument.
Will concludes his piece calling for “excommunicating” Trump and his supporters from the GOP:
So, conservatives today should deal with Trump with the firmness Buckley dealt with the John Birch Society in 1962. The society was an extension of a loony businessman who said Dwight Eisenhower was “a dedicated, conscious agent of the Communist conspiracy.” In a 5,000-word National Review “excoriation” (Buckley’s word), he excommunicated the society from the conservative movement.
Peter Whener, writing at Commentary, agrees with Will:
"Fortunately there are conservative commentators who are doing just that [“excommunicating” Trump and his supporters], including Bill Bennett, David Brooks, Mona Charen, Charles C.W. Cooke, Michael Gerson, Jonah Goldberg, Victor Davis Hanson, Charles Krauthammer, Matt Lewis, Rich Lowry, Michael Medved, Paul Mirengoff, Dana Perino, John Podhoretz, Karl Rove, Jennifer Rubin, Kevin Williamson, regular contributors to this web site (among them Max Boot, Noah Rothman and Jonathan Tobin), editorial page writers for the Wall Street Journal and others.
These individuals, while differing on various matters, understand the difference between angry populism and conservatism. They don’t believe crudity is a conservative virtue. And they don’t want conservatism stained by an unprincipled interloper and cynical opportunist, which is what Mr. Trump is. (It’s been well documented that until a few years ago, Trump was a registered Democrat, a large financial contributor to leading liberal politicians, and held liberal positions on a wide range of issues.)
In that sense, this is a clarifying moment for conservatism. Those on the right who have become Trump defenders have, I think, made a serious error in judgment that is the result of a rather profound misunderstanding of conservatism (for more, see here). You can cherish and champion conservative principles, or you can support and praise Donald Trump. But you can’t do both."
Writing at Townhall, Pat Buchanan offers a different viewpoint:
"For there is a plot afoot in The Washington Post Conservative Club to purge Trump from the Republican Party before the primaries begin."
“A political party has a right to … secure its borders,” asserts the Post’s George Will, “a duty to exclude interlopers.” Will wants The Donald “excommunicated” and locked out of all GOP debates until he kneels and takes a loyalty oath to the nominee.
“Marginalizing Trump” carries no risk of “alienating a substantial Republican cohort,” Will assures us, for these “Trumpites” are neither Republicans nor conservatives. Better off without such trash.
The Post’s Michael Gerson says “establishment Republicans” must “make clear that [Trump] has moved beyond the boundaries of serious and civil discourse.” He loathes the Trumpites as much as Will.
Trump’s followers are “xenophobic,” Gerson tells CNN. They have a “resentment of outsiders, of Mexico, of China, and immigrants. That’s more like a European right-wing party, a UKIP or a National Front in France. Republicans can’t incorporate that.”
But if the GOP has no room for Trump’s followers, it has no future. For there simply aren’t that many chamber-of-commerce and country-club Republicans.
I’m sure that this is a debate that will continue for some time, but I wonder if it will end as the GOP establishment seems to think it will?
The GOPe don’t care about winning elections as long as they retain control of the GOP.
“Unlike Jeb Bush who would be a wonderful president”
Be much easier to purge Wills and his group. THere seems to be fewer of them with numbers dropping daily
Awww, widdle Georgie PoofWill is upset that the big bad Donald is kickin’ sand in Yebbie’s face.
Pobrecitos.
The GOPe is dead. For the longest decades it has been their way or the highway. No they are mad because they are being given the same terms.
GOP-e is in it for the lobbyist money.
Why else would they sit around with the majority and bow down to the progressives?
“oh lordy, they are afraid of the gubment shut down and the dreaded veto from their master...”
I call BS on that one.
I’m just about ready to get on board The Trump Express.
The rectal orifices that run the RNC/GOP are in need of an “act of love” from the citizens.
I just posted to you.
[“excommunicating” Trump and his supporters], including Bill Bennett, David Brooks, Mona Charen, Charles C.W. Cooke, Michael Gerson, Jonah Goldberg, Victor Davis Hanson, Charles Krauthammer, Matt Lewis, Rich Lowry, Michael Medved, Paul Mirengoff, Dana Perino, John Podhoretz, Karl Rove, Jennifer Rubin, Kevin Williamson, regular contributors to this web site (among them Max Boot, Noah Rothman and Jonathan Tobin), editorial page writers for the Wall Street Journal and others.
Well isn’t this a mighty fine list of bastards. Other than VDH, I won’t cry a tear when they go.
He does’t get it. He is so far removed from the pulse of conservatives that he thinks WE WANT the GOP!?! Typical establishment shill.
Another member of the Washington DC Uni-Party blathers about traditional values of the Uni-Party.
It appears as if the right has its own version of the low-information, yellow-dog Democrat voter: the Donald Trump supporter.
BTW, note that “the” is in lower case. I refuse to call him by his first name, which is apparently “The.” In addition, I can’t see myself ever voting for a candidate whose first name is “The.” It just adds to the goofy spectacle that is Donald Trump.
I think Will is secretly a lurker here in FR (is the an iheartbush username in FR?) and he stole the use of the word invertebrate from ME.
I have been calling the Republican leadership in congress invertebrates for months. George Will picked up on my use of the term and stole it from ME.
What is she talking about?
Purge George Will’s Beltway, imbecile brain.
Of all of the Republican Candidates, Only Cruz and Walker have any attraction.
I have had it with professional politicians. It is time to purge them from DC and then go after the professional staffers who will work both sides of the canal, like any Venice Whore.
I firmly believe that a Trump Administration will be full of our favorite Conservatives.
Nice to see the elite sweat a little.
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