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A Real Threat to Democracy
I feel as if I’ve just been kicked in the gut by a good friend. He was, for many years, the epitome of intelligence and reason, with a lively sense of humor. We’ve been estranged for a while, mainly because of his political positions. After hearing one too many of his podcasts a few years ago, I pretty much avoided him. After reading one of his latest pieces on the Bari Weiss blog, I’ve decided we’re done. I’m talking about Jonah Goldberg.
This is not really a post about Jonah Goldberg. It’s about my bewilderment about the defaming of Republicans and Conservatives by using the broad-brush of assuming that we are all Donald Trump fanatics, who continually fawn over him and apologize for him. I think this viewpoint about who we are, who I am, is deeply flawed, and I can’t figure out why it persists.
Goldberg and others seem to refuse to accept that a huge number of those who voted for Trump—not even necessarily people whom I would call “Trump supporters”—were desperate to dislodge the DC Swamp. We didn’t really like Donald Trump, but it was clear that he was fearless and prepared to take on just about anyone. Many of us became convinced, particularly after the attacks on Trump after he was elected, that the Washington establishment was determined to protect every ounce of abusive power that they had. And I don’t think there was another Republican who had the guts to do that. That he was rude and crude and held disdain for proper etiquette was not relevant.
So, what am I so upset about? I feel that most Republicans and Conservatives are not sycophants to the person and platform of Trump. Most of us would never riot at the Capitol. Most of us would not dress like crazy Shamans. Most of also would not have the gumption that Trump displayed. But he was willing to do it on our behalf (and probably for his own motives).
Most of us dreaded the Tweets but liked that Trump got things done. Most of us disliked his personal attacks but liked his pushback on Xi. Most of us were annoyed at his bragging but were amazed that he was able to deal with Covid-19 the way he did.
What especially disturbs me about Jonah and the criticisms of others who hate Trump is that they are defaming most of us in the Republican Party and those who are Conservatives.
How does that help the party? How does that contribute productively to the future of this country? How does that help re-establish conservative values?
If some people are misguided, they aren’t the people who support Trump; they are the people who are determined to keep the edifices from crumbling. The rest of us are tired of the status quo and those who malign our institutions and values.
Jonah and his ilk would be better off exerting their energies against our real enemies.
Published in Politics
Everything the Anti-Trump Republicans claimed they hated about Trump was actually found in Biden. I could have, well not respected, but maybe understood them supporting some of the Democrats in the primary, but not Biden.
Either you hate Trump with all of your heart mind and soul or you are some sort of Trump cultist. The is no middle ground with that crowd.
MSNBC just compared January 6th to the Holocaust. Not sure where you can go from there.
Jonah and his ilk are real threats, acting as domestic enemies perhaps unwittingly , and claiming to be Republicans of which there are few acting as enemies, although there are many Republicans who support the causes of the enemies, again not purposely in most cases to undo the Republic.
The irony is that the Democrats in power actually understand that Trump is a true threat to our domestic enemies as compared to Jonah and his ilk who just fail to understand what is happening.
Worrying about style over substance gets you a flashy car with a weak engine.
Luckily, Republicans rarely have that problem since we usually choose a boring car with a weak engine.
The popular girls’ table won’t seat Republicans matter how many of their friends they backstab.
You can’t eat that pork – you know where it’s been.
What would we do without professional natterers?
I received a gut punch from an actual friend of 20 + years. While aware of our political differences, we managed to maintain a close relationship. This was an email I received from her several months ago:
Everyone was concerned about the last line, so we reached out to her son to see if she was suicidal. “No more than usual” was his reply. While always a little unbalanced, the Trump years truly sent her off the deep end. During a previous interaction, she patiently explained to me how difficult those four years were for “smart” people (like her) and that I wasn’t capable of understanding the trauma it caused.
That comes from a singular focus on money (earning and spending). There are many more things to watch out for in a sinister world. We really need Republicans in the coming election campaign to speak about our Constitutional foundation and point out all the ways that these elected Democrats have been working to destroy the Republic contravening the oaths the have taken.
I don’t know. How about fine cigars, finer brandy, and a game on the tube?
Here’s a theory, SQ.
We who consume political commentary should keep in mind that Goldberg, Boot, Rubin, Kristol, Charen, et al. are high status people. And to me, they have become exemplars of what happens to otherwise thoughtful, high-status people when their anxiety over their status becomes so intense that it reduces their capacity for nuanced thought down to a single, primal calculus: the ancient, anxiety driven calculus of “in-group/out-group.” It might be summarized like this: “My social/professional survival depends on remaining in the good graces of my in-group, which means I can never leave any doubt as to my hostility to that horrible out-group.”
As @BrianGStephens observes, the give-away is the regular use of the word “cult” or “cult of personality” when talking about Trump voters. The word “cult” is as strong a signifier of an “out-group” as we have in English.
Here’s what proves it to me. When I think of Mollie Hemingway, for example, I think of someone who is a serious, responsible conservative/libertarian thinker–just as serious and responsible as Jonah Goldberg has ever been. Circa 2014, I would not have been able to discern any serious disagreements between them. Today however, what makes Mollie Hemingway’s commentary different from Goldberg’s (and Boot’s, Rubin’s, Kristol’s, Charen’s, et al.) is that she exhibits no observable social anxiety over being perceived as supportive of Trump. In sum, Mollie suffers none of the “in-group/out-group” anxiety that has paralyzed the minds of so many thoughtful conservative commentators.
I really think it just comes down to that.
I said the same thing in 2016, and at the time I was certain that Ted Cruz was the perfect candidate to deliver that message.
Five+ years later, Ted Cruz, instead of focusing on our Constitutional foundation, says
For all of my misgivings back in 2016 (I was actually lobbying RNConvention delegates to ignore their pledges to vote for Trump and instead vote for Ted Cruz) – Trump has been a more aggressive defender of the Constitutional order than any President in my lifetime, including Ronald Reagan.
Yeah, good job using the left’s rhetoric there, Ted. Way to give them an assist.
This particular sentence makes my blood boil.
Same here. I was shocked to hear Ted Cruz say this. He must really be worried about something.
I saw that clip of Cruz last night. W T H? I’m still scratching my head.
My wife and I have had several long occasions to sit down and talk with Goldberg from about 2004 until the last time we saw him in 2015. We even met his wife, “The Fair Jessica.” He was always interested in discussing politics (no surprise there) and was very earnest in his beliefs. He never gave any hint of the sort of anti-conservative values he is espousing now, but in those days there was no prominent Donald Trump-type Republican from which to reflect.
My wife read “Liberal Fascism” a long time ago (as well as several others by him) and always gave it high praise after which I started reading it. I only got through the first few chapters but I have to concur that it is an extremely well-written and researched book. I learned a lot. And I didn’t normally like his writing at that time because his political columns were always loaded with cutesy inside jokes and elaborate creative writing that annoyed me. He sounded much more coherent and straightforward in person than his jumbled writings indicated. “Liberal Fascism” was much more like his conversations than his writing that I had been used to. I have also heard others bemuse at how a guy who has lost his conservative credentials could have written such a good book!
Goldberg is the most surprising and puzzling of the Never-Trumpers.
Though I never met him, I too felt like I lost a friend when he turned this way. It’s like someone stole his brain and replaced it with that of David Frum.
Like others on this thread, I wonder who wrote Liberal Fascism.
This is one of the things that bother me most about DC media
they ignore the grossness of how people like Hunter Biden and Chris Heinz (John Kerry’s step son) used their connections to get deals.
The abuse of the permanent bureaucracy is also ignored by this media. Is because their spouses, friends and relatives work in this orgs
That is a fascinating analysis, Ray. And it makes sense. Of course, they are oblivious to it.
I think there is a lot too this. I think it is more than their status with their group though. Trump is a rival leader from them. He is leading their flock away from them.
Good grief, Annefy. How tragic, in so many ways.
I think the high status people you cite are reflecting a growing trend among the people in general to lump everybody into broad in-groups and out-groups. I first noticed this when hearing people talk about reality television shows, and insisting that one must be on (and 100% on, no partial support or opposition) “Team Alissa” or “Team Brandi” (or whatever the show’s contrived opposition was). This has spread to other areas, and the dehumanizing nature of “social media” exaggerates the trend to reduce people to one characteristic and then extrapolate that one characteristic to create an entire persona that may bear no resemblance to the actual person.
True, but those like Goldberg make that move away from them look very appropriate with their behavior since there is no discernible connection. Makes one wonder about the substance of the new flock.
You can tell a lot about how much trauma a person has experienced from statements like that. I would never wish misery or trauma on people, but would it kill them to have some perspective?
Or is this a condition that we are all suffering from? I am deeply offended by some of Biden’s actions and inactions (not to mention things he says – when he’s coherent).
Sometimes I think reading commentary, etc. is a variety of poison intake.
I too have been baffled by how many people like Mr. Goldberg seem to think that by demonizing people they 70% agree with in order to support people they agree with only 20% – 30%, they will produce something they 90% agree with. Some have tried to explain the logic here on Ricochet, but I still can’t grasp it.
Sadly, the penultimate paragraph of Goldberg’s essay strongly indicates that nothing will get through to him. He wrote:
You see, everyone who disagrees has been body-snatched, and is blindly loyal to Donald Trump.
The lack of self-awareness in that last sentence, after having done precisely the thing that he says that he deplores in the preceding three, is quite remarkable.
I was going to make this point, Jerry ! Thanks for doing it for me. It’s a classic example of projection.