Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

When Anger Trumps All
American Thinker ^ | 2 Feb 16 | Daren Jonescu

Posted on 02/03/2016 12:47:43 AM PST by elhombrelibre

One of the most dangerous effects of Donald Trump's presidential campaign is the venomous anger his demagoguery has cultivated among his more engaged supporters, to be spewed at anyone who dares to express concern about any of their idol's (yes, idol's) soft spots.

Just click on any article, on any website, critical of anything about Trump, and navigate to the readers' comments. First, notice the unusually large number of them. Then observe the tone: rarely logical, thoughtful, or truly argumentative, the Trump defenders (granting honorable exceptions) simply attack -- personally, irrelevantly, uncivilly -- any writer or fellow commenter, no matter how unimpeachably serious (even Thomas Sowell, for heaven's sake!) who dares to suggest Trump may be a poor nominee.

That's their prerogative, of course, and anyone who writes for public consumption must be thick-skinned enough to stand by his ideas and let the spewers spew. The problem, however, lies in the way this true believer invective is smothering meaningful political discourse precisely when such discourse is most urgently needed.

This is the moment for freedom-loving people to debate the statements and substance of each candidate with all the open-mindedness they can muster, leaving the hypnotized cultist behavior to the progressives, where it belongs. Instead, serious public discussion, which is the heart of the representative element of representative republicanism, has been hijacked by idol-worshippers for whom there is nothing Trump could do or say that would cause them one second of self-doubt. Trump himself highlighted this when he declared that he wouldn't lose any supporters if he shot someone on 5th Avenue. Bizarrely, that may be the best synopsis of the situation. Trump's followers have transcended rational discourse altogether, and are prepared to defend anything, attack anyone, contradict their own principles with regularity, rather than address the arguments

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cruzintohillarywin; cruzjihad; cultofcruz; holywarriorsforcruz
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-91 next last
To: 1rudeboy

Often reminiscent of the Cult of Personality that arose in 2007


41 posted on 02/03/2016 4:01:05 AM PST by yeff (Yuor biran has teh alibtiy to mkae oderr out of caohs)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: Berlin_Freeper

It does seem petty. He should be honored so many people want to work for him.


42 posted on 02/03/2016 4:02:15 AM PST by lifeline
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: elhombrelibre

Excellent article. And Cruz put a dent with the Kardashian Conservatives/lumpen Conservatives who support Trump.


43 posted on 02/03/2016 4:11:21 AM PST by Stepan12 (Our present appeasementof Islam is the Stockholm Syndrome on steroids.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lucky american

What is eye opening is the venom spewed by his cult to anyone that disagrees with trump. It’s what has turned me away from trump as option number two. Something is wrong with this movement.


44 posted on 02/03/2016 4:14:50 AM PST by SPRINK
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: elhombrelibre

Daren Jonescu has a Ph.D. in Philosophy from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He currently teaches English language and philosophy at Changwon National University in South Korea.


45 posted on 02/03/2016 4:23:13 AM PST by euram
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Fai Mao

Trumpees succumbed. It isn’t pretty. He is more divisive than bambi. Cult is what it is. Blind faith in one with no logical reason for it, the defense of all indefensible and the joy at attacking any do not agree. Fortunately not enough fell for it for him to win.


46 posted on 02/03/2016 4:37:53 AM PST by libbylu (Cruz: The truth with a smile.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: elhombrelibre
TAS nailed it this morning: "Does Trump want to be president or not? If so, he will need to cut the egotistical crap, inject substance into his campaign, and behave presidentially. Who cares about this or that personal slight from this or that pundit? Trump needs to allay anxieties, not add to them by acting like a self-centered carnival barker."

Fish rots from the head down. When Trump sits around all morning in his pajamas, tweeting about the latest pundit who dissed him, his acolytes follow suit. I'm waiting for substance.

47 posted on 02/03/2016 4:49:59 AM PST by norwaypinesavage (The Stone Age did not end because we ran out of stones)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: elhombrelibre

Whaas! We want to be able to post our bile lace trades and infantile snarks without anyone challenging our emotional hysteric rantings! How dare the Trump people shoot back at our childish antics! Whaaa!


48 posted on 02/03/2016 5:21:46 AM PST by MNJohnnie ( Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ru4liberty

Geee you post infantile snarks and childish ranting and then wonder why you get your same behavior fed back to you?

If you object to being treated like badly behaved children, stop behaving badly.


49 posted on 02/03/2016 5:23:13 AM PST by MNJohnnie ( Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: norwaypinesavage

Try posting some substance then instead of your habitual infantile snarks and empty bile lace tirades.


50 posted on 02/03/2016 5:23:58 AM PST by MNJohnnie ( Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: norwaypinesavage

Try posting some substance then instead of your habitual infantile snarks and empty bile lace tirades.


51 posted on 02/03/2016 5:23:58 AM PST by MNJohnnie ( Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: libbylu

Oh please. You have YET to post a rational intellectually serious post. For you to whine about the fire that gets shot back at you is jut so absurdly hypocritical.


52 posted on 02/03/2016 5:25:07 AM PST by MNJohnnie ( Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: MNJohnnie

Johnnie boy’s boy got schlonged and all he can come up with more insults. Put some ice on it, Johnnie.


53 posted on 02/03/2016 5:33:46 AM PST by elhombrelibre (Against Obama. Against Putin. Pro-freedom. Pro-US Constitution. Go Cruz.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: libbylu

You know what? I can deal with actual criticism.

What I can’t deal with is people cherry picking statements - taking them out of context or editing them so that Mr. Trump appears to say something he isn’t.

What really gets me boiling is when these same people then call me a cultist for pointing out that they are either intentionally misrepresenting or ignorant of the position Mr Trump is espousing.

Ignorance:
Trump is a Hillary plant.
Trump will announce he isn’t keeping any campaign promises after he takes office
Trump is a dictator who is as bad as Obama/Mussolini/Hitler
Trump is not serious about running

Misrepresentations
Trump will replace Obama Care with single payer like in Scotland/Canada (Yes he said they work in those places but also said they would not work in the US and he said that IN THE SAME DAMN INTERVIEW)

Trump is not really a supporter of the right to bare arms. (This is simply ridiculous especially as he has a concealed carry permit. Trump used the term assault rifle to mean a full automatic machine gun like an M-60 and SPECIFICALLY said that an AR-15 was not an assault weapon. I at least can understand why such weapons should be regulated and I am a Life Time Member of the NRA)

Trump is really still pro-abortion because he changed his mind in 2008 or believes in some exceptions that would allow abortions. (You may not like the rational for his change but it is disingenuous to deny the change. It is also disingenuous to say that believing that stopping probably 95% of abortions currently being performed would not be a huge pro-life victory)

Trump’s immigration plan is just another form of amnesty and that almost all the illegal aliens currently in the US would be allowed to return after being deported. (A simple direct LIE)

The REFUSAL of non-Trump supporters to admit that people change their minds on issues over time and to see that possibly they should put more weight on the more recent statements rather than something said 30 years ago.

If you have an issue that is not mis-phrased, taken out of context, that has been repudiated by Mr. Trump at a later date or information that has been deliberately misstated then fine.

Defending positions that are put forth as either intentional or unintentional distortions of Trumps stated positions in this election is not a personality cult.

Calling me a cultist when I respond to those accusations is simply an ad-hominim attack that does not deal with the issues.

I support Mr Trump because

1. His stance against illegal immigration.

2. His tax reform plan.

3. The national concealed carry

4. His plan to reform the VA

5. His refusal to use or bow to the PC speech BS

6. His pledge to revoke Obama Care on the first day in office

Honestly, I don’t like his personality that much. He is a flawed messenger.

Don’t bother to respond to me unless it is an apology. I don’t care to see a rehash of your lies


54 posted on 02/03/2016 5:35:57 AM PST by Fai Mao (Just a tropical gardiner chatting with friends)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: elhombrelibre

Your passive aggressiveness is really sad. You want to behave like an ass, then whine when your get the treatment your behavior warrants.

Here an idea, drop the bile laced tirades and the infantile snarks at the other candidates, and try posting thoughtful reasonable argument for your candidate instead


55 posted on 02/03/2016 5:38:50 AM PST by MNJohnnie ( Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: elhombrelibre
Donald Trump's presidential campaign is the venomous anger his demagoguery has cultivated among his more engaged supporters,

The author is implying Trump create the anger.

56 posted on 02/03/2016 5:40:26 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: MNJohnnie

Dr. Johnnie, I’m not whining. I’m watching you go off the deep end with your pseudo psychiatric remarks and projection, Dr. Johnnie.


57 posted on 02/03/2016 5:50:59 AM PST by elhombrelibre (Against Obama. Against Putin. Pro-freedom. Pro-US Constitution. Go Cruz.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: central_va

I think the reaction of the Trump cult proves the point the author made well enough without dwelling on the obvious.


58 posted on 02/03/2016 5:52:40 AM PST by elhombrelibre (Against Obama. Against Putin. Pro-freedom. Pro-US Constitution. Go Cruz.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]

To: elhombrelibre

Trump tapped into existing anger. Trump did not create it. Agree?


59 posted on 02/03/2016 5:59:07 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: central_va

He exacerbated it for his own unprincipled and demagogic purposes, his self-aggrandizement.


60 posted on 02/03/2016 6:02:24 AM PST by elhombrelibre (Against Obama. Against Putin. Pro-freedom. Pro-US Constitution. Go Cruz.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-91 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson