More post-debate ruminations
I could write a tome—and I already have—on this campaign so far. But I’ll desist, because I still like to have a life and on occasion do things other than write this blog. And I’m sure you folks sometimes do things other than read this blog, or think about this election. Because thinking about this election too much is not good for your health, mental or physical.
Hmm, have I just recommended that you read my blog less, and not more? If so I take it back, instantly!
But yes, I’ve been thinking about this election a lot, and what it means. I’ve said before that I originally thought this year the GOP had a great slate, including many conservatives, and the Democrats the worst probable ticket in a long, long time. Well, first some of the best of the GOP started dropping out, and although some still remained it became clear very early on that there was an excellent chance that Donald Trump would be our nominee. It seems even more likely today, despite his wretched showing last night.
What does this mean? Just as I said that Obama’s election and re-election was not about Barack Obama—it was about America—so is this. It’s not about Trump himself, it’s about what his rise says about what we’re looking for and what we’ve come to accept. I’ve described what’s happened to education, popular entertainment, and a host of other institutions over the years, and I don’t have to repeat any of it now. Suffice to say it’s a reality, and a man who would never have been acceptable to more than a tiny tiny fraction of people even as recently as perhaps ten years ago now appears not only to be acceptable, but a choice. Barack Obama’s presidency was an important part of the preparation, as well.
Now, barring what seems like an unlikely chain of events that could propel either Cruz or Rubio into the nomination (I can think of such events, including a union of the two of some sort, but wouldn’t bet much money at all on it happening), it seems we will be faced with Clinton vs. Trump or Sanders vs. Trump or perhaps Biden vs. Trump. Quite a set of choices.
Choose your poison, because it’s all poison for a once-proud nation.
My only comfort is to start hoping I’m being much too doom-and-gloomy. If Trump is nominated I don’t think he’ll be elected, but that could certainly change and he might win. And if he wins I hope he’s a far better man than I think he is, and a far far better president than I think he would be.
Hope and change, folks, hope and change.
And if America can be Made Great Again, I’d be pleased, because I am a patriot and always have been. But if so, it will have to come from within the American people, from some resilient quality of wisdom I’m just not seeing right now.
I’m going to close with a video I found at Ace’s. It’s of Marco Rubio at a rally today. Now, anyone who reads me regularly know that Rubio has not been my favored candidate. I was a Walker, then Fiorina, then Cruz fan, with Cruz always in the background as my number two even when I supported the others. Now it’s Cruz or Rubio for me. This video struck me because it underscores how tough all the candidates have to be in the psychological sense to keep going at such an energetic level and keep optimistic in the face of bitter disappointment. Here Rubio speaks eloquently of conservatism, and I find it impressive. Then he attacks Trump as he should have been doing right along, and then he comes back to a defense of conservatism, although unfortunately the video gets cut off right about then.
It strikes me, and not for the first time, that the Trump candidacy may represent the death knell of conservatism, probably for a long time in this country, maybe forever. Conservatism has long been a hard sell, swimming against the tide of so many cultural influences and against the gimme-ism inherent in human beings. But I don’t count it out yet.
He’s a natural, with terrific comedic timing in his Trump take-downs.
The conservative stance has always been a hard-sell. It is founded on personal responsibility and sacrifice. When the country was founded and over time faced wars that required personal sacrifice of the majority of people that by-and-large believed in the Judeo-Christian principles, there was conformity. But as in other republics, comfort and success have bred indolence and expectation without merit.
I think last night and today were the turning point in the campaign for Rubio. Rubio summarizes Trump by identifying him as a con artist. Con artist. That is Trump.
He’s a con because he’s not conservative. He’s a con because he’s against illegal immigration but hires illegals and foreigners. He’s a con who says he loves the military but he dodged the draft. He’s a con who says he’s rich but he stiffed his creditors on the way up. He’s a con who says he’s smart but he can’t spell simple words. He’s a con because he thinks the brand value of his name is over $3B.
Ted had his chance last night and didn’t take it. Marco did. I support Rubio now. He’s smart and tough. Optimistic and young.
Whether there is enough time remains to be seen. I’ve been writing for months that the Dems and MSM would slaughter Trump with oppo research. It’s about time some of this comes out. Too bad the NYT, FOX and CNN didn’t Google Trump or look at Wikipedia.
Perhaps Trump supporters see this election in terms of the right person for the times, much as we needed General Patton to win WWII: General Patton: “Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.” “No good decision was ever made in a swivel chair.” etc. General Patton was no one’s idea of a perfect leader, but we needed a nasty job done and done well, to hell with the niceties.
It could be as simple as people seeing Trump to be the right man at the right time for doing a nasty job (beating the Liberal machine) that the nice guys (McCain, Romney) have proven themselves unable to do.
Cornhead, They are saving that information for the head-to-head against Hillary. How else will you convince the electorate to vote for a criminal liar?
Where was this Rubio 6 months ago? Go Marco go, win Florida!
notherbob2,
Trump beating the liberal machine??? Trump is a part of the liberal machine, a steamroller for the royal Hillary’s road to the Oval Office.
Marco’s gotta win something soon. Saying that a man who can’t beat Trump can beat Hillary may have some truth in it, but it won’t matter if he isn’t nominated. And if he doesn’t win a real primary he can’t be elected.
Plus if he loses Florida, for heavens sake, the stuck fork set will proclaim him done.
Wouldn’t the conservative future depend, then, on whom Trump chooses as a VP if he gets the nom?
I think Trump has a chance to broaden the base with new voters who never thought they were Republican. Guess we’ll see what happens.
But I think we can all agree that stopping illegal immigration, lower business taxes and making trade more equal are all good things for the conservative position. Let’s see if it can actually happen.
I’m really hoping that it’s been Rubio’s strategy to wait until the field was whittled down, and Super Tuesday was approaching, to go after Trump this way. It makes a little sense, that with so many people still in the race, and any primaries that really matter far away, that you might want to hold off. Especially given the short attention span of the American public. This gives Trump little time to recover and retool before Tuesday. Just a thought, maybe I’m being too optimistic.
I caught Rubio’s rally by accident today. Very impressive. I still prefer the “dour”, brilliant Cruz between the two; and I really suspect that Kasich would be the better choice. But, anyone but Hillary, Bernie or Trump at this point. Well, nearly anyone.
Notherbob2, I have news. Patton did not win WWII despite O’Reilly’s paean to him. Patton played no role in the planning or execution of Normandy—the greatest military operation of all time. Until the Bulge he was almost an after thought. Patton commanded an army; Bradley commanded an Army Group of multiple armies, and Ike commanded a theater of operations that included multiple army groups, from multiple nationalities. (Oh, and Nimitz also successfully commanded a whole theater of land, sea and air operations over a vast area.) By the way, I never finished O’Reilly’s book. O’Reilly’s ignorant sniping at Ike and Bradley became too much. Oh,and Trump will not save America.
K-E:
Since when has anything depended on who a presidential nominee chooses as VP? Those things barely matter much anymore at all, if in fact they ever did—much less affecting the future of a movement.
On the other hand, if Trump were to be elected and something were to happen to Trump’s health, it could end up mattering.
What I have always liked about Rubio since he first appeared on the scene way back in the tea party days was that he bothered to try to explain to people what conservatism is and why it works, and what America is (or is supposed to be) and why that has worked. I am glad he also (finally) realized that many Republican voters need it explained to them why Trump is not the right guy to be president. I love that he looks like he is enjoying himself while doing it.
This is fantastic! It shows he has the stuff to beat Trump – and maybe Hillary, but I hope it is not too late. Too bad that he was training so much of this on Cruz before and not Trump.
Let’s hope it is not too late.
In any event, no matter what conservatism, American conservatism, as enunciated so well here, will certainly continue though embattled. I agree with Sharon W. that people have gotten soft here, and feel entitled instead of inspired to take on difficulty by taking responsibility. It may change, there’s always hope.
Gang of Eight. I personally worked the phones and emails to counter Rubio on illegal immigration. And if I have to work against a politician, he isn’t on my side. So don’t get all misty eyed that Rubio is a conservative. He is just another phony, just less of one than Trump. And Rubio is still giving different answers in Spanish interviews than English ones.
Rubio is an example of why vote republican if they’re going to pass the same laws as democrats. Plus if a politician is trying to get votes in Spanish I’ll have nothing to do with them. That itself is signaling to immigrants that not integrating is okay
The ‘conservative future’ depending on the whims of Trump? A perfect VP for the donald would be one of the Kardashians. A nominee to replace Scalia would be Lady Gaga. Oh my, its down the rabbit hole you go K-E. Watch out for the Red Queen.
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For too long we have conceded the popular culture to the other side. That is why conservatism is such a hard sell to young people.
Whatever,
I read you loud and clear. But I am willing (grudgingly) to give Rubio a second chance to prove he is on the right side. I would holding nose vote for Marco over the (D) nominee. Trump? No, I vote Libertarian. I would rather vote for a lost cause than the donald who is the ultimate lost cause for the Republic.
Agree that elections are cruel. The GOP starts with a great slate and might end up with Trump. Agree that Obama paved the way to Trump. Nominating Trump is worse for the GOP than conservatives so it won’t be a disaster for conservatives because they tried to stop him.
For K-E: making trade “more equal” is not a conservative position. Reducing (or eliminating) tariffs along with other taxes is the conservative position. Another reason why Trump is not a conservative.
VP matters, because I’m not so sure Trump would run for a 2nd term. And, if you are all so worried about him being a Democrat, wouldn’t that help you a bit? I would hope so.
If no 2nd term and Trump has done a decent job, his VP is a shoe-in.
So, the conservative position is to constantly run trade deficits with countries who take advantage of us? I don’t think so.
notherbob2:
“beating the Liberal machine”
There’s the nub.
The contest is no longer party-candidate-vs-party-candidate. It’s been party-candidate-vs-activist-movement.
McCain and Romney’s traditional GOP electoral teams were outgunned and outmaneuvered by Obama’s Democrat-front Left-activist team.
Even now, most conservatives and Republicans can conceive what’s happening only with an inadequate traditional electoral frame despite the clearly activist character of events.
The driving engine of Trump’s campaign isn’t Trump the man. It’s his Left-mimicking activist supporters running roughshod over their conservative rivals like the Left activists who showed the way.
What Trump offers for the general election that no other GOP candidate possesses is an activist-style campaign with an activist team that has a chance to compete head-on versus the defending champion Democrat-front Left activists.
For the other Republican candidates to compete with Trump’s “jayvee” activist team, let alone varsity Left activists, will take more than just matching Trump’s low level of rhetoric.
That adjustment was a rather sad cargo-cult reaction. If that’s the best counter-move that the Republican candidates can muster, the Trump campaign will only gain momentum.
In order to compete in the activist game, the Republicans need at minimum their own activist teams to compete head-on against Trump’s activist team to make it a semblance of an activist-movement-vs-activist-movement contest.
Now, Trump didn’t generate his own activist team. He invited/recruited his core activist supporters from the alt-Right. The other GOP candidates can only draw from mainstream conservatives of the Right, who are chronically deficient at activism, which is the fundamental competitive weakness on the Right that caused this state of affairs in the first place.
The only solution is for conservatives to switch off their self-harming aversion to activism ASAP and go all in the game.
Neo:
“if so, it will have to come from within the American people, from some resilient quality of wisdom I’m just not seeing right now.”
The “resilient quality” is activism, of course, which is the necessary mechanism to reify any preferred version of “wisdom”. The general will of We The People is – has always been – a function of activism. The founding fathers were first, if not foremost activists.
When Franklin said, “A republic, if you can keep it”, what do you think he meant – voting?
The founders lived the great activist efforts, including a revolution, that were required to form the new American nation that then facilitated the construction of notions like the Constitutional republic. The foundation of America isn’t the subsequent Constitutional principles. It’s the founders’ principal activism. The founders understood the activist principles that are necessary to “keep it” from their activism that was necessary to deconstruct the standing colonial society and replace it with the construction of their preferred “it” in the first place.
Conservatives have fallen woefully short of the founding fathers whose activism – ie, “resilient quality”- won the “wisdom” of the republic.
Politics is downstream of culture and culture is a function of activism. The social condition of the modern human ecosystem is – has always been – constructed by activists.
Usually it takes a competition, but for a while now, it’s been a one-sided contest. The Left-mimicking Trump-front alt-Right activists offer the promise of making society a contest again. It’s just that neither alt-Right nor Left activists champion the social condition preferred by the Right. But if conservatives would rather pretend that electoral politics trump the activist game and eschew the activism necessary to compete for real, then they only have themselves to blame for their growing marginalization in the only social cultural/political game there is.
“that the Trump candidacy may represent the death knell of conservatism.”
If you think this is so, then you may quickly come to see that it would be even worse if he’s elected. The model is Arnold Schwarzenegger and what he did to the once solid conservative arm of the California GOP. Like Arnold, Donald has long ties to the Left and that is our one warning as to what to expect.
Like Arnold, Trump mouths anti-establishmentarianisms that works as well attracting frustrated conservatives hungering for countermeasures as does trolling a chum-line works for fishermen.
Like Arnold, Trump is likely to appoint those closest to him who are Leftists (e.g.: Robert Kennedy Jr and his AGW touting czardom that worsened California water issues).
And as I inferred from you, like Arnold did to California politics, Trump would leave the country controlled by a uniparty of Dems and GOPe.
I’m not sure you were thinking along these lines when you penned the phrase I highlighted above, but I wanted to make sure that you saw the connection.
I still don’t see how Trump can win the general election, but it looks as if his share of the vote will be large enough to drive the GOP agenda and candidates for at least a couple more election cycles.
In other words, we’ll probably be seeing lots more populism and incoherent demagoguery. Principled conservatives could shrink to a small minority — maybe something comparable to libertarians.
But it won’t be too long before entitlement programs drive the federal government into fiscal collapse. Unfortunately, this could easily prevent the military from mounting a credible response to Iran, or even to Russia or China.
When that moment comes, conservatives have to be ready to offer people a credible alternative, a new conservative agenda. Nostalgia for Reagan won’t be enough. If, at that time, conservatives can’t convince Americans to reject the drift into socialism and authoritarianism, then the country will start imitating Argentina.
All that may sound like a long ways away, but the years fly by …
This election is “not about Trump himself, it’s about what his rise says about what we’re looking for and what we’ve come to accept.” neo
The quotes below once again come to mind. In the past, it was easy to imagine that these observations only applied to the fools on the left. Trump has proved that, though for different reasons, there are an equal number on the right.
“Political ideas that have dominated the public mind for decades cannot be refuted through rational arguments. They must run their course in life and cannot collapse otherwise than in great catastrophe…” Ludwig von Mises
“The danger to America is not Barack Obama, but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency.
It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president.
The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails America . Blaming the prince of fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince.
The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a [mendacious] fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools, such as those who made him their President.” Former Czech president Vé¡clav Klaus
“The capacity of the human mind for swallowing nonsense and spewing it forth in violent and repressive action has never yet been plumbed.” Robert Heinlein
K-E,
What are you drinking/smoking/injecting? I have come to think you are sincere, note that PatD has disappeared, so I can accept your sincerity. But I fail to grok how you come to your conclusions. Well, we are all individuals with our individual thoughts and feelings. May you live long and prosper.
Amen, Neo.
Donald is, in addition to King Baby & Malignant Narcissist, a thoroughly Loathsome Punk. Last night he gets a question from Hugh Hewitt regarding showing his tax returns from previous years as he’d promised on Hugh’s radio show a year ago. He immediately went Infantile High Chair Pounding that Hugh’s show has a tiny audience and called it “good news” (a LIE, Hugh has a large national audience and has recently been renewed for 3-years). But, c’mon conservatives!! This embarrassment of twit attacks a true conservative, hugely smart and much published legal and political thinker INSTEAD of a simple answer. PUNK. AZZHO’. Not worth the gum on Hugh’s shoe sole. And, THIS, is who you zillions of Repubs are supporting??!!
Neo, this old school guy is tired of what he’s witnessing as well. Very. Can’t freaking believe we’re shooting ourselves in the collective head when it is there for our taking. I, too, grieve for my country.
GB: exactly.
NeoConScum
Hugh Hewitt is a very smart guy, very sincere and a hard worker. He’s ten times the man Trump is. And Trump insults him. What a jerk. What a pathetic loser.
Geoffrey Britain:
Wow, that quote from Klaus is stupendous. Was that in 2008 or 2012, or when?
And yes, the right and left are both composed of human beings and subject to the same influences and propensities, although they take somewhat different forms. Not so different after all.
I often have said, when criticizing the left, that the right is not immune to certain failings, either. I believed that, especially from past experience, but I’m not sure I was really looking for a graphic demonstration.
And by the way, if somehow Trump is (a) elected, and (b) turns out to be a much better president than I think he would be (which I would hope), it will not change that fact of human nature. Nor will it change the fact that all the indications were negative and that his presidency was a hugely great risk.
Neo,
Read your blog less? How can anyone turn away from this political train wreck? Horror show really. Alien bursting out of the chest horror show.
neo-neocon Says at 7:50 pm
“…if somehow Trump is (a) elected, and (b) turns out to be a much better president than I think he would be (which I would hope)…”
Since Trump is not ideological like Obama he may be flexible enough to grow into the job. He is obviously smart and pragmatic and loves the country so there’s hope. The country has survived megalomaniacs who were rude and crude before (IE Lyndon Banes Johnson). The megalomaniacs who are also committed to destructive ideology like Obama, Clinton, or Sanders are more likely to do severe permanent damage to the country.
GB-Those quotes are spot-on and sadly sobering. I’ve always contended that our problem was the wide embrace of Obama by the voters (a commentator here would always append, “I blame the voters”). And not only wide open acceptance but nary a complaint by the politically savvy or the average man on the left when the laws of the land have been ignored and overrun. And now we seem to have our counterpart on the right, the exception being of course, that there is a highly vocal dissenting group. But alas, I fear we may be outnumbered in 2 arenas.
I agree with this by Robert Tracinski in the Federalist today: “Rubio’s approach is to promote the ideas and policies of the Right in a way that is optimistic, inspirational, aspirational, and inclusive. He exudes a heady confidence that limited government and free markets are for everyone, and that we should all join together as one America to follow that ideal.” (Great video clips in this piece.)
The Case for Rubio-ism
Finally, finally someone goes after Trump the only way that he can be defeated. Get personal, belittle his fake success, show his limited intelligence for what it is, and most of all highlight that he is in no way a conservative. Rubio did a fantastic job this morning, and last night. Bravo!
I will definitely be supporting him going forward. Trump MUST be stopped.
Rubio did slightly better than Cruz last night, but both got plenty of hits in. Marco has always been more likable than Cruz because he’s more emotionally available. The problem is, he’s less trustworthy.
Rubio is like a hot date who you know will cheat on you.
Cruz is still my guy.
Oh, BTW:
The establishment of course will play up either Rubio or Trump. Rubio is their dream, but they’ll settle for Trump.
America is being played yet again.
Matt_SE – Love your assessment of Rubio and Cruz. I am still hoping for Cruz and he is my first choice. He is also the only candidate who has beat Trump so far. I am still holding out hope he comes through big or at least enough to knock Trump out.
The problem with Cruz is that he has painted himself into a cultural corner with his “evangelicals only” plan; a plan that hasn’t even panned out in the primary. He doesn’t sound like a moderate and he has a punchable face. He’s brilliant but lawyers (ahem) tend to overrate him because he is a brilliant lawyer. He hasn’t ever led people nor really tried. He seems like a skill mismatch for the Presidency tbh. He’s also been fairly divisive.
Even so, you discussed a nation that elected Obama and is now conisdering Trump- what room for Cruz? Rubio is the guy. If Cruz could run as his VP, that would let the country re-warm to conservatism in time for him to be the incumbent. But alas…
The Other Chuck Says:
February 26th, 2016 at 10:21 pm
Be careful what you wish for.
Michael Cannon at NRO. Rubio’s healthcare plan has an individual mandate.
I wonder what percentage of the electorate will refuse to vote for either the crook or the clown act?
@rickl,
I’m not surprised that passions are leading some over the edge. What needs to be brought out and hasn’t been touched on this site, is the revolutionary nature of Trump’s “movement” and what usually happens when these things get going. Call it a counter-revolution if you want since it is a reaction to both the extremes of the last 7 years as well as the perceived lack of push back from the right. But it is a radical departure from politics as usual and a danger to an orderly democracy.
I’m on the side of anything that will stop Trump short of assassination. What Rubio is doing is a good start but probably too late. I’m very impressed by him. He’s smart, likable, and definitely conservative. But he’s got his own Achilles Heel. We’ll see, but this could play out like a Shakespearean tragedy all the way around.
No doubt the conservative movement will enter the wilderness if Trump is the nominee, much less elected. But conservatism is rooted in a realistic assessment of human nature. It might go underground, but hard, cold reality is on its side.
The American people show their naivety and lack of wisdom when they support Trump as the GOP nominee. I mean really, people? Really? Losers like to lose.
“Here Rubio speaks eloquently of conservatism, and I find it impressive.”
As does Obama when he talks of caring for this nation and the common man. Do you believe him?
The problem I have with Rubio is that I do not trust him. Sometime listen to one of Mark Levin’s rants on him. How do you square the facts that
He was for the fence before he was against the fence?
He was against “illegal immigration” when speaking in English and he was for “illegal immigration” when speaking in Spanish?
Less than 2 months after being elected he threw his lot in with the “gang of eight”.
Now I’ll admit my first choice is not Trump because of his narcissism and apparent shallowness , pettiness, etc.
But it is out-there for all to see. But with Rubio, where do you go to get that trust back? How many times should his using the right words give him a pass on not being trustworthy? Like the frog in the slow cooker pot, we don’t understand how our ancestors here valued their independence. Some years back a newspaper published a story on the Marshal Law that was imposed on SanFran after the 1906 earthquake. The diary was from a soldier on patrol. He commented matter of factly that they shot 6 looters that day. No trial, no jury, if you were looting, you got shot.
And I was internally amazed that they did that. Just like when I read the Ox Bow incident in HS, I was left trying to make sense of it all and understand the players in the story. But back to my story, The congress and cities back East wanted to pass bills and send $$ to SF. I found it amazing that the city council in SF were offended by the offers. They were of the persuasion that they didn’t want any charity and would take care of things themselves.
Again compare that idea to any city in this day and age. Most have their hand out before the tragedy happens.
Or even back in WWII, the interned Japanese-Americans wanted to join the fight to show their Patriotism. Do you see that happening today? Or would it be- Reparations from the white privileged class. You owe us!
I have my doubts that there is a enough of a fight in the Body for a true rebound and desire for body to recuperate. With Trump I agree it is a crap shoot with low odds of success. But with Rubio it is just the same self interest that motivates Hildabeast. Only with a better set of sheep’s clothing 🙁
@Neo & Geoffrey – That quote attributed to Czech president Vé¡clav Klaus is likely a hoax. Check it out on http://www.snopes.com. I’ve actually tried searching for it on the http://www.pragerzeitung.cz website, where it was supposedly first published, but I cannot find it.
That’s a pity, because the sentiment is spot on.
I think what we see here is a real-life example of the ‘activism’ Eric always writes about. Once a made-up quote gets printed on enough blogs and partisan websites, then every search engine query returns 100s of replicated copies of it. It’s hard to find the real signal in the noise once that happens, so the lie becomes reality. As Eric might say, the narrative has been changed.
Perhaps the Ace of Spades has the answer.
http://ace.mu.nu/archives/361790.php
“My problem with Trump is that he is a dealmaker trying to make a sale. Right now he’s trying to make a deal with conservatives —
If he gets the nomination, he now starts working on making the second part of the deal with the other party in the negotiations, the general public.
So this is the most conservative we’ll ever see Trump…
A good example of his … pandering to conservatives is his change of attitude on allowing Syrian refugees into the US. First, he said:
“I hate the concept of it, but on a humanitarian basis, you have to [bring Syrian refugees into the US],” Trump said in his … Fox News appearance … on “The O’Reilly Factor. ”
Then San Bernadino happened. And people began questioning Trump’s previous statements that we had to let in the Syrian refugees. Supporters wondered if maybe he wasn’t the immigration super-hawk he was claiming to be. So then he goes on TV the next day to not only announce a flip-flop, but to make the most contentious and controversial policy declaration possible — we’re going to “shutdown” “all Muslims” from “entering” the country.
Immediately, chatter about his unpopular views on bringing in Syrian refugees was off the front page, and off it so hard, in fact, that few even remember it happened.
But is this really what he thinks? Or is this just a salesman and deal-maker — as Trump proudly proclaims himself — saying whatever he thinks he needs to say to get the customer to sign on the line which is dotted?
I was surprised when enough people got together to elect someone like Obama in 2008. I was shocked when he got re-elected in 2012. But I did have the consoling thought that there is still a significant core or coalition of conservatives that – once they get back in power – can still pull the country back onto a better path.
Now, though, I’m wondering. I’m watching the conservative coalition commit suicide with Trump.
My spouse is as a reliable conservative voter as they come. However, support for Trump seems not based on anything more than sticking it to the establishment – all of them across the board.
The Democrats have the excuse of being leftists. Unfortunately there are a lot of nominal conservatives in power who seem to be cynically grabbing power and resources at the expense of any higher principle.
Maybe it’s the cynic in me but I suspect that a great many nominal conservatives in power prefer Trump at the end of the day over Cruz because Trump is empty while Cruz represents a real threat to the status quo in Washington.
ROPWA:
Thanks for the heads-up.
No one seems to know where the quote comes from, but it’s not Klaus, or at least there’s zero evidence for it coming from him.
Spot on quote, though. Wonder where it does come from.
MikeII:
How do I square it? The reasoning about it here, plus this and especially the conversation I had in the comments section that starts here with a commenter’s statement, and then continues with a lot of back and forth with me on the subject. Just keep scrolling down and reading.
Neo: I did go back and read what you suggested 🙂 And I’m in agreement here-
neo-neocon Says:
I don’t “trust” Rubio. I am willing to support him if he is the front runner, because I trust him 10,000 times more than I trust Hillary. Or rather, I know what she will do, and Rubio is better on almost every issue other than immigration–and he’s even better on that.”
I just wish we had more Principled Statesmen running and fewer political hacks. But perhaps the quote below is true. It seems more and more people while unhappy with their own lot in life are comfortable with directing their energies toward insuring their neighbors are just as miserable as they are instead of trying to fix the problem. 🙁
Time for this working ant to get back to work so some grasshopper in the future can listen to some pied piper when he/she says- He didn’t earn that, he stole it from your ancestors. 🙂
“Every country has the government it deserves,”
quotation by Joseph de Maistre: “Every country has the government it deserves (Toute nation a le gouvernement qu’elle mérite”) One of the sources below gives its origin as de Maistre’s Lettres et Opuscules Inédits vol. 1, letter 53, written on 15 August 1811 and published in 1851.
The “Czech president Vé¡clav Klaus” quote was originally written by:
Gary Beasley
Also see here:
Prince-of-fools-fake-quote-of-century
They did it TWICE!
May the flies of 10,000 camels infest their armpits and the fleas of all the dogs in the world infest their mustaches!
Judith L. Says:
“No doubt the conservative movement will enter the wilderness if Trump is the nominee, much less elected. But conservatism is rooted in a realistic assessment of human nature. It might go underground, but hard, cold reality is on its side.”
I wish I could agree with that, Judith. Perhaps it’s just me being a cynic, but is that the way it worked anywhere that Marxism has been able to gain sufficient power?
“Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past.” – 1984
One reason we have such a large % of Americans who now favor socialism is because Marxists “historians” and textbooks, along with their useful idiots in the media, have revised the past to disappear the 100 million slaughtered in their utopias that also crushed the liberties of the rest. Even the present is manipulated by selective “reporting” of the “news”.
In the USSR they had a system of spies on every block to turn in everyone guilty of thoughtcrimes, and even encouraged children to report their parents. That was when there wasn’t even any spytech at all. How does even the memory of conservatism survive in such an environment, when even “reality” is strictly controlled?
And if the US goes, so does the rest of Gaia. One of the things that was a partial reason for the collapse of the USER was Radio Free Europe and broadcast TV that told the Russian people that their government was lying and they learned about supermarkets with shelves overflowing with goods in the evil capitalist countries.
If there are no countries that will broadcast such badthink, conservatism is dead.
And if the US goes, so does the rest of Gaia. One of the things that was a partial reason for the collapse of the USER was Radio Free Europe and broadcast TV that told the Russian people that their government was lying and they learned about supermarkets with shelves overflowing with goods in the evil capitalist countries.
Thanks for that link. Iwon’t. I remember the story of Yeltsin blowing his entire ideology in the supermarket and doing a lightning fast neo.
I also recall the USSR warning their trade orgs, cultural committees, exchange students and the rare tourist not to mention what life was really like here when they returned home.
I had forgotten that clip from “Moscow on the Hudson” where Robin Williams collapses in disbelief walking down the coffee aisle. Funny and on point.
@ Mike II
Mike- that speaking two things in two different languages was debunked by many people including Sarah Rumpf. It’s horsecrap.
As is Levin who was all about Trump for months until he wasn’t.
Sorry Holmes,
You need to find Sherlock for the rest of the story. Levin was never a supported of Trump. I think you are thinking of Savage.
Levin was glad that Trump was able to confound eGOP and MSM. But he always said Trump was no Conservative.
Try to get your facts straight the next time. 🙂
“It strikes me, and not for the first time, that the Trump candidacy may represent the death knell of conservatism, probably for a long time in this country, maybe forever.”
Forever is a long time. In politics, especially, nothing is forever.