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As we recorded this week’s podcast, Mitt Romney was giving the stem-winding speech of his life in Utah against the candidacy of Donald Trump. We cover that in real time with our guest Rick Wilson.
Prior to that, our old friend and Ricochet Super Fan, Purdue University President Mitch Daniels stops by to talk about political correctness on campus and throw some light in the state of the country at large. Makes us wistful… Also, Trump and the KKK and a possible movement afoot to draft a new candidate.
Music from this week’s episode:
Jeremy by Pearl Jam
The opening sequence for the Ricochet Podcast was composed and produced by James Lileks.
We’re going to learn Ju-Jitsu, EJHill!
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There’s something you don’t see every day: Peter Robinson brandishing two sub-machine guns.
Name of the new Party: Constitution Party is fine, the Liberators, the Burkeans, the Conservativarians, Alternative for America, Judeo-Christian-Social Union, the New American Century Party just a few ideas.
“None of us are trying to reach the Trump voters anymore.” Nor should we. Kick them the {CoCviolation} out and good riddance. Trump is poison to this party and should be purged. Contra Wilson, though, I think we will do much better showing Trump and his people the door as unceremoniously as possible. Kicking out the walking herblock cartoon (and necessary some number of his followers) is the best thing the GOP could do for itself. Wilson is dead on right about the media’s rooting for Trump as our nominee.
“His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University.” At least.
Quite right also to point out that 20% at least of Trump’s support is coming from Democrats and that he has not won a single closed Republican-only primary.
The podcast begins with a plea for pro- and anti-Trump supporters to remain civil. Okay. Then Rick Wilson comes on foaming at the mouth and declaring that if Republicanism must be split, then it must be split no matter what happens to the Republican Party.
You cannot have it both ways. Either we have an attempt at a civil conversation or we do a Rick Wilson.
For those responsible for the Ricochet podcast, what will it be? Civil? Should the GOPe ignore the voters for the “good” of the Party? Will we listen to any more Mike Murphy-clones vent on Ricochet without any kind of rebuttal by the powers that be?
Message received, folks.
I was surprised when James’s talk of the Constitution as spinach wasn’t a segue into Constitution 101.
I got about two minutes into this newest podcast and I can’t do it. Rob is so dismissive of conservatives, he’s so sure that the U.S. is a left wing country now.
Conservative show up. It doesn’t matter what they do, blah, blah, blah. I’ve found the podcast virtually unlistenable to.
Sorry Rob, your loser Rino candidates lose just as bad. I’m going to go join the numbers of, “society is in decline, but at least I can make myself comfortable.”
Aaron, I’m getting sick of you making sense. I enjoy the distinction of disagreeing with everyone around here. So cut it out.
That is encouraging to read.
As someone who listens to Ricochet podcasts but seldom visits the site, it’s a pleasure to reply to this week’s podcast. I want to thank you for bringing on Rick Wilson. He confirmed my decision to divorce from the the party after Mississippi and the last budget deal. He says “screw them” to someone who has supported Republicans since Reagan and talks about “our conservative values”. Okay Mr. Wilson, thanks for the enlightenment.
Wow – just finished listening to this and the “screw ’em” line from Rick Wilson. OK then – Trump supporters are the angry ones.
Rob is always saying that first we have to get bigger – I think he should have called Wilson on the idea that first we throw out 35% of the party and start over. And how is that going to work?
Also Wilson calls Trump supporters deluded but not the people who say if we just keep electing Bushes one of these times we’re going to be happy with the results.
There’s plenty to criticize Trump for, true, but I think a little self-reflection is called for.
Matt Bartle, I totally agree.
Who do these losers give us?
Romney: A loser.
McCain: A loser.
Bush: A possible loser if Kerry wasn’t a bigger loser.
Thanks for nothing. The same people rallied against Reagan.
And to not be all starry eyed, Reagan wasn’t perfect. He did amnesty.
I was checking out fivethirtyeight, and they had the turn out numbers, and only 56 percent of non college whites vote. That’s lower than blacks and college educated whites. Trump is their franchisement.
At a gun range a few years ago in PA, I met one such guy who said he didn’t vote cuz the whole thing is rigged. You live in PA, I told him. You can make a difference. I’m very curious how he’s feeling today.
How sad that the one time Lileks builds a reaction to Rob’s inevitable interruption into his pitch, Rob gets distracted.
I’ve now heard Senator Sanders described on at least five Ricochet podcasts as a socialist and/or heard speakers lament the younger generation’s lack of awareness about Soviet socialism with the explicit or implicit premise that Sanders seeks to impose something similar. Sanders’ policies aren’t socialist or democratic socialist. They’re broadly similar to the social democrats in Europe, which are clearly not socialist nor are they modern manifestations of Soviet economic control. I don’t support a single Sanders economic policy position (as far as I can tell), but I don’t think it furthers the debate to attack a straw man, rather than the actual policies.
If you are implying Ricochetti aren’t fans of Rick Wilson count me out. I enjoy Rick’s passion and agree with much of his assessment. He’s in the trenches; we just observe mostly. Preach it Rick!
By all means, sit quietly with your hands folded and harrumph while we gamble the future of the Republic on a narcissistic sociopath.
I’ll be over with the menfolk, fighting to the last round in the last mag in the last gun to stop him. We may say bad words, or use figures of speech you find too edgy, so I’d advise hearing protection.
You forgot to accuse me of secretly being a Democrat.
You forgot “again”. The way to keep America out of the hands of a narcissistic sociopath was to defeat Obama. How’d we do?
But this is what the voters chose in 2008 and 2012 (and, arguably, in 1992 and 1996).
As a fellow libertarian… I think this is doomed to failure. I wish our ideas were more popular (and I want to change that), but the sad fact is that they’re not.
It is hard to see libertarian ideas becoming more popular if libertarians are always second fiddle to conservatives. Hence, I just don’t see why I should endorse a conservative-but-not-trump spoiler party in 2016 when I can endorse the libertarian spoiler party.
The assumption by conservative rebels seems to be that if they can break off with double-digit support; then they can re-popularize conservatism. They forget that the conservative GOP had double-upon-double-digit support for decades, and conservatism we de-popularized. Hence Trump.
Conservatives are kidding themselves if they think the Mitt Romnies of the world are going to cause a ground-swell of support as a Third Party that they didn’t cause as a Major Party.
This year, that may end up being the best choice.
I just don’t want to pretend that our political philosophy is terribly popular at the moment. With some work and some slow cultural evolution, we might get something like it.
Head ups all: this week on the Ricochet Podcast: Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse. Join us and listen live Thursday 3/10 at 8AM PT/11AM ET.
Well, the only thing that makes sense is that Rick Wilson is a Trump operative sent out to stiffen the backs of the faithful.
47% – 42% = 5% A solid base upon which to build a new party.
I am going to steal from the movie PCU. We should called the new party the EaGLe party, short for Everyone Gets Laid. That’s the way to build a new brand.