Let's get this out of the way: Trump is not a conservative. Trumpism, the most popular flavor of Republicanism at the moment, may share some commonalities with what we commonly include in the conservative tableau, but at its core it is populism with an extra shot of nativism.
How do you defend the "Hang Mike Pence" bit? Or his failure to do what he loves the most - speechify? It's obvious to me that Trump loved the invasion of the Capitol.
Besides all that, can you answer the three questions I asked at the end?
If it were one outlier, perhaps, but there's a preponderance of evidence there, Xavier.
Moreover, he's *not* the best choice for the Party, and the case against him will grow even stronger if Oz and/or Walker lose their Senate races and leave the Senate to the Dems after the mid-terms.
More to the point - how would you answer the three questions I asked?
Not because of your "3 questions" am I now leaning for Trump as kingmaker vs king. And I will still vote for him for king if the choice is a nation-destroying alternative on the Democrat side. Because that's the choice we'd be left with. That's reason. That's rational self-interest. It's not an "either you agree with me or you defy reason" argument. Politics are messy that way.
I have three excellent reasons for liking Trump: Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Barrett. There's a lot of other good that ran along with this, but those are the best.
I have one primary reason for detesting him: Katie Britt - whom he endorsed in Alabama for Senate after pulling his endorsement of Mo Brooks - arguably the strongest conservative in the House today - for no reason other than Ego. Brooks committed the unforgivable sin of saying we should focus on the 2022 elections instead of re-litigating 2020. Britt is an establishment Republican who will trade votes like her mentor Richard Shelby taught her to. That's enough for me. He should know better after five years in politics.
But back to the Hobbesian choice we may face: I'll make the rational decision just as I'll vote for Britt in November, holding my nose while I do so.
Beautifully stated, as usual, Peter! Trump is indeed fatally flawed, but we would be better off with him in the White House than any Dem you could name, except perhaps Joe Manchin.
*I'm* being dogmatic?
How do you defend the "Hang Mike Pence" bit? Or his failure to do what he loves the most - speechify? It's obvious to me that Trump loved the invasion of the Capitol.
Besides all that, can you answer the three questions I asked at the end?
This is a solid piece:
https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/07/trumps-wasnt-the-only-dereliction-on-display-during-the-january-6-hearings/
If it were one outlier, perhaps, but there's a preponderance of evidence there, Xavier.
Moreover, he's *not* the best choice for the Party, and the case against him will grow even stronger if Oz and/or Walker lose their Senate races and leave the Senate to the Dems after the mid-terms.
More to the point - how would you answer the three questions I asked?
Wait - how can you say you don't do politics, but stand in support of Trump?
Not because of your "3 questions" am I now leaning for Trump as kingmaker vs king. And I will still vote for him for king if the choice is a nation-destroying alternative on the Democrat side. Because that's the choice we'd be left with. That's reason. That's rational self-interest. It's not an "either you agree with me or you defy reason" argument. Politics are messy that way.
I have three excellent reasons for liking Trump: Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Barrett. There's a lot of other good that ran along with this, but those are the best.
I have one primary reason for detesting him: Katie Britt - whom he endorsed in Alabama for Senate after pulling his endorsement of Mo Brooks - arguably the strongest conservative in the House today - for no reason other than Ego. Brooks committed the unforgivable sin of saying we should focus on the 2022 elections instead of re-litigating 2020. Britt is an establishment Republican who will trade votes like her mentor Richard Shelby taught her to. That's enough for me. He should know better after five years in politics.
But back to the Hobbesian choice we may face: I'll make the rational decision just as I'll vote for Britt in November, holding my nose while I do so.
My mistake - I thought I was replying to Xavier.
The crux of this piece is not the general election, but what happens before that.
Excellent piece!
“I close with three questions for those who still favor Trump over other Republicans:
Does he stand a better chance of winning than, say, DeSantis?
Does he bring anything positive to the table that any of half a dozen other GOP possibilities do not?
Will the country as a whole be better off with him in the WH, or with a different Republican?”
I have never voted for the Queens gun grabber, and, if he is nominated again, won’t vote for either Trump of whatever Marxist the Democrats nominate.
I actually broke my 36 year string of voting libertarian voted for him in 2020. And, I gave my reasons here:
http://www.therootsofliberty.com/principled-rejection/
More accurately, I voted against the Democrats.
It's too far away to declare how I'll vote in 2024, but if Trump gets the nod, there'll be a "damned if you do..." moment.
Which is why I'm going to try and convince people to "move on."
Beautifully stated, as usual, Peter! Trump is indeed fatally flawed, but we would be better off with him in the White House than any Dem you could name, except perhaps Joe Manchin.