Posted on 08/11/2015 5:03:29 AM PDT by Kaslin
Anger in conservative politics is generally an overhyped phenomenon. When Republicans win at the ballot box, it's supposedly all about anger. Conservatives like a talk radio host? It's about anger. If Republicans complain about some debacle Obama is involved in, it has to be all about anger.
Most of the time, that’s bunk. However, if you want to see some real anger, start listening to conservatives talking about the Republican Party. The Republican Party is led by people who are habitually incompetent, dishonest, out-of-touch and corrupt. We gave them huge wins in 2010 and 2014 and in return, the leadership of the Republican Party has lied to us, acted as if we're stupid and has done more to push Obama's agenda than ours.
A lot of the conservatives who are justifiably angry about the performance of the Republican Party have gravitated towards Donald Trump’s campaign because despite his flaws, he’s strong where the Republican Party is weak. He’s not politically correct, he’s proven himself to be hyper-competent in business, he’s a fighter, he pays attention to the base, he talks about issues conservatives care about and he can’t be bought off.
Those are an attractive set of qualities to conservative Republicans and thus far, they have been enough to draw in about a quarter of Republican primary voters in a 17-man field.
That brings us to the debate on Fox.
During the debate, Fox moderators spent an inordinate amount of time trying to get the candidates to fight with each other, but they obviously had a special dislike for Trump. Even Lindsey Graham, who hates Trump’s guts admitted it was like they were trying to make him look like the “biggest b@stard on the planet.”
Afterwards, Trump was justifiably unhappy with Fox, but he went too far in attacking Megyn Kelly. Even if you take Trump at his word (which I do) that he wasn't referring to Megyn Kelly being on her period, he shouldn’t be calling her a “bimbo” or spending an inordinate amount of time slamming a news anchor. For Donald Trump, the television personality, that might make sense. Donald Trump the presidential candidate should have bigger fish to fry.
Next up, after inviting Donald Trump to the Redstate gathering, Erick Erickson pulled his invitation and invited Megyn Kelly instead. It’s his event and he can do what he wants with it, but it was a ridiculous move. It was also a bit puzzling because it’s supposed to be a grassroots event and per the first poll that came out after the debate, two candidates largely supported by the grassroots in first and third (Trump with 23% and Carson at 11%) weren’t welcome to speak while Jeb Bush was.
From there, the back and forth on social media between conservatives on both sides has started devolving into a total food fight – which seems particularly silly considering the circumstances.
The first primary is roughly FIVE AND A HALF MONTHS away. That’s practically an eternity in campaign time and it will give everyone plenty of time to vet all the candidates, including Trump, before they vote. In the interim, even if you’re a grassroots conservative who doesn’t like Trump, you shouldn’t be upset that he’s in first place. As I explained a few weeks ago, Trump’s surge is PROTECTING the other conservative candidates.
However, there’s a huge plus to the “all Trump, all the time” coverage that most people have missed. In the 2008 and 2012 elections, the mainstream media and the establishment picked the candidates they liked best (McCain and Mitt) and then they systematically destroyed anybody else who started to get any traction.
This time around, Trump is acting like a missile defense shield for the rest of the field. Reagan’s work on a missile defense shield helped break the Soviets and Trump’s shield may help us break the liberal media/squishy Republican stranglehold on picking our nominee.
So, let’s interject a little reality here.
The same network that has Sean Hannity, Greg Gutfeld and tons of grassroots conservative guests may have been unfair to Trump during the debate, but it’s not an establishment network. Megyn Kelly also may not have been fair to Trump, but she does a lot of good work and who cares if she’s been on the Howard Stern show or did a sexy photoshoot a few years back? Since when are conservatives against women trying to look hot? Also, I’ve knocked heads with Erick Erickson before and certainly don’t agree with how he handled the latest Redstate gathering, but he’s not the devil. He’s done plenty of good work for grassroots conservatives. Incidentally, I’d say roughly the same thing about some of the pundits at National Review who’ve gone to extremes in savaging Trump. I understand the desire to be just as nasty to them as they’re being to Trump, but it’s ultimately not good for the movement.
What I’d also say to the big names in the conservative movement that are going more insane over Trump than they do over Obama is that you’re also insulting the people who are supporting him. Those people are, for the most part, grassroots conservatives who are tired of being told, “Vote Republican and then sit down and shut up about what you want because nobody cares.” Their concerns are legitimate and Donald Trump is doing a better job of speaking to them than anybody else right now. When Donald Trump is treated unfairly after he gives a voice to those conservatives, then his supporters are also being treated just as unfairly by proxy and it’s no surprise that it makes them mad enough to fire back.
Meanwhile, waiting in the background to be crowned by the mainstream media and the GOP establishment is Jeb Bush. A man who thinks he’s owed the presidency by virtue of being born a Bush. A man Establishment Republicans are determined to foist on the rest of us despite the fact that he has no charisma, he’s for Common Core and he’ll push massive illegal immigration. A man who said, “I used to be a conservative" and you have to be willing to “lose the primary to win the general without violating your principles."
As Laura Ingraham said at CPAC, “The idea that we should hold a coronation (for Jeb Bush) because 50 rich families decided who best represents their interests…no way, Jose!”
If you want to aim some venom at somebody, don’t aim it at your fellow grassroots conservatives, Donald Trump or Megyn Kelly. Instead, aim it at the guy who’s flat-out telling you he doesn’t care what you think about the issues because his family name, all the money behind him and the support of the establishment means he’s going to win no matter what the “little people” think.
We also hate politicians who pander to the left/media and thus allow them to get their way by default.
Rubio is Jeb’s left arm.
She is paid to have an opinion and nobody in America thought Jeb won. He had 2% saying that on Drudge. It raises questions whether she is a Conservative or a FOX team player.
I think Trump would be a really, really bad idea as President.
That said, I’d vote for him in a heartbeat over Jeb.
What is pro Trump venom?
I thought she came up to his waist.
And has a flat head?
Imagine if during the 2008 presidential debates Jim Lehrer of PBS, Tom Brokaw of NBC, and Bob Schieffer of CBS had asked that arrogant pos occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave why he voted for late term abortion and why he voted 129 times present while he was a senator in the Illinois Legislature? Also why is it that he got a Social Security number from a state he never lived and where his college transcripts are?
The answer is that they were never interested in vetting him, but making sure he would be the first black president elected.
THINK ABOUT IT.
Ingraham's logic was that the debate focused attention on Trump and Kelly, while Bush just plodded along. The implication being that Bush wins by staying under the radar, above the fray. Ingraham went on to note that Bush has a big war chest, and will blanket NH, FL and other primary states with negative ads, similar to Romney's actions last time around.
Her point is that Bush is the one to watch out for - not that Bush is the better or even best choice.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/_7FCjCsUfDs @ 7:55 or so. Watch for yourself, I think my paraphrase is roughly accurate, but I only gave one listen. Oh, found a transcript ...
INGRAHAM: Well, we'll see the new polls that come out. But you know, I always -- I have been saying this for two years. And George probably disagrees with me. But I think Jeb Bush probably won that debate. And people say ...INGRAHAM: this performance. I tell you why he won it. Because the focus was on Megyn and Trump, OK? And Jeb Bush quietly and George W. Bush is calling him the tortoise now, because he's quietly amassing the donor base. His has now $120 million in the bank. And his network is locked down. Once that Bush negative advertising starts flowing against anyone who rears his or her head, whether it's Marco or Carly or John Kasich, we're going to see what was done to Gingrich in Florida when Romney took out Gingrich in Florida in 2012, Bush is really good at talking about tone. But when push comes to shove, that negative advertising is going to blanket Florida, New Hampshire, and beyond. So, I still look at Jeb Bush as a front runner. Trump may be still up in the polls. I don't know how long he'll stay in. He's the man to beat still in my mind.
Works for me.
One can comfortably understand that BOTH Jeb AND Trump stink. It’s not an either or world.
Doesn’t matter who is the general if we don’t get a conservative to that election. What good is attacking Hillary NOW if we end up with two progressives to choose from in 2016?
Primaries are far more important this time around because the beltway GOP has revealed their thuggish statist tendencies.
We should be focusing on fake conservatives like Rubio and Paul now. They are a far greater threat to conservatives than Hillary is.
LOL. The author has me agreeing.
Laura said that because Bush stayed low key and didn’t make any real mistakes...kinda under the radar...she just said it again...’he’s the tortoise’
Well my take on it is this: A debate is where the moderator asks a question and every candidate answers it. Then they ask another question and every candidate answers it.
What was inappropriate was singling out Donald Trump at the 10 second mark and attacking him. That was the bridge too far. It was not a debate at that point it was an attempt to get rid of a candidate that the establishment and the MSM did not want.
Then she is an idiot. As a frontrunner sinking to 4th is losing horribly. She is toeing the company line and is not an objective journalist let alone a Conservative.
Bingo.
I could care less that Trump and Trafficant share the same hair-piece. What *I* care about is what they say/will do on the events that effect ME (IE: govt).
The NAGS wanted women equal, but when the words come out ‘too harsh’ they sure are the 1st to come out with ‘You can’t say THAT!’.
And Kelley comparing herself to Putin?! PLEASE! As if any head of state would give 2x sh!ts what Rosie was called. Her context is just that....HER; and WAY off.
I hear that sentiment all the time, but I have no idea what it means. Can you explain?
Nor mine - just pointing out that Jebby kept his hand down that day, even though he has said of Trump “I don’t think he represents the Republican Party, and his views are way out of the mainstream of what Republicans think”.
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