Posted on 01/26/2016 4:54:07 AM PST by Kaslin
Editor's note: The views expressed here are those solely of the author.
It's been nearly one week since National Review published their special edition magazine titled, "Against Trump," a symposium of 22-diverse conservatives making a case against Donald Trump's run for the White House.
I have a signed copy of "God & Man at Yale" on my bookshelf and copies of letters from William F. Buckley, Jr. written to my late great uncle tucked away in a drawer. The two were friends. In 2013, I went through the competitive National Review Institute program and had the privilege of learning from some of the conservative movement's most influential thinkers and leaders. When I got a call from National Review Editor-in-Chief Rich Lowry asking if I'd be interested in participating in the symposium, without hesitation I said yes.
Based on the punditry across the cable news spectrum over the past few days, it's painfully obvious very few people, including many conservatives, Republicans and even straight news anchors, opining on "Against Trump" actually read the entire thing. This is a shame.
The outrage over a conservative opinion magazine publishing a well-documented case against Trump has been interesting, to say the least. Dozens of newspapers each election cycle endorse candidates running for public office. By default, an endorsement means being against the rest of the field. To some, what National Review did is outrageous and "offensive," but do the same descriptions apply when other print editorial boards across the country endorse candidates? The answer is no.
What National Review published is no different than a single endorsement of a candidate and is simply an honest stance about which candidate the 22-author symposium is against. The difference here is that the subject was Trump and the substance of the piece was not favorable to him. Because of this, a predictable tantrum ensued.
I welcome civil discussion, disagreement and even tough debate, but I reject the idea we're only allowed to have an opinion so long as it serves and satisfies a certain candidate, no matter who it is. That's not how the primary process works.
It is important to note in the days since "Against Trump" was published, I've received far more substantive support for the piece, and my part in it, than negativity.
That being said, I should point out the impossibility of taking Trump's supporters seriously when they hurl endless names through the internet: degenerate, cuckservative, RINO, establishment hack, c*nt, b*itch, two faced c*cksucker, maggot, part of an "unwise pig pile," etc. Not to mention those who told me, and other authors of the piece, to commit suicide.
There is no doubt Donald Trump would be proud of this type of name-calling and incivility. After all, his supporters have learned from his "leadership."
I'm not going to restate my case against Trump here, as it has already been done, but I will stand by what I said no matter how “offensive†some may make it seem. Further, I strongly reject calls for anyone who disagrees with Trump to "soldier up and get in line" simply because he's winning in the polls. Votes aren't bought and they certainly aren't an entitlement. Votes are earned after trust, especially when a candidate's decades long record is one of supporting big government, progressive ideology and liberal policy.
You and I have had agreements and disagreements, which is life when adults have interactions with each other.
I am backing you on this. When long time posters on Free Republic post an article and get criticism and respond as you noted, they are out of line.
Also, it gets very tiring when posters post a hit piece, and when the FR audience say no, they cry do not shoot the messenger.
Happy New Year!
When you see articles spouting all the negative stuff means to me they are
reaching the bottom of the barrel in an attempt to smear.
You are correct, and it is our right as due paying freepers to say bs and point out the bs.
It's more likely the opposite. Don't take my word for it, read Donald Trump's words: http://www.rgj.com/story/opinion/voices/2016/01/07/trump-nevada-us-need-president-who-obeys-rule-law/78422530/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin=
In Nevada, the lack of enforcement of immigration laws and the draconian rule of the BLM are damaging the economy, lowering the standard of living and inhibiting natural economic growth. The only way to change these circumstances is to bring to Washington a president who will rein in the federal government and get Congress to do its job.
Read the article I linked. It is written by Trump. If you still disagree with his style, then fine, but it's hard to disagree with his goals and philosophy. I would much rather not have him listening to the current Congress. Hopefully he can bring in a better Congress on his coattails.
In this regard, National Review is just like the liberal lamestream media.
Same behavior. Same mentality.
Repeating something I said very early on in Trump's candidacy here: eventually the name calling and other 'bombastic behavior' is going to catch up to Trump. At some point he has to start acting Presidential and still be a 'fighter' for the American people. If that doesn't happen SOON (as in, right after Iowa or New Hampshire) I suspect we're going to see a fairly drawn out Primary season.
This is the year of the outsider. We're witnessing a fundamental shift in politics on BOTH sides of the political aisle rejecting so-called "establishment politicians." (I'd argue Bernie Sanders is just as much establishment as Hillary Clinton, but that's an argument for another time.)
The only two "outsiders" I really see in this race are Trump and Cruz.
Both have their good and bad points. Trump's constant name calling and sounding like a high school kid throwing out the word 'loser' all the time is old. Cruz's over-emoting everything similarly gets on my nerves.
Either one though is still light years ahead of anything the Democrats have to offer and I'll crawl over broken glass to vote on election day to keep Hillary / Sanders / whoever ends up being the Democrat nominee out of office, period.
This election is once again about "saving America." In this case, it's of course about the US Supreme Court and appointments, it's also about purging the Federal Government from the Obama acolytes and get about the work of righting the ship of state.
If the voters in this country fail again, this country is lost. The damage Obama has done will be irreversible if Hillary or Sanders gets in.
Trump is a weapon being used by those in this country who've had it with the establishment politicians and specifically, the GOP-E which has time and again let Conservatives and other disaffected Republicans, as well as blue-dog/blue collar democrats who've been shoved aside by their party in favor of the radical leftist agenda.
This is Trump's purpose. If/when his purpose is fulfilled Trump will go away (be dumped?) and voters will move onto someone else who seems more "Presidential."
The reason Trump gets away with his behavior is actually quite simple: people are pissed. He gives them voice for the issues they consider important and have been ignored by the career/establish politicians who really need to be removed from office.
This is not difficult to understand.
They are every bit as blind as the ‘hope and change’ liberals in 2008
That’s a pretty good assessment of what is going on. Well done. I don’t think Trump will be dumped tho. This is just getting started. Trump will be the guy who helps take us to the next level.
They sure are
The bottom line is this: the GOP-E has time and again let Conservatives down. They say what we want to hear during the election cycles, then shove us aside afterwards. Our voices have been squelched.
I'd argue right-of-center more "mainstream" Republicans have also been shoved aside in favor of the left-leaning Republicans who are all in favor of big government (as long as it's THEIR big government) and more liberal social policies such as gay marriage, unfettered abortion and creeping fascism (Government and Business' in collusion together) while also cozying up to the Democrats and refusing to stop massive progressive leftist extremism, while brokering power sharing agreements with them.
Democrats have done the same to their Blue-Collar/Blue-Dog constituents who've also been shoved aside in favor of an extremist left-wing agenda in favor of everything from "gay rights/gay marriage", an EPA run amok, environmentalism as a religion and shipping manufacturing jobs overseas --- and that's just for starters.
The result: a huge pool of disaffected voters, pissed off at the party establishments and ready for radical action, if not radical change itself.
Donald Trump gives voice to all these disaffected / disenfranchised voters across the center/right of center of both political parties. I predicted MONTHS ago that Trump would attract the blue collar/blue dog democrats -- and he is, in increasing numbers. Trump may be the 'deliverer' of all these votes, I think it remains to be seen if he'll actually be the agent of change.
Your thoughts were communicated great the first time but appreciate the follow up. Couldn’t agree more.
What they don’t seem to be willing to accept is that we are not letting go of this movement that has begun With Trump. They try to trash him every which way from sunday. They tried trashing us for being too “uneducated” to know how stupid we are. But all the more they do it the more we hitch up to Trump. And honestly I don’t care how conservative he is or isn’t right now. As long as he’s not a crazy liberal progressive whatever they are like Obama or Hillary or any of the GOPE. And I don’t care when Trump talks about his popularity. Also love him rubbing their noses in it and saying things that were not approved under Obama idea of a First Amendment!
Your thoughts were communicated great the first time but appreciate the follow up. Couldn’t agree more.
What they don’t seem to be willing to accept is that we are not letting go of this movement that has begun With Trump. They try to trash him every which way from sunday. They tried trashing us for being too “uneducated” to know how stupid we are. But all the more they do it the more we hitch up to Trump. And honestly I don’t care how conservative he is or isn’t right now. As long as he’s not a crazy liberal progressive whatever they are like Obama or Hillary or any of the GOPE. And I don’t care when Trump talks about his popularity. Also love him rubbing their noses in it and saying things that were not approved under Obama idea of a First Amendment!
Townhall is trying to protect itself from onslaughts by upset Trump supporters, but I doubt it will help. Once they intuit that the author believes it is legitimate to express reservations about Trump, their brains will explode.
It got us Obama.
Name the states whose electoral votes would have gone to Cruz or Trump, but didn’t go to Romney...? Remember, you need to acccount for 64 EV’s in order for the Pub to prevail...?
This author is not a great thinker. He didn’t even do his homework.
Not ony that, but ‘he’ is not even a ‘he’...Katie Pavlich, who is most definitely not a ‘he’...
How many FReepers will join me in calling for an end to straight up personal attacks like this?
Why...? If we did that the most interesting threads go circling the drain, while vapid commentary carries the day...
........and you truly think , given his scary personality, that he wouldn’t grab HIS Trump
how exactly does one ‘grab his Trump’ and who is going to do it...
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