By Kit
Homework has forced me to delay my mega-pre-Iowa Caucus post on Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Donald Trump. So, in lieu of that, here is National Review's new special issue on Donald Trump.
With writers ranging from populist Tea Partiers like Glenn Beck and Dana Loesch to intellectuals such as Thomas Sowell and William Kristol. I highly doubt it will much in the way of direct influence on most of the primary voters in places like Iowa and New Hampshire but I hope it might inspire other conservatives to also attack Trump directly.
The Editorial: "Against Trump"
It features this killer line: "Trump is a philosophically unmoored political opportunist who would trash the broad conservative ideological consensus within the GOP in favor of a free-floating populism with strong-man overtones."
The Symposium: "Conservatives against Trump"
Here are some highlights:
First, the best: Thomas Sowell: "What is even more remarkable is that, after seven years of repeated disasters, both domestically and internationally, under a glib egomaniac in the White House, so many potential voters are turning to another glib egomaniac to be his successor."
Brent Bozell III: "A real conservative walks with us. Ronald Reagan read National Review and Human Events for intellectual sustenance; spoke annually to the Conservative Political Action Conference, Young Americans for Freedom, and other organizations to rally the troops; supported Barry Goldwater when the GOP mainstream turned its back on him; raised money for countless conservative groups; wrote hundreds of op-eds; and delivered even more speeches, everywhere championing our cause. Until he decided to run for the GOP nomination a few months ago, Trump had done none of these things, perhaps because he was too distracted publicly raising money for liberals such as the Clintons; championing Planned Parenthood, tax increases, and single-payer health coverage; and demonstrating his allegiance to the Democratic party"
Mona Charen:"We can talk about whether he is a boor (“My fingers are long and beautiful, as, it has been well documented, are various other parts of my body”), a creep (“If Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her”), or a louse (he tried to bully an elderly woman, Vera Coking, out of her house in Atlantic City because it stood on a spot he wanted to use as a garage). But one thing about which there can be no debate is that Trump is no conservative—he’s simply playing one in the primaries. Call it unreality TV." (Emphasis mine)
The whole thing is worth a read.
28 comments:
All those people just made future Secretary of Homeland Security Coulter's list of bimbos to be deported and none mean anything to Trump supporters. Their opposition shows just how much the Establishment fears Trump's awesomeness.
The Republican mojo and the Democrat mojo are both slipping badly. It's a tectonic shift in American politics because both parties have betrayed the people.
Trump and Cruz are enemies of the Republican Party (they'll take Trump's money but they don't want him taking over) and Bernie Sanders is no more Democrat than Trump is. Hillary will end up being indicted (and pardoned), and NOBODY knows who the Democrat Party's choice will be - but likely nobody involved in the primaries.
It's that sort of year.
This will just add more fuel to the fire that Trump must be doing something right if he has this particular group of people scared. :-)
National Review has already been disinvited by the RNC from moderating a debate along with CNN. I can somewhat understand it: it's bad form for a moderator to have staked out a stance against a participant ahead of the debate. On the other hand, CNN.
I tend to agree with the cynics ahead of me ;-) that this will simply stand as proof that Trump has the Establishment® running scared. If there is one good to come out of this, it is that the lefties over at the Atlantic have finally recognized the distinction between a Republican and a conservative. LINK
Tyranmax,
I think it needs to be pointed out that a good chunk of Trump supporters are blue-collar former Democrats. Think the Reagan Democrats, who are necessary for the GOP to win but who are only conservative in the cultural sense.
As for whether it will help, I think it might solidify the conservative wall. It won't convince the Trumpers but it might stiffen up the 50-60% of Republican voters who out-right don't like him.
Also, it should be pointed out that a number of the writers here (Dana Loesch, for example) are hardly "Establishment." Quite a few of these are Tea Party folks.
It is stupid to "disinvite" any group from the GOP convention. REALLY STUPID! And leaving out the entire swath of conservative pundits at NRO is really, really stupid. Didn't they learn from 2012 when the GOP refused to acknowledge the libertarian wing of the GOP by ignoring Ron Paul? This continues to be a circular shooting gallery.
And what IS so wrong with a knock-down/dragged out fist fight at the convention? It certainly would be more meaningful than empty speeches and stupid sloganizing.
And frankly who the hell IS the "Establishment". Every person with an opinion has a different definition of who/what that means and it is always seems to be the person not in the room. It's becoming some mythical secret cabal on the same level as the Illuminati...
I have not read the NRO link yet, but I actually like each one of the writers and I am sure I will agree with them.
The thing is, I don't think you can state a case "against Trump" because his supporters aren't "pro-Trump." They are "anti-establishment" and Trump is just the vehicle they are using. So whatever Trump is or isn't is irrelevant to his supporters because he doesn't matter.
I dunno. I think there is good cause to point out, as National Review has, that Trump is decidedly not conservative. Obviously, I only know what I'm exposed to, but I know of a fair number of people who have been conservatives since before the Tea Party, who have been wooed by Trump, and who are in need of a bucket of ice water over their heads. I can't imagine it is a localized phenomenon.
That's not to say anything about the anti-establishment populists. Clearly, this NR issue isn't meant for them. But if it can snap even a handful of folks back to their senses, it might be worth it.
"if it can snap even a handful of folks back to their senses, it might be worth it."
One of many things I hope it accomplishes.
One fellow, David M. Drucker, put it like this: "Credit @NRO's #AgainstTrump for this much: It's among few attempts to message against Trump that's successfully garnering earned media".
LINK
If only there was a way to convince the Donald to run as a Democrat.
Rephrase: If only we could convince the Dems to adopt the Donald.
One of the funniest things I've seen all day:
Someone tweets that the Republican front-runner retweeted a Nazi.
Someone else replies: "In all fairness, the Republican front-runner is a Democrat."
Ouch, babe!
It's only fair. The front running Dem is an avowed Communist AND "Independant". And quite ironically lives in the THE whitest state in the Union. We live in strange times, people...
This might be wishful thinking on my part but I think I'm starting to see a lot more anti-Trump sentiment from the Right on social media.
Again, maybe wishful thinking, but I'm starting to sense some real anger on the right towards Trump and the pro-Trump brigade in Fox News, especially with tweets like this one by Jeanine Pirro (a.k.a., "Judge Jeanine")in response to National Review: "The National Review needs to get in line with the rest of the Republicans. How dare they trash the frontrunner @realDonaldTrump!"
LINK
These are strange times indeed.
Btw, the film will be delayed because I'm spending the night at the hospital again. Just precautionary. In fact, things are feeling pretty normal again already.
That said, I think my insurance carriers must be considering hiring an assassin to cut down on my costs! Lol
These are strange times indeed.
Btw, the film will be delayed because I'm spending the night at the hospital again. Just precautionary. In fact, things are feeling pretty normal again already.
That said, I think my insurance carriers must be considering hiring an assassin to cut down on my costs! Lol
By the way, in response to National Review, Donald Trump tweeted: "The late, great, William F. Buckley would be ashamed of what had happened to his prize, the dying National Review!"
Well, it turns out Buckley did write about Donald Trump back in 2000, when the Donald was running for President.
"Look for the narcissist. The most obvious target in today’s lineup is, of course, Donald Trump. When he looks at a glass, he is mesmerized by its reflection."
And it gets better from there. It seems Trump's case has changed little from 2000.
LINK
Also, this, again on Donald Trump's 2000 run:
"The resistance to a corrupting demagogy must take first priority." —William F. Buckley
Trump has as much respect for his fans as I do. No wonder he is comfortable retreating stuff he gets from neo-Nazis named White Power.
http://www.mediaite.com/online/trump-i-could-stand-on-5th-avenue-and-shoot-somebody-and-i-wouldnt-lose-any-voters/
During a rally at Dordt College in Sioux City, Iowa today, Donald Trump bragged about how loyal his supporters are in a way that might strike you as kind of disturbing.
“They say I have the most loyal people,” Trump said, “where I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters, okay?”
A bunch of people in the crowd laughed
First I hope everything goes smoothly and that you feel better soon, Andrew! On to the main topic that issue was definitely reassuring... When you have that many people from across the spectrum going after Trump that really says something. Unfortunately I can't help but worry that it might be too little, too late. I hope the predictions here that he can't overcome the blue and purple state primaries prove true!
- Daniel
First let me say we in NYC are in full bore snowmaggedon and now that the streets are clear of car traffic we begin the zombie apocalypse phase..really people here are wimps...enough about NYC.
Yeah the whole Trump "I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody..." thimg is just disturbing. I know it was a joke, but what a stupid thing to say.
Bev,
Well, stupid things don't seem to hurt him.
Come on. The silly outrage over a dumb comment is the reason he's doing well. "A bunch of people in the crowd laughed." Gasp!! �� Glenn Beck is a pompous windbag who likes hearing himself pontificate. Dana Loesch, Well she looks good holding an M16, but I've never read any of her stuff. Anthony, respect them or not, you won't win an election without them.
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