I see that there's still tension between Trump Republicans and non-Trump Republicans.

[INVAR]

Maybe it's more accurate to say that Donald Trump is currently the face of a schism that has been present for a while? Either way when speaking of Republican unity in 2018 I think Donald Trump is very relevant to the conversation. He's a catalyst for infighting currently.

If anything Trump is a symptom of how far Republicans have separated themselves from what they once stood for.  If that means he is now the 'face' of the schism - then so be it.  He did not start or cause it.  He is just exacerbating it.

I have no interest in being 'united' with a party that told unwavering principled Conservatives to shut up, support whom they tell us to support or get out.  I have no interest in being in a party that acts just like Democrats in voice and deed.

Trump just inspires Republicans to act like he does and to push for payback and punishment on anyone not in lockstep with them and to become Apologists for Statism as long as their guy and their party does it.

The Nevers here haven't the slightest idea of what it means to be a conservative.

You have tried your hardest to show us what it means to be a "Conservative" in the post Obama era: devote full fealty to Trump as the greatest leader ever and justify deficit spending and positions that are exactly the same as the Democrat Left in order to show yourselves pragmatic and realistic.

[Cyber Liberty]

@jpsb

Read @INVAR and my posts above.   For the 836,742 time.  The problem isn’t trump.  The problem is YOU and your ilk who keep spouting stupid shit like what you did here. We give trump credit when he does conservative things.  But that ain’t good enough for you.   We must bow down in realty to him (and to y’all) and beg for your forgiveness.  Screw that and screw you.  I give credit when conservatism is advanced and I demean when it is not. 

You are the problem here because that isn’t good enough for you.

I find that it's the Partisans on both sides of the internal conflict that push me toward the opposite camp.  I'm a "Neither."

[roamer_1]

But yall just loved that sorry POS G.W. Bush.

@jpsb
FALSE.

The Nevers here haven't the slightest idea of what
it means to be a conservative. Trump is the most conservative president since IKE. Vastly more
conservative than any Bush.

Also false. More conservative??? That is utterly laughable. According to what criteria? Defend that statement if you can. Which you can't.

[Cyber Liberty]

@jpsb
FALSE.

Also false. More conservative??? That is utterly laughable. According to what criteria? Defend that statement if you can. Which you can't.

 

[roamer_1]

If anything Trump is a symptom of how far Republicans have separated themselves from what they once stood for.  If that means he is now the 'face' of the schism - then so be it.  He did not start or cause it.  He is just exacerbating it.

I have no interest in being 'united' with a party that told unwavering principled Conservatives to shut up, support whom they tell us to support or get out.  I have no interest in being in a party that acts just like Democrats in voice and deed.

This part is exactly right, and the crux of the situation.
I have zero fealty to party.

I have zero fealty to persons (Cruz is quickly losing traction with me, as an instance).

ALL I care about politically are the principles of Conservatism. And I think I speak for my fellows in that, all of whom have been regularly assaulted as 'purists', I am sure, as I have...

That Republicans do not stand upon those principles anymore at all is the issue. Somehow they feel they have the right to Conservative votes anyway, while Conservatives, having less and less loyalty to party as they go, are finding other political bodies to support instead.

I will never be a Republican again. The betrayal is so deep and so longstanding that trust in party is forever shattered.

Defend your positions and candidates upon the principles of Conservatism, or STFU.
Fear based angles trying to make me vote against the other side will not work.
Half-baked attempts to change Conservatism by hyphenation will not work.
Asinine attempts at in-group/out-group will not work.

If it is not Conservative, you ain't gonna win me any more.

[Right_in_Virginia]

I have no interest in being 'united' with a party that told unwavering principled Conservatives to shut up

I just love how you ignore that these same "unwavering principled Conservatives" were the ones giving aid and comfort to the Hillary camp by working against the Republican candidate with a voracious zeal. 

Did you really expect the actions by these few to go unchallenged in the heat of a close election??

[Absalom]

But yall just loved that sorry POS G.W. Bush. The Nevers here haven't the slightest idea of what
it means to be a conservative. Trump is the most conservative president since IKE. Vastly more
conservative than any Bush.

---------------------------
As Russell Kirk asserted for Heritage decades ago;
Principled Conservatism is a body of precepts governing conduct,
concerning attitudes and behaviors involving human nature.
It was born in the Greece of Antiquity; primarily through Plato,
and has absolutely nothing, NOTHING, to do w/politics or religion.

[roamer_1]

I just love how you ignore that these same "unwavering principled Conservatives" were the ones giving aid and comfort to the Hillary camp by working against the Republican candidate with a voracious zeal. 

Did you really expect the actions by these few to go unchallenged in the heat of a close election??

@Right_in_Virginia
Rather, giving neither aid, nor comfort to either camp... Your perspective is warped by your membership in one of those camps...

[Right_in_Virginia]

@Right_in_Virginia
Rather, giving neither aid, nor comfort to either camp... Your perspective is warped by your membership in one of those camps...

Yup.  And one or the other of "those camps" is going to win this war.

We'll fill you in on the details @roamer_1 after we've won.   

[Cyber Liberty]

Yup.  And one or the other of "those camps" is going to win this war.

I wish I could agree with that....

[roamer_1]

Yup.  And one or the other of "those camps" is going to win this war.

We'll fill you in on the details @roamer_1 after we've won.   

@Right_in_Virginia

Ahh... more 'winning'.
It seems it doesn't matter what you've 'won'. 

[mountaineer]

I just love how you ignore that these same "unwavering principled Conservatives" were the ones giving aid and comfort to the Hillary camp by working against the Republican candidate with a voracious zeal. 

Nonsense. I've been at TBR since day one, and never saw anyone giving aid and comfort to the Hillary camp. Not being enthusiastic about the ultimate GOP candidate in 2016 is nowhere near the same as offering support to the Dem candidate. There actually is a middle ground.

[Right_in_Virginia]

@Right_in_Virginia

Ahh... more 'winning'.  It seems it doesn't matter what you've 'won'.   

@roamer_1 ... relax.  You needn't still try so hard ---- I already understand you don't know what's happening; and I'm okay with that.   

Shalom.   

[Dexter]

Nonsense. I've been at TBR since day one, and never saw anyone giving aid and comfort to the Hillary camp. Not being enthusiastic about the ultimate GOP candidate in 2016 is nowhere near the same as offering support to the Dem candidate. There actually is a middle ground.

It's surprising that Hillary supporters manage to find the power button and their browser icon to make their presence known online.

[Frank Cannon]

There actually is a middle ground.

Not anymore.

[mountaineer]

It's surprising that Hillary supporters manage to find the power button and their browser icon to make their presence known online.

What does that mean?

[Right_in_Virginia]

Nonsense. I've been at TBR since day one, and never saw anyone giving aid and comfort to the Hillary camp.

Working for the defeat of the Republican presidential candidate DID most certainly give aid and comfort to the enemy political camp.  It gave them hope, a reason to believe in victory and it gave them energy.  Worst of all, it almost worked.

[roamer_1]

@roamer_1 ... relax.  You needn't still try so hard ---- I already understand you don't know what's happening; and I'm okay with that.   

Shalom.

I understand exactly what is happening @Right_in_Virginia . An ad-hoc 'conservatism' without the principles thereof.

That is not winning.
That is capitulation.

[mountaineer]

Working for the defeat of the Republican presidential candidate DID most certainly give aid and comfort to the enemy political camp.  It gave them hope, a reason to believe in victory and it gave them energy.  Worst of all, it almost worked.

I still don't know what you mean. Some of us were less than enthused about candidate Trump, but still voted for him because we knew candidate Clinton would be a complete disaster.  (That would include me, by the way).  So our lack of enthusiasm equates to aid, comfort, hope and a reason to believe? I don't think so.

As for those who voted in 2016 for none of the above or one of the fringe candidates, it still is not fair to say they support the Hilldebeaste. They simply didn't support either of the two major party candidates.

And why are we rehashing 2016 right now anyway? Shouldn't we be focusing on the elections in a few weeks?

[Right_in_Virginia]

I understand exactly what is happening @Right_in_Virginia . An ad-hoc 'conservatism' without the principles thereof.

That is not winning.
That is capitulation.

Nah, you're confused.  But bless your wonderful heart @roamer_1   

We'll leave a light on for you.   

[Dexter]

What does that mean?

It was mean. I was implying that turning on a computer and operating it on a basic level is an impressive feat for somebody that voted for Hillary. I figured the crowd here would forgive me. 

[roamer_1]

Working for the defeat of the Republican presidential candidate DID most certainly give aid and comfort to the enemy political camp.  It gave them hope, a reason to believe in victory and it gave them energy.  Worst of all, it almost worked.

@Right_in_Virginia
Translated out of butt-hurt Republican-speak, you mean your movement is so poor in content that it was barely able to beat the most beatable candidate in decades...

The race to the bottom continues.

[roamer_1]

Nah, you're confused.  But bless your wonderful heart @roamer_1   

We'll leave a light on for you.   

You are welcome to defend it upon the principles, @Right_in_Virginia , but you won't.

 

[mystery-ak]

It was mean. I was implying that turning on a computer and operating it on a basic level is an impressive feat for somebody that voted for Hillary. I figured the crowd here would forgive me. 

WOW..spoken like a true dem..I'm not buying your epiphany btw.

[Cyber Liberty]

Working for the defeat of the Republican presidential candidate DID most certainly give aid and comfort to the enemy political camp.  It gave them hope, a reason to believe in victory and it gave them energy.  Worst of all, it almost worked.

There a lot of Bernie Socialcrats who were plenty upset Hillary rigged the Nomination, and they didn't vote for Hillary because of it.  This phenomenon exists in all parties, so it take a bit of hubris to think it only happens with Republicans.  I wouldn't go so far as to say the Socialcrats provided "aid and comfort" to us.