Why we’re not jumping on the “bash Trump” bandwagon

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Why we’re not jumping on the “bash Trump” bandwagon

February 16, 2017



 http://thefederalistparty.org/2017/02/16/not-jumping-bash-trump-bandwagon/

Political spin is a fickle game. In a society that operates in the moment while consuming media in real-time, it’s very easy for people and organizations to shift quickly based upon what’s happening in the now. The Federalist Party is building a foundation that will remain consistent in its goals of shrinking government, protecting freedoms, and defending lives.

Several political organizations, publications, and pundits have ended their détente with the Trump administration a month after it took power. Some of them laid low, careful not to antagonize President Trump’s base while they had momentum. Others chose to tone down a bit but to keep the pressure on, pointing out every misstep while dropping in the occasional positive remark to seem fair. A handful have been anti-Trump throughout, claiming to embrace conservatism while focusing all of their attacks on the GOP, ignoring their Democratic counterparts.

Since our official launch shortly after the election, the Federalist Party has remained consistent with our issues-based analysis of the various situations. When Trump or the GOP do the right things, we support their efforts. When they do poorly, we dissent. The same holds true for our analysis of Democrats. It’s important for our party and the nation that we address individual issues separately while watching the policies unfold as a body of work.

I was approached today with an offer to work with one of the groups that is currently shifting into “bash Trump” mode. This came as a prelude to reports that Robert Harward would be turning Trump down for National Security Adviser. They told me that he’s starting to show frustration behind the scenes and that we can take advantage of the growing perception of weakness and/or incompetence engulfing him. People are already losing faith, they say, and now is the time for the Federalist Party to hit the spotlight by coming out against him wholeheartedly.

It was a compelling offer, but not one we would accept. Political opportunism may be prudent, but it’s also one of the biggest reasons the country is in the mess it’s in. We’re one month into Trump’s Presidency. There have been some good things that are taking shape such as moves to reduce business-killing regulations. There have been some bad things as well. While we’re not buying into mainstream media’s conspiracy theories about Trump being controlled by the Russians, we’re also not so naive that the we’d dismiss the plethora of connections. As with everything that’s happening in the country and around the world, we’ll be keeping our eyes open.

Beware those on either side of the political aisle who are jumping wholeheartedly on the “bash Trump” bandwagon. As a party, we do not agree with much of what his administration is trying to do, but to say that we completely disagree with everything would be dishonest. Unfortunately, there are those who are bent on attacking Trump regardless of what he does. For those on the left, it’s arguably acceptable. For those on the right to be doing this is to lie for the sake of political expediency. Why would anyone on the right oppose targeting Dodd-Frank? Killing energy regulations? Designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group? Protecting political speech? It’s possible for a conservative or Libertarian to oppose some of these things, but there are those who are attacking Trump’s actions simply because they’re Trump’s actions. If a person they supported sat in the Oval Office doing these things, they wouldn’t be attacking them.

The Federalist Party focuses on issues and solutions.

A good chunk of what President Trump has proposed and enacted have gone against the small-government, pro-freedom principles the Federalist Party holds dear, but there have also been good things coming from the White House. We will continue to focus on policy. Our path to success as a party rests in our willingness to support moves that benefit the nation regardless of who is in office at the time.