Ted Cruz is my first pick and I am not a big Trump supporter (I agree, I do not think he is a conservative--he's a populist), but I am definitely not a fan of National Review's Just Say No To Trump Edition. I doubt it will hurt Trump. If anything it just further elevates Trump with his base.
Don't they get it? Donald Trump has so far been YUGE for the GOP. Hillary Clinton is losing Iowa and New Hampshire, and South Carolina is eroding. Hillary is losing millennial single women! Trump has helped managed to turn the media against Hillary and Bill Clinton. Trump also managed to do it mostly with free media publicity. Trump is doing to Hillary what Barack Obama did to her in 2008, only way worse (for Hillary).
Trump has also managed to completely neuter Jeb in this race. Beyond Lindsay Graham, does anyone really think Jeb could win as the GOP nominee--or should win (I do not think even Jeb believes that anymore). Jeb, in beta fashion and in response to Trump's attacks has spent millions trying to destroy establishment favorite Marco Rubio (strangely enough National Review is quiet on that).
You would think finishing off Hillary and damaging Bernie Sanders (and Biden) would be the priority. As the GOPe lashes out viciously at Cruz, most of National Review is sort of quiet on that too. Rush is right, have you ever seen anything like this? If this is the best the GOPe has, the establishment needs to lose.
I am still not convinced that Trump is going to run the table and take the nomination. If he wins, he wins. The GOPe made it such a point of contention to make Trump pledge loyalty to the party, if Trump wins don't they have to accept that too? Wouldn't it be smart for these conservative intellectuals to make it less likely Trump runs as an independent in the general election if he doesn't win the GOP nomination?
You do not have to support Trump as your guy (I don't). Go support the candidate you like. There are other choices out there to choose from. Maybe you can encourage some of the fringe candidates to drop out to narrow the field and make it less likely Trump will win. If you don't like Trump, I suggest do not attack the man but address the issues and use them to distinguish why your candidate would be better.
Mark Steyn: The Witless Ape: The Director's Cut (Ouch, and in a match between Mark and Lowry, my money is on Mark), The World They Made, and It's Still the Demography, Stupid
EBL: The GOPe is in a complete panic attack over Palin, Trump and Cruz and Bob Dole is an expert on losing to the Clintons
Rush Limbaugh: Trump's appeal isn't about Trump, CNN can't figure out where Rush is coming from, what they are saying about Trump and National Review, and what it means, and the GOP cares more about donors than voters
Legal Insurrection: Remember when National Review did this same thing to Newt Gingrich?
Wayne Dupree: Remember when Fred Thompson defended Newt Gingrich from National Review?
Instapundit: Jeb Bush out to destroy Marco, the GOP, and all that money donated to him, Conservative Treehouse: The Insurgency has just begun, Nate Silver suddenly thinks Trump might pull it off, Jonah defends NR anti Trump edition and the beltway hates Trump, but fears Cruz
American Power: National Review's unwise excommunication of Donald Trump and Katrina Pierson responds to NR's anti Trump issue
DaTechGuy: Nate Silver is reassessing Trump's chances based on how the GOPe is helping Trump (and hurting Cruz)
National Review has completely lost its mind with this suggestion!
Breitbart: Selective Outrage and Why We Lose
Thank you for being even-handed.
ReplyDeleteMost pro-Cruz bloggers seem to affect a childish partisanship.
While I have plenty of reservations about Trump, the fanaticism of many Cruz supporters is more than off-putting to me.
The way things look at this minute, it's a Cruz-Trump race, but IA, NH, and the south will clarify things If Trump's gains in the polls continue and are reflective of reality, it's tough to see how he doesn't get the nod, but we're talking a good couple of months from now.
I doubt it will hurt Trump. If anything it just further elevates Trump with his base.
ReplyDeleteI agree. And the timing was bad, because I think Palin was going to hurt him. I liked Palin and was a defender of hers for many years. I still think she is better qualified to President than Obama, and would have been a far better Vice President than Joe Biden. But Palin sanctimony on family values is troubling in light of her daughters frequent relationship problems. I don't like commenting on politician's children, but Palin puts her children out there as examples. Those actions have been to her detriment.
Trump has also managed to completely neuter Jeb in this race.
In complete honesty, this I think is my deepest appeal for Trump. He sucks all the oxygen out of the room for people like Jeb, Huckabee, Christie, etc. He actually made room for people like Fiorina and Carson to rise enough for an honest consideration. Trump's a roaring fire now, when I rather have a warming glow, but I rather have Trump's fire than Jeb Bush.
I understand the outrage against the GOP, but I just don't get the appeal of Trump to those who are fed up with them. Trump doesn't balance out what's wrong with the GOP. He's another big government, crony-capitalism emperor wanna be.
ReplyDeleteObama has laid the groundwork for ruling by fiat, so my guess is that Trump is hoping to get in spouting what tickles the ears of the malcontents, only to continue in the Emperor Obama's shoes. Because the other two branches of the federal government have laid down and allowed Obama to trample the rule of law, the precedent is established.
Most GOP political junkies are dead set against Obama on every turn, so why they embrace someone who will be equally abusive is puzzling, to say the least. We wait for Arthur to emerge from the swamp with Excalibur, but in the meanwhile are content to thrust a stick in the hands of Trump and say "Go get 'em, Artie." Insane.
Considering Cruz' relationship with most of Congress (ie, lousy), how does he govern when he sends proposals up to the Hill and they are either gutted or ignored by McConnell (who, in all probability will be Senate Majority Leader).
DeleteLike it or not, Cruz made this personal, and what's this emperor wannabe?
A narcissistic ideologue first term Senator thinks he's ready to be President with only 2 years on the national scene?
I thought we'd learned our lesson in '08?