Posted on 09/02/2015 8:02:24 PM PDT by NKP_Vet
For many years now grassroots conservatives have grumbled that the Republican establishment in Washington views them with contempt. Rarely has that contempt been displayed as brazenly as it was on this week’s episode of Fox News Sunday.
During the show’s panel discussion, columnist George Will and Arthur Brooks of the American Enterprise Institute in particular showed how GOP bigwigs view their base. Will started the banter by suggesting that the popularity of insurgent GOP candidates was tantamount to “primal scream” psychotherapy where voters are venting their frustrations by backing political newcomers over their more traditional rivals. Brooks seconded Will’s thesis and said,
“This is a low information, high entertainment, high protest moment…Republican voters always aggregate up towards this kind of mainstream person…Republicans always come back. They came back to Mitt Romney.”
Show moderator Chris Wallace, playing devil’s advocate, sounded like the only conservative in the room when he said that voters “aggregating” back to Romney and McCain was precisely the problem, that they were not the right candidates to support.
The message coming from these movers and shakers in Republican politics was quite clear: Go ahead, you unsophisticated rubes. Have your temper tantrum and spend your summer getting excited about these non-politicians. When the rubber meets the road and primary season starts for real, you’ll come to your senses and support a pragmatic, country club Republican who values compromise and “reaching across the aisle” to our esteemed Democrat colleagues. The result will be the continued growth of Big Government and furthering our once-great nation on the glide path to oblivion.
Perhaps there is a more accurate way to analyze the GOP’s Summer of Discontent. Namely, that the conservative base has seen their party’s presidential nominees offer up weak, centrist campaigns that only served to propel Bill Clinton and Barack Obama into the White House.
The GOP base took matters into their own hands during the last two mid-term elections by sending Democrats packing and replacing them with Republicans who promised to fight Obama’s transformational change. A few of these people refused to join the Beltway cabal in Washington, most notably Ted Cruz with his challenge to McConnell, but far too many succumbed, then gave endless excuses why they couldn’t keep their campaign promises.
The party elders who share the views on display on Fox News Sunday will not just give up control of the party to the fed-up masses in flyover country. Control must be taken by refusing to elect the same tired party apparatchiks.
One thing is certain: abandoning non-career politician outsiders and “aggregating” to the media-approved candidates is the surest way to keep America in decline. Voters should ignore the advice of the conventional wisdom that has led us directly to this point. Based on the poll numbers of the non-DC-insiders, the public is sending a stern message.
Yes I do. Which is why I am rooting for Trump even though I can’t stand him. I can’t stand the GOPe more.
“They came back to Mitt Romney”, NOT THIS TIME YOU PERFIDIOUS SH#TSTAINS.
CRUZ OR LOSE-—SECOND CHOICE TRUMPS YOU ALL.
Troll much?
If they put up another Republicrat I am voting for Lowjack James (commonly known as Jack to his daddy).
He is my Good, Honorable, Honest, Loyal, and Truthful friend.
My puppy doggie.
The Uniparty wants us to be good servants.
Seriously, does anyone think someone with the last name of Bush can ever get elected POTUS again?
That is why President Romney will go down in history as... Oh, well maybe not.
What over educated idiots! I'd like to "Primal Scream" George Will into his next incarnation. He might then have a moment of consciousness just before someone remembers to flush.
known for years what they think. after all the likes of boehner and mccain have said it repeatedly right to our faces:
we’re just “wacko birds”, “knuckle draggers” and “hobbits” to them (and those are probably the kindest words they have for us. i lol to think of what they call us in private).
You’re on the wrong site... This is a conservative site (says so on the home page), not a LIBertopian site...
You have erred in at least 2 fashions in your Post as near as I am able to discern.
1) The notion that George Will is some sort of a ‘conservative’ is nonsensical.
2) The notion that FOX News is actually conservative is even more ridiculous.
One of the best books that I ever read.
GOPe is worse, and easier to defeat. They had their chance and they blew it. Let the chips fall where they may.
Actually, I’m hoping that Jeb and SWMNBN are the candidates. Then I can put my “Vote for None of the Above” in the front yard.
Here’s the key to events: Most normal people who have consistently voted for a Democrat instead of a Republican have felt the contempt of the GOPe for years.
Is that a tagline in the making?
Now that is really interesting is it not?
“You have erred in at least 2 fashions in your Post as near as I am able to discern.
1) The notion that George Will is some sort of a ‘conservative’ is nonsensical.
2) The notion that FOX News is actually conservative is even more ridiculous”.
Of course you’re 100% correct. I only posted the article, didn’t write it.
I stopped and pondered this for a moment, and suddenly realized I couldn’t agree with you more. This is a disturbing thought. Well said.
Neocon much?
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.