Posted on 04/20/2016 5:54:03 AM PDT by markomalley
A candidate like Donald Trump should be impossible. A loud, unscripted, hard-edged reality show-style candidate with exceedingly flexible positions on many hot-button issues would be laughed out of contention for the Republican nomination in other years. A man whose serial gaffes and willingness to stick his thumb in the eye of the gatekeepers of good taste would be cooked before he stepped onto the debate stage. An utterly inexperienced politician, who describes our rights and privileges as particular to us as Americans rather than universal moral mandates, would be rejected by both parties at any other time in the modern era.
But in Trump’s case, these supposedly disqualifying positions and attributes have proven to be the basis for unexpected success. Why? In part, it is because he corrects massive ideological failures by the Right, which have enabled unmitigated cultural overreach by the Left, eliminating the social and cultural basis that permits a Western liberal order to exist.
For decades, the institutional Right has ceded American culture to the Left, in spite of many voices who pointed out ample areas where the Right could carve out a countercultural movement against leftist domination, or even co-opt some of modern culture for itself.
The cause of this is partially a denial of how swiftly the culture has moved Left, leaving the institutional Right under the false impression it is still fighting the culture war of the 90’s and early 2000s. The Right’s obsession with 90’s-era battles over sex, drugs, and rock and roll is more than just an anachronism: it represents a self-inflicted wound that ignored how the Left used the culture to repeatedly make the case for their vision of an ideal society. We now know the Left won that war, and in this context, Trump represents...
(Excerpt) Read more at thefederalist.com ...
I do not like Trump for who he is and who he has been. I do not like Cruz for what he has evolved into. But I would gladly have either man than anybody who has ANYTHING to do with the "establishment." Regardless of what happens during the remainder of the primaries, during the Republican convention, or the general election, if the Republican Party is smashed there will be a victory of sorts.
The GOP needs to go the way of the Whigs and a party dedicated to moral standards and truly Constitutionally-limited government needs to rise up from the ashes of the GOP. I do not think that Trump is the man to carry out that transformation...even in his current rhetoric, he is showing himself to be "big government" (just "better government to make America Great Again"). Cruz, through the primary crucible, has proven that he is not up to the task nor will he ever be up to the task. But we are now at the point where, if either man wins the nomination, it will be the end of the establishment. And if the nomination is stolen, the party will utterly implode.
I trust Trump as much as I trust fox guarding a chicken and those who believe his speeches today, or totally ignorant to his past deeds, behaviors and DNC funding.
Good post. It’s strange we haven’t seen more of this.
But this is unacceptable. You must invariably really not dig one of these stiffs and be really enthusiastic for the other, and get attacked for the one you admit to not liking. It’s the way these things are supposed to be done.
Freegards
I find it extremely refreshing to have a good man like Donald Trump running for office. His politically unpolished demeanor endears tens of millions of freedom loving Americans who desire a real restoration of American principles to this fallen nation. I admire his courage and perseverance, as well as, his obvious intention to serve the people. I appreciate so much his moral clarity by not allowing special interest funding of his campaign and am so grateful his showing the nation that the huge money is not needed by utilizing our news media as it really intended...to disperse information.
It’s not Trump who burnt those bridges. The bridge between the grassroots and the establishment was torched by the latter to prevent the former from crossing it to have input in policy. The GOPe wanted all the power for itself, but it is the grassroots on which the party’s success really depends - the establishment is wholly expendable.
So, although you mistrust Trump like a fox guarding a chicken, you would still vote for him?
You would take”either man” but Cruz will “never be up to the task?”
All that puffery that Trump could bring new people to the polls and put even democrat NY into play in the general election is just pure BS.
Up to the task of forming a new political movement and founding a new party that stands for...
Cruz “burned bridges” when he snuggled into bed with the GOPe when he saw he could not compete on his own...His whole “outsider” shtick flew out the window when he sold out to them...
An utterly inexperienced politician, who describes our rights and privileges as particular to us as Americans rather than universal moral mandates..<<<<<<<
Universal moral mandates????? In whose world???
The last time I checked a history book, the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights was developed and instituted in the united States of America, for Americans BY Americans!!
These are the basic governing documents and principles by which OUR government was founded, and by which traitors have and are seeking to water down and abolish.
Trump is not an odd man..obviously as most Americans relate to his reminder of who WE are as a nation, and what we’ve lost.
The “phenomenon” is ignorant and error-filled writings such as the article has provided.
Let’s see how well these so-called “universal moral mandates” fly in the middle east, or even in Belgium and Paris a few weeks ago where people must submit to being murdered by Islam and not permitted to defend themselves.
The ACTUAL universal moral mandates are those which demand people forget what freedom is, and to bend over for the ungreased lies being forced on people who know better by those refusing to pick up a freaking history book.
Stop with your propaganda. New York is a Democrat state.
There are a lot more Democrats than Republicans. But you knew that.
“....put even democrat NY into play in the general election is just pure BS.”
Again, propaganda. Over 40% of NY Democrats voted AGAINST Hillary. Do you think they are all going to vote for her in the general? I don’t.
An utterly inexperienced politician, who describes our rights and privileges as particular to us as Americans rather than universal moral mandates, would be rejected by both parties at any other time in the modern era.///
Conservative commentators like Levin preach how the founders never intended the country to be ruled by a permanent political class. Instead, private individuals were to set aside their livelihoods, participate in govt for a time, then go back to private life.
Then when it happens, they oppose it.
Sorry, Levin. You might have had James Madison in mind but it seems you got Sam Adams.
Cruz was burning bridges long before that. He had exactly two friends in the Senate and screwed one over in a massive way by announcing his candidacy.
But the article also ignores his biggest downside, which is that he directs his vulgarianism indiscriminately. While tens of millions of Americans -- likely a majority - openly or silently applaud his battle against leftist PC, he loses a great many when he does things like the Heidi Cruz tweet, or the juvenile "Lyin' Ted", "Little Marco", etc. comments. He could have been the leader of such a movement from within the right. Instead, he's a movement of one, and that's not enough. He's alienated potential allies to the point where they actually line up against him on issues where they may have been willing to ally with him.
Some very good things about Trump, but he's got Shakespeare-sized fatal character flaws.
probably half of Sanders voters are there for the taking
the Democratic Party is also full of people who are pissed as holy hell at the political establishment, and Clinton is anathema to them
They don't have to. And nearly 40% of Republicans voted AGAINST Trump. More importantly, you overlooking the fact that NY is an overwhelmingly Democratic state? Here's the math:
Trump won 60.5 of the GOP vote, and Hillary won 57.9% of the Democrat vote. That's only a 3% difference.
More importantly, Trump won 518,601 votes, while Hillary won 1,037,344. Hillary got twice as many votes as Trump.
Trumpeteers will say, "but that was yesterday, today is all that matters, you $%#$%#%!!!!!!"
/sarc, I think
You said it all.
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