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Lifelong Democrat Attends CPAC 2020
A few weeks ago, our own Mark Camp posted a fascinating story, aptly titled Lifelong Democrat Attends Trump Rally in New Hampshire, Pleasantly Surprised. It’s great, check it out. Karlyn Borysenko turns out to be really interesting, and an excellent writer.
We have an update. Dr. Borysenko has a new article: This liberal went to CPAC. And it was nothing like I expected.
Published in GeneralIn many of the phone calls I had immediately after I published my article, people kept telling me that I simply HAD to go to CPAC. Finally, I thought “well, if someone gives me a ticket I’ll make the trip.” Ask and you shall receive, and a few days later I was boarding a plane for Washington DC…
@blueyeti , I’m thinking she would be a *great* guest on the flagship podcast. Use your charm…
With respect, Don, I would rather they have a hardcore unabashed Trump supporter on.
We know all about this phenomenon. It’s been written about and shared around our parts for a couple of years. Those who tepidly tolerate Trump think that ‘we’ benefit from the excesses of the left and that all we need is some Kasich or Christie clone to herald-in the next era. Not so.
Of course the left is overstepping, but they are also operating very effectively behind the scenes, and if we think that including fair-minded liberals is the only thing necessary to achieve a restoration of a sane political playing field, we are fools.
What we need now is an understanding of how to proceed strategically and tactically and that can’t be done well without understanding the Trump phenomenon- which they don’t.
I’m sick of these people who accept all the benefits coming from Trump while misunderstanding where it comes from, who they actually owe these thing to, and seemingly believe that we just need to go back to Mitch McConnellism and Paul Ryanism in 2024 and it will all be hunky-dorey.
The only reason this woman realized these things about the left is because of the Trump phenomenon. Had any other Republican won (which they wouldn’t) she would not have noticed. Likewise, had Hillary won, it wouldn’t have happened either.
Just a couple of quotes from the article that really impressed me:
But what was so refreshing was that there was very little talk about race or gender or orientation or anything that would indicate a collectivist mindset. People viewed each other as individuals and engaged in discussions of ideas.
You must understand that right now in the land of the Democrats, EVERYTHING is about identity politics. Every. Single. Thing. And race is at the top of the list. If you’re white, no matter what you say or what you do, you are expected to be contrite in your inherent racism and continually re-affirm your shame in how you were born. It does not matter if you grew up poor, or how you’ve struggled, or any hardships you’ve had to overcome. All that matters is the color of your skin. Or your gender. Or your orientation. Or your ableness. It is exhausting to have to live in a constant state of self-deprecating purity and to perceive everything in your experience as a struggle between those who have power and those who are “oppressed.”
This was more amusing (follow the money):
Ivanka said, “We’re not going to be able to provide them [the dreams], but we can create a playing field that enables you to realize your success.”
That line was very striking. As a small business owner, I have to admit that last year was my best year ever and the tax cuts really helped. I remember feeling guilty about how much they helped me at the time, thinking I didn’t really deserve this when so many other people are struggling. But I can’t deny that it has absolutely enabled my success. The bonus my husband got from his employer after the tax cuts didn’t hurt either.
Recognition of the Democrats continuing plan to tear things down instead of build them up is key. The whole article is worth the read, just to watch how her eyes open.
Indeed.
Hey, @blueyeti , can you book Scott Presler on the show? How about Brendan Straka? Candace Owens? They’re doing amazing things.
But Karlyn Borysenko has some excellent insights.
Yeah, but she has a ways to go. There’s a lot of foolishness in that article, too.
I agree. But this is a good first step.
I know I don’t have a statistically valid sample size, but I note a consistency to the stories about a person with a particular political bent coming into contact with a rally or other event of the other political bent:
A Leftist encountering a group of conservatives reports his or her surprise at how nice and polite the conservatives are;
Conservatives who encounter a group of leftists are beat up and verbally abused.
I don’t agree. I’m glad that she’s starting to see that her Leftist comrades are completely nuts. I’m glad that she’s been willing to attend a couple of Trump events, to learn, quite frankly, that she had been told lies about us. I’m glad that she no longer thinks that we’re Nazis. In her prior article, she relayed the concerns of her Lefty friends that she would be physically unsafe among the troglodytes at a Trump rally.
She has seen, and written about, the virulent hate that forms the foundation of Leftism, but as far as I can tell, has not reconsidered any of her moral or political views.
The only insight that she seems to have is: “Republicans and conservatives are not the Nazi monsters that I thought they were for 20 years.” I’m glad that she’s telling this to Leftists, and perhaps a few will listen. But they’re not likely to be listening to a podcast at Ricochet.
Everytime I see one of the old fogies talk about the party of Reagan they always seem to forget this part of the party that the writer talks about.
The party of Trump and the New Right, is far more tolerant and respector of real Freedom than the party of Reagan and we should acknowledge that
It was only a few years ago when the Log Cabin Republicans were banned from CPAC. We have a lot to still educate people on.
Heh… That was Tipper Gore.
I’ll look into it. Good idea!
@franco We have Trump supporters on ALL the time, including (off the top of my head and most recently) Victor Davis Hanson, Luke Thompson, Deb Saunders, Kim Strassel, Byron York to name a few.
I said Trump supporters, not common-sense conservatives who are okay with Trump. A Trump supporter is someone like Kellyanne Conway, Brad Pascale or Corey Lewandowski.
If only to balance-out the Trump detractors like Democrat Biden supporter Bill Kristol who has a podcast on your network.😉
No, those are not Trump supporters, they are Trump employees (or in Lewandowski’s case, a former employee). We typically do not like to book people who are paid to support a politician.
Ok, you win. By the way, who’s paying Bill Kristol, any ideas?
Indeed.
This guy, however…
According to that article, left-wing billionaire Pierre Omidyar, the co-founder of eBay is paying Kristol. But he’s paying us to carry his show, so the joke’s on him as we use that money to pay our conservative employees and keep the price of a Ricochet membership at a reasonable cost. Capitalism!
That’s a very sharp suit. Wonder where he got it.
That’s a great question! Let’s ask him…
This is the guy who’s been leading the urban clean-up operations:
Hmmm… that’s the same argument the GOP insiders use when people ask them why they take so much money from lobbyists and special interests. I’m seeing a pattern.
That’s one hell of an admission. Ricochet, the Pierre Cardin of political websites.
The brand was a joke in the fashion industry and was a case study in how to damage a designer’s prestige. The “revenue” was actually pathetic compared to what it could have been had the company been more prudent. The citation that the brand made 10 million annually needs to be juxtaposed with a company that carefully managed it’s brand, Ralph Lauren/Polo annual income – 6.1 billion.
Capitalism!
There’s a potential difference in degree here.
It is one thing if a particular person or organization is one of many funding sources. It’s another thing if someone has a single source of funding.
Even the latter may not be a problem. If a journalist or commentator has a set of views, and a wealthy individual or organization wants to provide significant support, I do not see a problem. The potential danger is that the journalist or commentator becomes a paid spokesman for things that he does not believe, and may be capitalizing on credibility gained when he held a different position. This looks like corruption.
A serious change of position, on the part of the journalist or commentator, would be evidence of such corruption — but not necessarily. The change in position might be sincere, and might then attract a new funding source from a like-minded patron.
Whether sincere or corrupt, it hardly seems appropriate for someone with a complete change of positions to favor the Left to be given a platform (even if paid for) on a “center-right” website.
What is right? I’m getting confused. It’s all Trumps fault!!!
I think it means not tweeting and being nice, not worrying too much about immigration and bombing the hell out of everyone, while making “the case for Biden” in your digital magazine. Oh, and being religious of course.
She put together a video version yesterday: