Replies

Words to be hightlighted in the article - Republican operatives, modern conservatism, nativism, (and lots more to include).

Ruben's take of Trump and Carson leading in the Des Moines Register poll is far from target, and

Criticism on Trump (using Club for Growth) is legitimate that Trump is not a fiscal conservative. But Club for Growth failed to ‘advertise’ which candidate is a true fiscal conservative. Note, you can't be fiscal anything without addressing the illegal immigration as top priority.

Ruben supports Jeb! (failing that, Kasich her second choice). THAT is unacceptable.

Correction: (according to wiki *)

"Club for Growth president David McIntosh has written that Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, and Ted Cruz are “the real deal candidates, the gold standard of the race," and that while questions remain, Jeb Bush and Scott Walker have shown some pro-growth stances.[135] In August 2015, the Club for Growth PAC announced it would formally support presidential candidates for the first time, saying the group would bundle donations for Cruz, Rubio, Walker, Bush, and Paul."

These Republicans, on one hand, despair that an egocentric bully with no discernible political principles should be leading in polls. They observe that his incoherent mix of authoritarianism, protectionism and cronyism is antithetical to the modern conservative movement,

Rubin began with such a balanced view of Trump, that I wondered if we should tar and feather him now or later?

If being a fiscal conservative means that you think a pure flat tax is going to pass in Congress or a pure "fair tax", then fiscal conservatives truly live in the land of butterflies and unicorns.

In actual fact, Romney blew the tax debate last time around, and the Americans who bothered to vote last time around believe that the rich should be taxed more. They also believe in simplicity...which they don't have, and they believe in everyone paying some, and they believe in lower taxes...so long as the rich pay more.

So, sell a 15-20% flat tax to these folks and tell them that for many of them their taxes will go up. Tell the voters wondering what the heck is a fair tax that odds are they're going to have BOTH an income tax and a new sales tax, because passing a constitutional amendment isn't very likely. IOW, their taxes will go up.

In reality, Trump just proposed about the only tax change that will actually fly. Like it or not. He might not be a "fairy dust and magic wand" fiscal conservative, but at least he's a realist about what will actually pass.

Would I be ok with simpler, flatter, and less? Yep. It's not perfection, but how much in life really is?