Posted on 02/08/2016 6:47:05 AM PST by bigtoona
Why American cannot abide another ideologue as president
We recently enjoyed a belated holiday dinner at the home of friends. The dinner conversation was jocund, ranging from discussions about antique glass and china to theology and politics. At one point reference was made to Donald Trump being a conservative, to which I responded that Trump is not a conservative.
I said that neither does Trump view himself as a conservative. I stated it was my opinion that Trump is a pragmatist. He sees a problem and understands it must be fixed. He then sets about fixing it. He doesn’t see the problem as liberal or conservative; he sees it only as a problem. That is a quality that should be admired and applauded, not condemned. But I get ahead of myself.
Viewing problems from a liberal perspective has resulted in the creation of more problems, more entitlement programs, more victims, more government, more political correctness and more attacks on the working class in all economic strata.
Viewing things according to the so-called Republican conservative perspective has brought continued spending, globalism to the detriment of American interests and well-being, denial of what the real problems are and weak, ineffective, milquetoast leadership that amounts to Barney Fife, deputy sheriff – appeasement-oriented and afraid of its own shadow. In brief, it has brought liberal ideology with a pachyderm as a mascot juxtaposed to the ass of the Democrat Party.
Immigration isn’t a Republican problem; it isn’t a liberal problem – it is a problem that threatens the very fabric and infrastructure of America. It demands a pragmatic approach, not an approach that is intended to appease one group or another.
The impending collapse of the economy isn’t a liberal or conservative problem; it is an American problem. That said, until it is viewed as a problem that demands a common-sense approach to resolution, it will never be fixed because the Democrats and Republicans know only one way to fix things, and their impracticality has proven to have no lasting effect. Successful businessmen like Donald Trump find ways to make things work. They do not promise to accommodate.
Trump uniquely understands that China’s manipulation of currency is not a Republican problem or a Democratic problem. It is a problem that threatens our financial stability, and he understands the proper balance needed to fix it. Here again, successful businessmen like Trump who have weathered the changing tides of economic reality understand what is necessary to make business work, and they, unlike both sides of the political aisle, know that if something doesn’t work you don’t continue trying to make it work, hoping that at some point it will.
As a pragmatist, Donald Trump hasn’t made wild pie-in-the-sky promises of a cellphone in every pocket, free college tuition and a $15-an-hour minimum wage for working the drive-through a Carl’s Jr.
I argue that America needs pragmatists because pragmatists see problems and find ways to fix them. They do not see a problem and compound it by creating more problems.
You may not like Donald Trump. I suspect that the reason people do not like him is because: 1) he is antithetical to the “good old boy†method of brokering backroom deals that fatten the coffers of politicians; 2) they are unaccustomed to hearing a candidate speak who is unencumbered by the financial shackles of those who own him vis-a-vis donations; 3) he is someone who is free of idiomatic political ideology; and 4) he is someone who understands that it takes more than hollow promises and political correctness to make America great again.
Listening to Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders talk about fixing America is like listening to two lunatics trying to “out crazy†one another. Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio are owned lock, stock and barrel by the bankers, corporations and big-dollar donors funding their campaigns. Bush can deny it, but common sense tells anyone willing to face facts that people don’t give tens of millions without expecting something in return.
We have had Democrats and Republican ideologues – and what has it brought us? Are we better off today or worst off? Has it happened overnight or has it been a steady decline brought on by both parties?
I submit that a pragmatist might be just what America needs right now. And as I said earlier, a pragmatist sees a problem and understands that the solution to fix same is not about a party, but a willingness and boldness to get it done.
People are quick to confuse and despise confidence as arrogance, but that is common amongst those who have never accomplished anything in their lives and who have always played it safe not willing to risk failure.
Very good
“As a pragmatist, Donald Trump hasn’t made wild pie-in-the-sky promises...”
Universal healthcare.
There is no such thing as not having an ideology. You have to make a choice on every single issue. Women or gays in the military? Pro-life or pro-choice? Low tax or high tax? Expand NSA surveillance or limit it? Go to war with a country or don’t? Close government agencies or leave them open? Open relations with Cuba or don’t? Subsidize ethanol or don’t?
There is no such thing as a “pragmatic” approach. Pragmatism can only be used as an excuse to not take responsibility for what your beliefs and ideology are.
Pragmatist = Rudderless
Trump is right on trade, right on immigration, right on the 2nd amendment, right on GOP corruption.....and without those NONE of the rest of it matters. And the best thing....
Trump is NOT a lawyer! Our founders wanted CITIZENS elected to serve. Trump is the only one on those stages who can be called...MISTER!
Trump is a pragmatist. The people supporting him are something else.
Ted won the election in Iowa.
“Ted won the election in Iowa.”
Let’s talk on Wednesday.
“We need a Constitutionalist.”
Who can win in the fall against the RATs. Barring that, I’ll vote for the pragmatic Trump, who is not a puppet for the establishment.
Unless you want to help with our FReepathon, please keep your opinions limited to the subjects of the various threads you visit.
Republicans haven’t had a candidate who won New Hampshire and didn’t ALSO win Iowa go on to win the presidency since Reagan in 1980.
We can only hope if someone other than Cruz wins NH, that he does not become our nominee, because he’ll be a sure loser.
Cruz outpolls Trump against the Democrats in every poll.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/2016_presidential_race.html
If you do not care about the optics that partisanship produces for fundraising appeals, I cannot help you.
I did notice that after I complained about it several days ago, they had disappeared.
Do as you wish.
Well...let’s see...
1) Generously donates to Democrats including Harry Reid’s and Nancy Pelousy’s campaign committees in 2006. Is that really necessary to erect high rises in Manhattan?
2) Supported single payer health insurance, abortion on demand, including late term abortions.
3) Supports tariffs
4) Supported same sex marriage.
5) Told Tim Russert in an interview that he has “New York values”-—Ted Cruz did not make that up. DT said it himself.
6) Supported BHO’s wasteful Porkulus
I could go on. Whatever DT is or is not, he is more of a loudmouth than he is a conservative. He has never been a movement conservative.
If we were to apply the same standards to judge Donald Trump as we would any other Republican politician here on FR, he would definitely fall into the RINO category.
This isn't really a Left vs. Right issue. There are conservatives (Jeff Sessions, etc) who support tariffs just as there are labor Democrats who are pro-tariff, although they support them for different reasons. You can say the same thing about foreign policy: interventionism vs. "isolationism" is not a Left/Right issue since there are people from the Left and Right sides of the aisle both for and against various foreign wars and interventions.
For now this is true. I still don’t think he can win come the fall. Plus he’s beholden to his donors. Trump won’t be PC when talking about whoever the RAT is.
Cruz’s answer regarding waterboarding sealed the deal for me being against him in the primaries. Obviously, if he wins the nomination I will vote for him.
Till then, Go Trump!
I'm angry, listening to our current Lecturer-in-Chief tell us we suck in this country. That we are the reason behind all of the world's problems. And that our failing economy is bustling and doing great. And that our foreign policy has solved all of the world's hotspots. Lie upon lie upon lie.
And I am sick and tired of listening to the two new losers on the scene, Sanders and Clinton, tell us that we don't pay enough in taxes so all of the deadbeats can get free sh*t and, as a result, our national debt needs to double or triple to make all of these losers in society comfortable at the expense of all the hard-working, taxpaying folks.
And I am pissed that Republicans keep foisting upon us the weakest candidates there are and who can't beat the cheating democRATS. And when they do lose, they crawl user the covers with the RATS and act like they are working hard to do the bidding of their constituents. B.S.
So I agree with this author. Trump is a pragmatic businessman who has a history of making things happen. Of solving problems. Of getting it done. I cringe at his comments sometimes, but I don't let that obscure the fact that this guy is the best opportunity this country has had in a long time, to save our ass from continued failure.
If you are looking for another Ronald Reagan or conservative perfection in this campaign, you won't find it. I will support the problem-solver.
What about the other issues?
Tariffs are taxes. If you support higher tariffs you support higher taxes.
Higher tariffs don’t solve anything.
Lower taxes and tariffs solve just about everything.
Liberal "pragmatists" would like to apply eminent domain to everything, everywhere, all the time.
Tariffs are taxes, but they put the burden of taxation on foreign corporations and on US companies who outsource rather than on capital that remains in the US. If high tariffs could be used as an offset to reduce/eliminate income or corporate taxes, that would solve many problems.
As to the other issues, I agree that Trump has done a lot of about-faces on more issues than you can count, which is why I don't really trust him. As I've said before, I'm undecided on Trump vs. Cruz, neither are perfect or completely trustworthy, but I'll vote for whoever gets the most delegates by Super-Tuesday and the best shot at stopping Rubio or whatever other establishment candidate is at the top of the pack. I still trust Trump to do the right thing more than I trust Rubio or Jeb.
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