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Is Trump the First ‘European-conservative’ American Presidential Candidate?
American Thinker ^ | 01/27/2016 | Selwyn Duke

Posted on 01/27/2016 8:58:58 AM PST by SeekAndFind

Ever since Donald Trump's rise to 2016-contender prominence, the rap on him, and perhaps part of his broad appeal, has been that he's not a conservative. And he's not -- he's a nationalistic populist. Yet there's another way to understand The Donald's professed politics: as that of the first prominent "European-conservative" American presidential candidate. He's not so much America's next Ronald Reagan or Barry Goldwater, but her first Marine Le Pen.

A prerequisite for grasping this is first understanding the true natures of liberalism and conservatism. While many have their own definitions of the latter -- and will stubbornly insist they're correct -- the truth is that both political terms are provisional, meaning different things in different times and places. The term "conservative" in the 1970s referred to a communist in the USSR and someone staunchly anti-communist in the US; and a European conservative today, such as Britain's David Cameron, is well to the "left" of our conservatives. Many other examples could be provided, but the point is this: liberalism and conservatism are not ideologies as much as processes. Liberalism is the process of inexorably trying to change the status quo; conservatism is the process of trying to preserve the status quo. Thus, what the terms represent will vary depending on the status quo in question.

And when analyzing the Trump phenomenon, it's clear that it's roughly the same one evident in much of the West, the one fueling the fortunes of Le Pen in France, the Netherlands' Geert Wilders (who has endorsed Trump), Britain's Nigel Farage and Sweden's Jimmie Ã…kesson. He also bears much in common with those figures.

Consider the qualities these European politicians share: they're socially quite liberal. Their views on abortion range from indifference to tolerance to mild skepticism,

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: New York
KEYWORDS: 2016election; conservatism; debates; election2016; europe; facism; foxnetwork; foxnews; iowa; megynkelly; newyork; rogerailes; rupertmurdoch; trump; trumplessdebate

1 posted on 01/27/2016 8:58:58 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Trump equalling Le Pen is not the worst comparison I’ve seen.


2 posted on 01/27/2016 9:00:48 AM PST by Bruce Campbells Chin
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Why is the American thinker joining in on the trump bashing


3 posted on 01/27/2016 9:15:07 AM PST by The Right wing Infidel
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin

RE: Trump equalling Le Pen is not the worst comparison I’ve seen.

Yes, but in so far as IMMIGRATION is a major issue among the electorate ( and in fact THE ONLY MAJOR ONE for many FReepers ignoring all the other issues ), the comparison with Le Penn, Geert Wilders, etc. is quite apt IMHO.


4 posted on 01/27/2016 9:15:35 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: The Right wing Infidel

RE: Why is the American thinker joining in on the trump bashing

Where’s the bashing?


5 posted on 01/27/2016 9:15:52 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin

Geert Wilders is a great politician , hes the staunchest anti Islam pro israel politician in western europe


6 posted on 01/27/2016 9:15:58 AM PST by The Right wing Infidel
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To: SeekAndFind

Whats bad about Geert Wilders ?


7 posted on 01/27/2016 9:16:26 AM PST by The Right wing Infidel
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To: The Right wing Infidel

Whats bad about Geert Wilders ?

*******************************************

He has a funny first name?


8 posted on 01/27/2016 9:28:19 AM PST by Graybeard58 (Bill and Hillary Clinton are the penicillin-resistant syphilis of our political system.)
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To: The Right wing Infidel
I like Wilders. I just don't think being staunchly against Islam and pro-israel is enough to make someone the best GOP candidate because there are other candidates here who feel the same but are better on other issues as well.

In Europe, they've bent over so far for the Muslims that a guy like Wilders is essential, precisely because everybody else in their major parties is afraid to bring it up.

9 posted on 01/27/2016 9:32:24 AM PST by Bruce Campbells Chin
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To: SeekAndFind
Yes, but in so far as IMMIGRATION is a major issue among the electorate ( and in fact THE ONLY MAJOR ONE for many FReepers ignoring all the other issues ), the comparison with Le Penn, Geert Wilders, etc. is quite apt IMHO.

I agree with every word of that. Whether or not that is a good thing is a different question. But I do agree with the comparison.

10 posted on 01/27/2016 9:36:06 AM PST by Bruce Campbells Chin
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To: SeekAndFind

Considering that modern American conservatism has largely failed, it’s time to try some genuine Tradition instead.


11 posted on 01/27/2016 9:42:38 AM PST by Yashcheritsiy (You can't have a constitution without a country to go with it)
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To: SeekAndFind
I think the article continues to miss the point of Trumps campaign.
He is a nationalist pragmatist, not liberal not conservative.
Populist is a support group and not much a formal ideology.
SS
12 posted on 01/27/2016 9:42:49 AM PST by TWhiteBear (i)
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To: TWhiteBear
Populist is a support group and not much a formal ideology

What does that say about the over-whelming support from members of the # 1 Conservative forum?

13 posted on 01/27/2016 10:02:11 AM PST by TexasCajun (#BlackViolenceMatters)
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To: Yashcheritsiy

RE: Considering that modern American conservatism has largely failed

American conservatism has not been tried and found wanting, it has NEVER BEEN TRIED at all !


14 posted on 01/27/2016 10:03:31 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: TexasCajun; TWhiteBear

RE: What does that say about the over-whelming support from members of the # 1 Conservative forum?

I would say that many are putting their bets on HOPE over Experience.


15 posted on 01/27/2016 10:05:00 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

American Republicans and Democrats have been displaced over decades by demographics that more resemble the European “right” and “left.”


16 posted on 01/27/2016 10:12:24 AM PST by familyop ("Welcome to Costco. I love you." --Costco greeter in "Idiocracy")
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To: SeekAndFind

If a writer (or poster to FR for that matter) doesn’t come out fawning all over Mr. Trump, they are bashing him.

Such thin skin from some who say Trump is so tough.


17 posted on 01/27/2016 11:39:34 AM PST by Nucky Thompson (Conservative forever.)
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To: SeekAndFind

No, he’s not. In 2012, Trump said Romney was anti-Hispanic for supporting attrition and current immigration laws. Trump is a liberal taking all of you for fools. Grow up and look at his history.


18 posted on 01/27/2016 2:13:58 PM PST by rmlew ("Mosques are our barracks, minarets our bayonets, domes our helmets, the believers our soldiers.")
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To: SeekAndFind
Yes, but in so far as IMMIGRATION is a major issue among the electorate ( and in fact THE ONLY MAJOR ONE for many FReepers ignoring all the other issues ), the comparison with Le Penn, Geert Wilders, etc. is quite apt IMHO.
In so far as Trump was to the left of Romney in 2012/13 on immigration and his own immigration plan is that of Kay Baily Hutchinson (amnesty with a plane ticket), he fails this test. If people knew how to be adults and look at facts, not rhetoric, then they would have supported Santorum on immigration and trade. Instead, fools who want to be lied to are following Obama 2.0
19 posted on 01/27/2016 2:16:06 PM PST by rmlew ("Mosques are our barracks, minarets our bayonets, domes our helmets, the believers our soldiers.")
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