Posted on 12/25/2015 11:29:59 AM PST by Mariner
In a recent op-ed -- "If Trump wins the nomination, prepare for the end of the conservative party" -- the always articulate George Will expresses the angst many establishment (and some not-so-establishment) Republicans feel about their frontrunner:
If you look beyond Donald Trump’s comprehensive unpleasantness — is there a disagreeable human trait he does not have? — you might see this: He is a fundamentally sad figure. His compulsive boasting is evidence of insecurity. His unassuageable neediness suggests an aching hunger for others’ approval to ratify his self-admiration. His incessant announcements of his self-esteem indicate that he is not self-persuaded. Now, panting with a puppy’s insatiable eagerness to be petted, Trump has reveled in the approval of Vladimir Putin, murderer and war criminal.
It's hard to dispute Will's analysis, as far as it goes, but it only goes so far. No doubt The Donald exhibits some of the traits of an inferiority complex, but the real question is, so what? As Joe E. Brown says to Jack Lemmon at the end of Some Like It Hot, "Nobody's perfect."
All the Republican candidates have their flaws, as does, in spades, the woman far at the front of the Democratic pack, described almost twenty years ago by William Safire in one of the most prescient op-eds ever as a "congenital liar."
But my interest here is not in detailing everyone's weaknesses -- I like to remain friends with people -- but, as a Christmas present to the angst-ridden, to try to explain how Trump's flaws can be turned to the advantage of Republicans and conservatives. This is particularly important if, as appears highly possible, he wins the nomination. What do we do about it?
(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...
Roger (((Simon))) has been choking on Trump for months.
These guys couldn’t navigate their way out of 1 room shack with the garage door open.
No hits from me. My man is Ted Cruz.... and I will vote for Trump in a nanasecond.
True: Donald seems to have something better than Reagan, an optimism of virtually supernatural proportions that drives him through, and despite, the lack of refinement. Reagan was a nice package tied up with a bow, sailing along on its own power. Trump, a messy open wagon pulled by something we can’t quite make out at this point.
Let me even take the virtually out... I’ll say supernatural proportions. And leave it at that.
And you ask evidence of this? How about the way Reagan orated about God and never made God particular even to the erroneous way that Donald Trump boasted about his Presbyterian church, or that he wanted to help Christians by criticizing the way Starbucks allegedly slighted Christmas this year.
Trump is messier... he also comes from the heart in a way Reagan didn’t.
Simon’s wrong. Trump doesn’t do those things out of emotion.
He’s programming peoples minds like robots by positively branding himself and negatively branding his adversaries.
He repeats the message over and over.It works.
Speaking to a crowd of 2,300 at West High School in Sioux City on Tuesday during his first trip to Iowa since three state-wide polls showed his commanding lead slipping away, Trump asked, "Will you get these numbers up?"Source
"I promise you I will do such a good job," he continued. "First of all, I am a great Christian -- and I am -- I am. Remember that. And I do well with the evangelicals. But the evangelicals left me down a little bit this last month. I don't know what I did. But I am a great Christian."
I agree.
If only that could be understood by everyone.
Interesting analysis. Thanks. BTTT!
“I just ask that anything you post be directed at the candidates and not on another. “
Good luck with that. Cruz supporters don’t know how.
Might I point you towards a post election (pre-inaugural) party for Pres. Elect “O” (2009) at G. Will’s house. Krauthammer, Bill Kristol, and a couple others there.
Would have liked to have been a fly on the wall there.
I just distrust a lot of people, Mr. Trump’s strength comes a lot from who he’s irritating.
” He [Trump] is a fundamentally sad figure. His compulsive boasting is evidence of insecurity.”
Well a bunch of psychobabble nonsense. Does Trump look sad or insecure to you? He looks like one of the happiest people I’ve ever seen and appears to really his enjoys life.
This comment is just more Orwellian newspeak from a pseudo-intellectual moron.
Merry Christmas FReeper.
This whole article sounds like a person in the grips of the bargaining stage of grief.
tinyowl FTTW. Awesome post.
Merry Christmas, and keep on writing great posts. :)
quelle surprise
Bastard. You almost made me blow soda out my nose.
Merry Christmas!
No hits from me. My man is Trump.... and I will vote for Ted Cruz in a nanasecond.
Merry Christmas, leatherneck!
I can’t think of a good reason to read an article by those scumbags at PJ Media.
++++++++++++
I can
I want to kno what people think
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