Posted on 01/22/2016 8:39:33 PM PST by Amntn
National Review's publication of the collective anti-Donald Trump missives from 22 self-appointed conservative potentates has caused quite a stir in Republican circles.
The nationwide responses range from, "Wait, I thought National Review went out of business years ago," to "Ed Meese? Seriously?"
The Gang of 22 have officially become parodies of themselves. One would have to reach back to the days of Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew to lift an adequate quote to describe them.
"Nattering nabobs of negativism," "vicars of vacillation," "pusillanimous pussyfooters," "the decadent few," "ideological eunuchs," "the effete corps of impudent snobs," or "the hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history" - take your pick, because they all apply about equally well to each and every one of them.
So clueless is the Gang of 22 they can't even see how they've stumbled right into the narrative Trump's been communicating so successfully for months. Just like the elected officials from both parties, the Gang of 22 has been GREAT at complaining about stuff, year, after year, after year.
But getting anything accomplished? Not so much.
Many of the Gang of 22 have been hanging around and chattering for decades, and some are active cogs in the Conservative Entertainment Complex, deriving their income by pandering to conservative anger while offering no real solutions.
Donald Trump represents a threat to these ineffectual poohbahs in the same way he represents a threat to do-nothing public officials.
Jealousy is also seriously at work here. Trump is inspiring and exciting a broad spectrum of the country like no member of the Gang of 22 ever has, or ever will.
In just seven months of campaigning, Trump already has more Americans listening to a Republican message than the entire Gang of 22 could muster over decades. Trump understands that before you can advance the ball, you have to convince people to take time from their busy lives to listen. No one on the GOP side since Ronald Reagan has accomplished that like Trump.
No one else has come close, and certainly no one from that "effete corps of impudent snobs" to which the National Review thinks we should defer.
The Gang of 22 had their chance. They've done a lot of bitching over the years, and it paid well for some.
But Americans care about results. They can plainly see that all of the empty talk from the Gang of 22 got us eight years of Barack Obama, and a loss in pretty much every conservative battle there was to lose.
At the same time when Americans look at Donald Trump's life they get a lot of assurance that here is finally a man who shares their focus on actually getting results. And Trump returns the respect by recognizing regular hard-working Americans are a lot smarter than any of the "ideological eunuchs" in all of their pontificating glory.
The "pusillanimous pussyfooters" love to nitpick Trump's words, but what voters are looking for this year is competence and accomplishment. Donald Trump has an actual record of delivering both in spades.
The Gang of 22 is right to be terrified. A President who could get things done would expose them as the irrelevant creatures they truly are.
It can't happen fast enough.
Hysterical people will be hysterical. Like the author of this article.
Trump is no conservative. That’s a fact.
I understand that fact doesn’t matter to a lot of people on here. That’s their prerogative.
I support conservatism and conservative principles. So, I support Cruz.
But my support is for conservative principles first, and the person purporting to represent those principles second. Whoever the standard bearer is, that person can always let you down.
For what it’s worth, I think the Republican nomination is Trump’s to lose, at this point. And I think it’s unlikely he will do so.
P.S. I also think that 6 months after Trump becomes President, if such comes to pass, a lot of people who voted for him are going to be trying to remember why they did so.
This inter-republican food fight is detrimental.
There is nothing to be gained by such excessive measures.
I am not particularly attached to any candidate, but I can say that what NR has done is deplorable.
I’m with your enthusiasm. However, chicken ... Eggs. Don’t forget Acorn fraud. Trump will need an army of auditors to oversee votes counting, etc.
Was Trump supposed to back Obama?
Wow! Thanks for posting those two links. Did not know about Trump’s support for McCain, and having proof to refute false info is so helpful-—and refreshing!
Love this essay!
The tacky 22 attempted to undermine the American electoral process. They swooped in like a flash-mob, or like a gang of Muslim "refugees" surrounding a New Year's Eve "target" in Germany, or like a pack of cluster flies invading a residence. They are starting to learn that their sinister attempt to use a scattergun approach to subverting the will of the people has been thwarted and rejected by those real people.
No, he's a populist, much like European anti-immigration politicians who are always called "right wing". But they are all to a man and woman, socialists who happen to be anti-immigration. Some might be a little more free market than average for Europe but still socialist by American standards.
But back to Trump. He is an unabashed capitalist who will make America great again. On social issues he will be disappointing or nonexistent. He may even cave on gun control (my biggest fear). Cruz would be better from that standpoint, and Cruz benefits from Trump smashing down political correctness and controlling the narrative. The establish is hoping they kill each other off and one of their toadies sneaks through. I don't think that is likely for several reasons, although expect the media to coalesce around Kasich if he does well in NH (which I think he will). But that spin will just show their weak hand and desperation.
hm, National Review has had a history of backing Republicans who eventually won the presidency Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan and both Bush’s. Romney was was the only candidate they backed which didn’t win.
NR backed Reagan when he ran against Ford in 1976.
NR’s endorsement may anger all in trumpsters but everyone else will see what the trump critics are writing and way the pro’s and cons.
Looks like you shut up Nick for the rest of the evening, at lest on this thread.
Article written by a 5 year old?
“He may even cave on gun control (my biggest fear)”
You obviously haven’t looked at his webpage, or listened to any one of his rallies where he ALWAYS says he will protect the second amendment.
Please don’t use that argument anymore unless you provide some proof on why you have that fear.
“It's my honor, real honor, to endorse Mitt Romney,” Trump said, with Romney and his wife standing nearby. Calling Romney “tough” and “smart,” Trump said, “he's not going to continue to allow bad things to happen to this country.”
www.cnn.com/2012/02/02/politics/campaign-wrap
I’ve been all in for Trump because he smashes the hell out of the uber-libs and the GOPe. It’s been fun watching their heads explode each time a new poll comes out. The articles by the PC leftist websites have been hilarious. Real Americans can’t help but cheer Trump on. He has also shown that he can destroy Billary. But if he doesn’t reverse O’s EO’s and issue his own EO stopping the Syrian invasion within one week of taking office I’ll be calling for his head. The POTUS has absolute discretion on who comes into the country. It’s too late for Cruz now anyway because Trump has destroyed him like he has destroyed all other opposition. Today’s Zogby poll with Trump at 45% and the other with him at 40.6%, both national polls, have Cruz at 13% and 10.5%. Trump is a brilliant political strategist and an annihilator of competition.
Another on the list, Mona Charen, is a big Rubio fan and just this week on her podcast at Ricochet.com she spewed her usual lies about Trump, such as that he is a “lifelong Democrat”.
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