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We Are All Clintons Now
I have never blamed anyone for voting for Donald Trump. Given the choices — Hillary, Trump or “Are You People Freakin’ Crazy?” (I chose the latter) — every option stunk. The #NeverTrump anger and insults toward people who picked one of three lousy options is irrational and unhelpful.
But deciding “We’re stuck with Trump” is far different from crossing the line into Clintonism — a line that a distressing number of conservatives have chosen to cross.
In a depressing new YouGov.com poll (which we discussed in the podcast, btw):
–56 percent of Trump supporters said the phrase “moral leader” describes Trump “extremely well/very well.”
–Only 11 percent of Trump supporters admit that Stormy Daniels’ story is “credible.” 48 percent say it’s not–despite the deluge of legal documents pouring out of Trump World.
–And a pathetic 51 percent of Trump fans say that if Trump did cheat on Melania with the money-hungry porn star “it would be immoral.”
Trump fans also claim they don’t believe that Trump knew anything about the $130,000 payout to Stormy, and even if he did it, only 27 percent say it would be immoral, etc. etc.
Like I said: Clintonism.
For years, my conservative friends and I have mocked Clinton Democrats for their defenses of Bill and Hillary. We reminded them how they pretended they didn’t know what really happened, how they pretended Clinton was innocent. How these “truth to power” feminists empowered a guy who treated women — including his wife — like crap. “What shameless hypocrites!” we cried. “What partisan fools! What stupid-on-purpose stooges!”
Now, a whole lot of Republicans are doing the same thing.
What I don’t get is “why?” Why pretend that Trump is moral, why pretend to have no idea if he cheated on his wife. Why humiliate yourself when there’s a completely honest and rational position you could take:
“Yes, Trump is a cheating dirtbag, but given the awful choices in 2016, even a cheating dirtbag was better than Hillary. And he won the election, which tells you what the American people think of Hillary. Now we’re stuck with a president whose personal behavior is atrocious. The best we can do is get as many good policies out of him while he’s in office. And on X, Y, and Z that’s exactly what we have done. I have no problem denouncing Trump as a person while embracing the good things he’s getting done as president.”
What’s wrong with that answer? It’s honest. It’s accurate. And when the Trump presidency ends, these Republicans will still have a modicum of credibility when they return to their former “values matter!” position.
So why lie? Especially to yourself?
Published in General
Trump has been unethical in business. So has half of the GOP Ruling Class. That is what matters.
Okay, I admit it. I don’t care about it. If it’s true, I feel sorry for Melania, but how she deals with it is up to her.
I’m with you, I really don’t care. In the past, many leaders were unfaithful but it wasn’t plastered all over cable news. Also, Many great leaders are very flawed individuals, particularly in the sexual realm.
Is that an early prototype of a MAGA hat?
When Tom Cotton announces I’ll jump in the truck camper and volunter against Trump. Until then I simply don’t care about NT moralizing.
I think the American public is really tired of the daily sex scandals.
Whose pretending? With Bill Clinton, we had proof. With Trump, merely allegations . . .
Sorry, but I have to say it: it’s really galling that the NT/McMullin crowd think they are the possessors and dispensers of credibility.
And again, the words “if it is true” matter.
Since the night the election result were revealed, the press has done nothing but tar and feather the guy. I first became a supporter that very night.
Various pundits reported that Pres-elect Trump would immediately act like a buffoon, and his acceptance speech would be an egotist’s accolades of how great he is and will be.
Instead I found a very humble man, attributing his win to his wife, his family, friends and supporters. His speech used the words “inner cities” and he spoke of resolve to do something about them. Then his inaugural speech spoke of the middle class – something that neither Obama or Hillary Clinton have done since Oct 2008.
And Trump not only spoke about the middle class, he gave us a tax break. His insistence on immigration reform and detaining and deporting people here illegally is helping those on the lowest part of the economic ladder to secure jobs.
Last but not least, he states that the next item on his agenda is an overhaul of the nation’s infra structure. Which with the catastrophe concerning today’s bridge collapsing in Florida needs to happen right away.
Some significant portion of Trump supporters were never conservative and would otherwise have voted Democrat. Remembering that, I don’t see much value in those poll numbers and your concern.
I guess I agree with you… Anyone who is telling themselves that Trump is a moral leader is being willfully blind. He doesn’t claim to be that himself, does he?
I don’t claim to know if Trump cheated with Stormy or not, but I’m not in denial nor interested in defending it.
But you must admit that it is in no way similar to Bill Clinton diddling an intern in the oval office. Especially when he was the head of the party that destroyed so many in business and the Republican party for far less under the guise of opposing workplace sexual harassment.
So in the end, while most of the country wallows in tabloid recitations of a porn star’s accusations, I really, honestly, don’t care. Even if all the accusations are true she was over the age of consent, it was not workplace coercion, and it happened before he ran for president. So it’s between him and his wife, and nobody else’s business.
As long as he keeps on reversing the downward slide in to progressive socialism, he will be OK with me. I will save my moral role models for someone outside of politics.
Bill Clinton lied to the court as an officer of the court.
Bill Clinton raped women.
Again
Bill Clinton Raped Women.
This conversation pretty much mirrors the polling, which is interesting.
My only quibble is with the notion that it’s some sort of
Stormy has a dress. And photos. And $130,000 from Trump’s lawyer. And details. Plus–it’s Trump.
Not sure if I fit in that crowd, but I’m not possessing or dispensing credibility. I’m just pointing out the obvious.
I’m not arguing that Trump fans should care that he cheated, just that they stop pretending he didn’t. Stop playing the Clinton 1998 card. It makes them look dumb, and these are people who could help advance causes I care about.
What’s wrong with the truth? And what’s “Never Trump” about admitting it?
Some people think Evan McMullin has a really excellent level of gravitas.
Did they say where he was leading us?
Extra-marital affairs were not the problem with Bill Clinton. No, cheating on your wife is not pretty and it’s not nice, but it doesn’t distinguish Clinton (or Trump) from Kennedy, Eisenhower, Harding, Wilson, FDR, and most likely George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, among others. The problem with Bill Clinton was not infidelity, it was sociopathy.
At this point, I am hoping that Trump is a better person for Melania’s sake, but after Obama, I am thanking God in my prayers literally that Hillary was never allowed to set a toe into the Oval Office. I voted for Bill Clinton twice – I used to be a Democrat. I come from a Democrat family. We’re Republicans now. That Party was hijacked. So I hope his personal life is sorted out, but I am more interested in seeing our country and our allies become whole again.
For me the relativism coming out of the Democrats tempers my reaction to bad Trump stories. Today we had Pelosi being her usual self about the results of the Kentucky race, saying that Republicans can’t “sugar coat” the loss. Well, wasn’t that what Hillary kept trying to do earlier this week with her reinterpretation of a far bigger presidential loss? Aren’t these the people (with press allies) who are trying to fan flames over any peripheral Trump tidbits they get hold of?
How important something is to policy and basic direction of government, not press molding of “findings” just carries more weight. I haven’t heard anyone saying “Trump couldn’t have strayed with that woman.” But if the DOJ and FBI used campaign lies and let Hillary off from felony actions, that is what we need to really know and allow to guide our concerns.
Here is a piece of recent news:
Wed Mar 07, 2018 2:29 pm — USA Today
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/03/07/white-house-trump-won-arbitration-case-against-stormy-daniels/404475002/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatoday-newstopstories
President Trump has won an arbitration case against ex-porn star Stormy Daniels, who is fighting in court to tell her story about their alleged affair, according to the White House.
“I can share that the arbitration was won in the president’s favor, and I would refer you to the president’s outside counsel on any details beyond that,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday.
Michael Cohen, Trump’s personal lawyer, did not immediately respond to a request for more information.
Reached by phone, Daniels’ lawyer Michael Avenatti told USA TODAY: “Yeah, and he also won the popular vote.” He declined further comment.
more of the same at link
The March 7th 2018 story out of USA Today stipulates that Trump won at an arbitration hearing against Stormy. My remark below your original post contains the link.
I am beyond tired of allegations about the President. Just tired of it! Consider this comment a dislike. Don’t we have better things to discuss?
Here’s the conclusion of your piece: And when the Trump presidency ends, these Republicans will still have a modicum of credibility when they return to their former “values matter!” position.
The high horse pose of the entire Kristol et al. set is a farce. I am not a values voter. I am a conservative policies voter. Thus far, Trump’s administration has been remarkably conservative given his blowhard bona fides. When it comes to “conservative policies” credibility, the entire Kristol/McMullin set forecast that Trump would bring electoral disaster in 2016, lead to the appointment of Trump’s sister or Judge Judy to SCOTUS and make Trump’s fellow liberal Chuck Schumer the co-president of the US.
Maybe a little humility before you set the terms for future credibility of others Michael.
As far as Clintonism, here’s what the term means to me:
And that’s just the Bill Clintonism.
No, I am not a Clinton now. It’s a pretty rich charge from those who preferred (however reluctantly) to see Hillary Clinton win on November 8.
Re Trump’s personal life: tis a pity he’s a whore.
No, he doesn’t. And, He did not make promises in the realm of morality during his campaign.
I think that gives him some immunity from these kind of attacks.
As someone said, “He’s my President, not my pastor.”
It does not help the cause of the Left to be so hyper-vigilant NOW about morality.
They removed the morals cog from presidential politics wheel.
And, if the left wants to hang President Trump on this morality, they should toss out more than Al Franken.
People in glass houses should not throw stones.
This reminds me of a Republican woman I was chatting with and she was telling me what a good and religious man Donald Trump is. Being at a Republican convention, I didn’t want to get into an argument on just how admirable Trump is or isn’t, so I just tried to keep a neutral look on my face. I guess I must have slipped when she went on to tell me that he has always been faithful to his wives. She picked up on the raised eyebrow and said, “Well, he was always faithful until he wasn’t.” I just changed the subject but dearly wanted to say, “That poor Jesse James, he was such a good boy. Did you know he never robbed a single bank? Until the first one, of course.”
Government policy needs to support civic life and families or get the hell out of the way. It needs to stop force and fraud. It needs to facilitate economic growth, or get out of the way of it. The media needs to be screwed with because they are liars. Something needs to be done about cultural marxism.
Trump is O.K. in this sense.
Dennis Prager has been writing about not looking to politicians for personal moral leadership or whatever for 25 years. I think he’s right.
Unless I misread, that bridge was brand new.
The narrative is that Bill was impeached for private sexual peccadilloes. He was impeached for perjury.