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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
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To: elhombrelibre
The article doesn’t say Trump created the anger.

No, it says he "cultivated" it. I think more appropriate term might be "harvested".

61 posted on 02/03/2016 6:02:52 AM PST by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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To: elhombrelibre
He exacerbated it

No he didn't, he just gave it an outlet. Like the author of this screed piece you're misreading the situation. Do that at your own peril.

62 posted on 02/03/2016 6:04:28 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: lucky american
I long for the humor, joviality, and the swapping of ideas.That is no longer the case.

You'll have to wait for a while.

It always gets pretty rowdy here during the primaries, but it does seem to be a little harsher this year.

I've found the venom directed at Cruz and his supporters to be especially strange, because Cruz is everything free republic is about as far as his conservatism goes. Yeah, he has some problems, but all candidates do. He's closer to what I'd consider the 'ideal' conservative candidate than I've seen that has a legitimate cahnce to win, at at least IMO.

My bottom line: support your candidate. Don't trash other conservatives. Don't trash other folks merely because of who they support.

63 posted on 02/03/2016 8:16:47 AM PST by zeugma (Lon Horiuchi is the true face of the feral government. Remember that. Always.)
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To: yeff
I cannot recall a single instance.

I have long pondered the thought processes of those in a cult and, of course, appeals to the intellect are useless because the victim is in a psychic cage. I have applied this to liberals, those who wage a jihad, the bloods and the Crips, people in the 1970s who went through EST, but I am reluctant to indict in general those who support Donald Trump.

But that is not to deny that there are fanatics who post daily in support of Donald Trump in this forum who, it seems to me, are observable detached from reason. I do not contend that all Cruz supporters are pillars of reason and restraint (myself not excluded) but there is really no comparison because of the degree of fanaticism which seems to grip many Trump supporters.


64 posted on 02/03/2016 8:20:08 AM PST by nathanbedford ("Attack, repeat, attack!" Bull Halsey)
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To: lucky american

I try not to post to the Trump supporters. When they comment to my posts they want to tell me that I can’t comprehend what Trump is saying or that they can’t comprehend what I’m saying always with an insult or two thrown in. That’s a liberal ploy.


65 posted on 02/03/2016 8:25:08 AM PST by Aquamarine (Vote Conservative.)
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To: yeff

You can’t have reasoned discourse with them. If you make a good point they start the personal attacks just like a liberal.


66 posted on 02/03/2016 8:33:11 AM PST by Aquamarine (Vote Conservative.)
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To: elhombrelibre

bttt


67 posted on 02/03/2016 8:39:32 AM PST by the_doc
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To: elhombrelibre

The people who aren’t angry are the ones either creating the problems, or running from them. Our nation is in crisis. Must we collapse before the entitlement generation wakes up?


68 posted on 02/03/2016 9:53:38 AM PST by Albion Wilde (Who can actually defeat the Democrats in 2016? -- the most important thing about all candidates.)
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To: Albion Wilde

If you read the article, I believe you’ll see that the author is not implying that there is not anything to be angry about.


69 posted on 02/03/2016 10:17:51 AM PST by elhombrelibre (Against Obama. Against Putin. Pro-freedom. Pro-US Constitution. Go Cruz.)
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To: toddausauras

I asked you what you thought of the article. Your answer is a non sequitur. Did you read it? What do you agree/disagree with? Please be specific.


70 posted on 02/03/2016 10:40:30 AM PST by ru4liberty (I wish FR were still "The Premiere *CONSERVATIVE* Site on the Net" :'(.....)
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To: MNJohnnie

What did you think of the article?


71 posted on 02/03/2016 10:43:03 AM PST by ru4liberty (I wish FR were still "The Premiere *CONSERVATIVE* Site on the Net" :'(.....)
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To: elhombrelibre

Cultivated?

How about HARVESTED? More appropriate.

#coldanger

I have said for years now that 0bama didn’t want to be the President. He wanted(s) to be the last one.

We are the ‘dead man of the World’ as Ottoman Turkey was the ‘dead man of Europe.’ The BDIY index will likely go under 300 soon, when it hasn’t ever gone under 400 until a little while ago, in January; the dry ships in the shipping lanes are DRY. World trade appears to have collapsed.

Gold is rising now. We’re in the unenviable position of losing our footing over a clife, a la Wile E. Coyote, of Roadrunner fame. We know things are iffy, even though appearing normal. TPTB are shoveling instability all over the West with their rapefugees; TPTB apparently want WWIII to use all those billions of bullets they’ve bought up on us.

TPTB think they’re immune. They’re not.


72 posted on 02/03/2016 10:50:14 AM PST by combat_boots (The Lion of Judah cometh. Hallelujah. Gloria Patri, Filio et Spiritui Sancto!)
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To: combat_boots

8SB cliff


73 posted on 02/03/2016 10:57:03 AM PST by combat_boots (The Lion of Judah cometh. Hallelujah. Gloria Patri, Filio et Spiritui Sancto!)
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To: yeff
I wonder if any of the more vitriolic posters ever change their positions based on reasoned discourse. If so, it would sure be refreshing to read a post about the conversion.

If you ever run across one, please ping me. I wouldn't want to miss that.

I had a family member with whom I could engage in reasoned discourse. I really miss those discussions.

74 posted on 02/03/2016 11:17:47 AM PST by ru4liberty (I wish FR were still "The Premiere *CONSERVATIVE* Site on the Net" :'(.....)
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To: elhombrelibre

Because you believe a thing does not make it so.


75 posted on 02/03/2016 12:46:46 PM PST by Albion Wilde (Who can actually defeat the Democrats in 2016? -- the most important thing about all candidates.)
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To: tacticalogic; combat_boots; elhombrelibre; libbylu

Good observation. The same agreed to (apparently found on their own, or so I assume) by combat_boots, in comment #72 this thread.

elhombrelibre, at comment #69;

Regardless of which candidate is being supported by whom, would that comment find the widest agreement around here, or what?

What has happened to us? We see our nation going to the dogs, that's what's happened. It's not been slowing down much, either, or so it seems when one's nose is stuck in daily news cycle...

It's enough to drive a sane man to drinking. Not that I advise that as a cure. Drink oneself under the table, wake up the next day -- same problems, all over again, now with even more headache, and added grief.

At the risk of making even more people hate me (that may not previous), at #46, libbylu;

Can't Find My Way Home
from the album Blind Faith
(same name as the band)
Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton,
Ginger Baker. Rich Grech, 1969

God help us

76 posted on 02/03/2016 2:06:08 PM PST by BlueDragon (TheHildbeast is so bad, purty near anybody should beat her. And that's saying something)
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To: Fai Mao

What did you think of the article?


77 posted on 02/03/2016 2:06:23 PM PST by ru4liberty (I wish FR were still "The Premiere *CONSERVATIVE* Site on the Net" :'(.....)
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To: Louis Foxwell

What did you think of the article?


78 posted on 02/03/2016 2:08:57 PM PST by ru4liberty (I wish FR were still "The Premiere *CONSERVATIVE* Site on the Net" :'(.....)
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To: ru4liberty

The article was a hit piece, plain and simple.


79 posted on 02/03/2016 2:14:27 PM PST by Louis Foxwell (Stop Islam and save the world.)
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To: Louis Foxwell

Since it’s not “plain and simple” to everyone, please tell us which part(s) you take issue with. Why? How is the author wrong? Please be specific so readers can get an idea of where you’re coming from.


80 posted on 02/03/2016 2:27:12 PM PST by ru4liberty (I wish FR were still "The Premiere *CONSERVATIVE* Site on the Net" :'(.....)
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