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Conservatism in the Trump Era
It use to take a lot of thought and study to be a true conservative. There is a long tradition of high-level debates on the right about the nature of conservatism, about trying to reconcile conflicting ideological components drawn from libertarianism versus cultural conservatism. How much can/should we borrow insights from Schumpeter, Smith, Hayek, Friedman etc? Must we be purists on free trade or can/should there be tariffs to punish cheating? Is there any role for government in health care or welfare? To what extent must we compromise with political, electoral realities to get as much of our shared agenda implemented as possible? Like the rest of the conservative intellectual heritage, ideological divides such as the old anti-communism versus isolationists required some serious historical, economic, philosophical and geopolitical study and thought.
Fortunately, we no longer have to do any of that intellectual heavy lifting. Conservatism is now solely about how we react to President Trump’s tweets and then react to each other’s reactions to those tweets.
Take a look at the chart below and select which category you usually fall into.
I am usually a Category B man, myself. We are largely invisible despite our likely large numbers precisely because we do expressly support Mr. Trump (largely because of the utterly horrific alternatives) and thus we generally refrain from expressing critical assessments.
The Category C fellows are Republican NeverTrumpers. God bless them for being Republicans and I am certain we share a vigorous agreement on virtually all substantive issues but when they enter the discussion there is that RINOesque whiff of self-congratulations with an implied wish for a Trumpian downfall to vindicate their superior judgment. Category A and B folks generally find that tiresome and oddly detached from the ideological death struggle we believe is in full force.
I try not to argue with Category A people. They see Trump as the man directing the fire that keeps statist totalitarian pirates from seizing our ship and its cargo of freedoms. They see his oppositional tendencies (even when overtly rude) as a feature, not a bug. Only someone so despised by the unworthy elites who own this utterly corrupt political order can be counted upon to bring it down. Criticism in time of war just gives aid and comfort to the enemy and should be avoided. Even when I don’t agree with Category A people, even in instances when I think they have picked a bad piece of ground upon which to fight a battle, I still gotta love ‘em (hell, sometimes I am them) and love the energy they supply and their commitment to the fight
My generally preferred position (Category B) is, of course, invariably the most reasonable option and I encourage everyone to adopt it. Frankly, it would be wonderful if Mr. Trump routinely consulted with some category B supporters (Congress is full of them) to craft and temper his various reactive outpourings. His combative wit is welcome and could still be effective if tempered as it often is in public speeches—and would be less likely to give suburban weenies the vapors.
In any event, we must always try to erect that big tent in which Categories A thru C can unite in mutual respect lest the vile Orc army that is category D devour us all.
Published in General
Agreed, although it certainly doesn’t preclude brilliance either. I don’t buy the common line which has it that President Trump is impetuous and all ego; I think it’s likely, in fact, that he like other successful people is indeed capable of patient, long term, and comprehensive strategy. In addition to impetuous flashes of ego, that is. I can do that too, though, and I’m not brilliant or uber successful. I assume that President Trump has qualities which helped him succeed in NY real estate, TV, and presidential politics. I assume he didn’t merely stumble his way to success in all of that; such a thing is highly unlikely.
I’m not a sycophant, in other words, who can only view the hero in the the glowingest terms. However, I also rarely cringe at any of his tweets. I didn’t even cringe at the grab em by the p**sy tape. Like you I mostly view his communication as effective and necessary given the leftwing monopoly of the media. I leave off “crude” as a descriptor because that, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder and I don’t behold it that way. I assume that without his communication style he never would have cracked the debate stage or beaten Hillary or survived any of the BS soft coup hoaxes he’s endured. Again, that doesn’t mean I think he’s a genius or some grandmaster level politician. Truly I don’t care what his IQ is.
Hmm, I think my mind has been made up on that question for a long time already. “They” don’t care about tone or anythinbg else. All Republicans are rich, fascist, racist, sexist, homophobic, and – all new – transphobic. All it took was just a little pushback and they went insane with rage. No pushback (Bush 1, Bush 2, McCain, Romney, Ryan, etc) didn’t earn either respect or success.
Firesign Theater? How old are we getting?
I bought a copy of the album Don’t Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me The Pliers shortly after it was first released is how ancient I am.
I assume by “share” you mean “foist on the rest of us.”
It can’t be subtle when the other side are socialists, fascists, or any of the approaches totally inconsistent with US history, its constitution and a prosperous freedom controlled future. Trump is a new phenomena but he is what we have and he’s making more progress in the right direction than any of our more moderate Republicans could have. He’ll be replaced by a standard Republican but maybe the party will have learned something from Trump and this glimpse of where the Democrats are heading.
I’m a C, but I sympathize with B. I would word my position as “lack of unconditional support” though.
People liked Reagan, though. Reagan came across as a pleasant person to be around no matter what the media did to try and break that image. It is not the media’s fault that Trump comes across as unpleasant, and this is coming from someone who thought the p***y tape was overblown. (He was talking about groupies, not sexual assault.)
It’s foolish to pretend that the Republicans’ recent defeats in formerly safe districts have nothing to do with voters’ dislike of Trump’s personality or to pretend that said dislike is entirely the product of negative media coverage. I understand the need to “fight back,” but what good is fighting back if you break your hand by punching the cage?
Afternoon Umbra,
Reagan was described as a cold hearted man, a fool, a mouth piece, a dunce, and the leader who wanted gays to die, and start WWIII. Here is an example from the friendly Tip O’Neill (speaker of the house) at the Democratic National Convention, “The evil is in the White House at the present time. And that evil is a man who has no care and no concern for the working class of America and the future generations of America…He’s cold. He’s mean. He’s got ice water for blood.” From Richard Cohen of the Washington Post, “Question: What does Ronald Reagan have in common with my grandmother? Answer: They are both religious bigots.” Anthony Lewis of the New York Times, “For a President to attack those who disagree with his politics as ungodly is terribly dangerous.” Historian Henry Steele Commager said, “It was the worst presidential speech in American history, and I have read them all.”, referring to the “evil empire speech. Reagan was also the president who was described as haveing “gutted” numerous programs, of course because he was indifferent to the poor and only wanted to help the rich. All the folks who hate Trump, hated Reagan. We were given an entirely false glow of the time after Reagan died. He was hated by all the right people. If we recall the story of Peter’s “tear down the wall speech”, the deep state tried everything to change the speech even as Reagan was driving to give it. Reagan was a harder target, than W, or Trump but Reagan was always described as a fool or a villain. Let us not fool ourselves and think that if we only had another Reagan, we would get better press and wouldn’t have everyone in the bureaucracy and the media describe our intentions in the most hostile and deceitful fashion.
Yes, it is Trump’s responsibility. Thus, Trump fired him. The executive branch of the Federal government is bigger than any single corporation. I am just going to take a wild guess and say that less than 5% are Presidential hirees. The rest are Civil Servants. Are they all the President’s responsibility? Most definitely. That is why I hope Trump has another five years to weed the garden.
I think Trump is, to borrow a phrase, human scum.
But he’s the rare kind of human scum that has deferred to Mike Pence’s advice on judicial nominations and Paul Ryan’s ideas on tax cuts.
I’d love it if Trump just decided to retire from politics and go back to reality TV.
I would have preferred just about any Republican politician except Trump to be president. But we are where we are.
I will not vote for a Democrat because they are too far Left. However, I will not likely vote for Trump.
I’m sort of in column B and sort of in column C. But I am still sort of hoping that Trump wins in 2020 just so we can fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat on the high court.
Closer to C/D than B/C.
Madness
Yes. I didn’t mean to absolve Trump at all in my comment. I said in many posts after the election in the transition and early in his term that he needed to get rid of a lot of holdovers and I didn’t see it happening. One aspect I was particularly concerned about was political types having burrowed into jobs with Civil Service Status. This is where it is really difficult to dislodge them. I suspect the ‘whistleblower’ fits this category. And I think foreign service officers do as well although that doesn’t allow them to hold onto Ambassadorships or even other critical policy positions. Nobody working in the White House should stay if the Boss wants them out.
I’m with @heavywater on wanting Trump to fill Ginsburg’s seat.
Me too.
For better or worse – and yeah, it’s probably worse – politics is reality TV.
You missed the point. My point was that the press couldn’t hide the fact that Reagan was a good man and that trying to blame the perception that Trump is a slimeball entirely on the press is pure self-deception.
Somewhere between A and B; I certainly don’t think the complete discrediting of the mainstream media is unrelated to the strategy (or intuitive impulses) of Trump, but it could be argued that while such a thing was necessary, there comes a point when it will be no longer be the best course of action. If nothing else, an unpopular tweet at the exact wrong time can negatively influence Independents and squishes with short attention spans and an inflated sense of their ‘respectability’. Hopefully, the 2024 candidate will retain Trump’s unapologetic fight, while having the charm to win over the wealthy suburban wine moms* that have defected in the meantime. In any event, the situation is not going to change, so here’s hoping the A’s are right for the next 5 years!
*Apologies to Ace of Spades for stealing this.
You do know that the first midterm after a presidential election usually loses more House seats ?
Good grief this is nonsense.! Pence was weak at Governor of Indiana. He bailed on RFRA as soon as opposition appeared.
But its good faith nonsense…isn’t it? At least that is what I am urged to pretend to believe.
I’d prefer someone younger. But if only someone his age can get confirmation, I guess he’d do.
Yes! And let’s not forget the press is now significantly less honest and more partisan.
I find this rationale fascinating. Hey, maybe you live in a state that your vote wouldn’t matter, but you do know that it’s a secret ballot and voting for Trump doesn’t mean anything at all about your morality or virtue. That is, if you really want another conservative on the court.
I wonder if there are people out there who have never voted because the right candidate has never come along. That wouldn’t surprise me. My precious vote …like it’s some kind of political virginity.
I am a “C” too. I think that the disasters of the 2017, 2018 and 2019 elections portend doom for Republicans in suburban America, and the consigning of a Trumpified Republican Party to the ash heap of history, joining the Whig’s.
Agreed.
Agreed.
Agreed.
I would have supported any Republican over Trump.
As of today, I will not vote for Trump, and I will not over for a Socialist like Sanders or Warren, or a bigot like Harris. But, as of today, I would vote for a Bullock, Biden, Buttigieg, Bennet, or Klobuchar over Trump, voting for my first Democrat for President in 48 years.
Column C, with occasional feelings towards Column B.
Without being crass, if God wants Ginsberg off of the Court, God will call her home before we lose the Senate in 2020 in the Revolt of the Suburbs, the College Educated and Women.
Yes and no. Almost always the President’s party loses House Seats. But losing 40 seats, and the control of the House was an epic repudiation.
Bubblegum analysis…and abuse of the language that is downright Vizzinian. Weak.
I can’t let this bit of sophistry pass. What does Pence’s flip-flop on RFRA have to do with the point I was making?
You think Trump, the man who donated to Harry Reid’s 2010 reelection campaign, the man who endorsed Barack Obama’s 2009 economic stimulus plan, has a perfectly conservative voting record? Trump donated to Chuck Schumer and endorsed the assault weapons ban and partial birth abortion.
Here’s a little trip down memory lane. Back to April 2016. Trump took the Left’s side in the transgender bathroom war in North Carolina.
Trump comes out against North Carolina’s HB2
https://abc11.com/politics/donald-trump-comes-out-against-north-carolinas-hb2/1302289/
Trump supported the radical Left when North Carolina was being threatened with boycotts over HB2.