Doctrinaire Conservatives Have Made the Word Conservative Powerless

[GAJohnnie]

http://poltics-as-unusual.blogspot.com/2016/03/doctrinaire-conservatives-have-made.html

 Doctrinaire Conservatives Have Made the Word Conservative Powerless
One of the mysteries of the 2016 election cycle is why so many conservatives are rejecting the true conservative in the race and going with a loud mouthed New Yorker. Even southern Evangelicals, the most conservative of the conservative, voted in the main for the loud mouthed New Yorker.

Why has the word conservative become powerless to motivate Republican voters? The image below should provide a clue.



The US middle class is shrinking. In 1979 it made up 60% of the population. Today it is less than 50%, and it continues to shrink.  Rather than have the diamond shape of 1979--where the majority of Americans fell in the middle class--we have a pyramid shape, where the majority of Americans are in the lower portion of the pyramid.

Real wages have not gone up for the middle class since 1979. I'm not sure that's a problem. As long as wage levels for the middle class allow them to maintain a middle class lifestyle, we're good. What's not good is the overall size of the economy has grown (in real dollars) since 1979, but the middle class has shrunk.

    The size of the economy (in real dollars) has increased 150%.
    The population has only increased 40%
    The size of the middle class has shrunk 10%


The middle class is continuing to shrink.

It's clear a large swath of the American populace believes the middle class is shrinking due to (1) immigration (both illegal and legal) and (2) trade policy. This is at odds with the opinions of doctrinaire conservatives. I used the word doctrinaire deliberately.

    Doctrinaire: a person who tries to apply some doctrine or theory without sufficient regard for practical considerations; an impractical theorist.

Most of the Republican candidates, pundits, and "keepers of the Reagan flame" who claim the mantle of real conservative are in fact doctrinaire conservatives. They have fallen so in love with a theory, that they don't see the real world consequences of putting that theory in practice.

We've seen this before with doctrinaire communist, who insisted that communism failed because we didn't try hard enough. If we would only try a purer form of communism, it would work. They may be right, but I sure as hell ain't going to risk trying the damn thing.

And, I sure as hell ain't going to risk the doctrinaire conservatives plan--unlimited immigration and "free trade"--because it is responsible for shrinking the American middle class. I am open minded, but any plan must lead off with this statement:

Here is how I am going to grow the American middle class...

Until conservatives make the above statement (and follow it with a realistic plan), appeals to "true conservatism" are going to fall on deaf ears.

A shrinking middle class is not a sustainable model for the American economy, nor for a political party. Trump is the only person (of either party) addressing the problem, and that is why large numbers of Republican and Democratic voters are falling in behind him.

Voters want, and need, problem solvers, not theorist. Trump is showing that doctrinaire conservatism is a dead end politically.

[GAJohnnie]

I don't know how to post the images from the website. Author used the image of a top and a pyramid to show the shrinkage in the Middle Class.

Use to be we had a small upper class, a broad middle class and a small lower class. That was shaped like a TOP.  Now we have a very narrow upper class, a shrinking middle class and a very broad lower class which is shaped like a pyramid.

[truth_seeker]

Ted Cruz barely mentioned the economy in early primaries. And he did not do very well.

I do not see the economy as being his "wheelhouse," which is more extreme religion and lengthy patriotic speeches.

"Doctrinaire conservatives" are thrashing about, and every couple of days floating their latest "stop Trump" plans.

Many of those people that got "shrunk" out of the middle class can't give a phlying phuque if one is a Republican or a Conservative.

They are pissed. And the Cruz-Priebus-Romney-JebBush-Rove axis has nothing for them.

The DC Cartel which Cruz rants about, is negotiating with him to enter.

[Scottftlc]

I don't know how to post the images from the website. Author used the image of a top and a pyramid to show the shrinkage in the Middle Class.

Use to be we had a small upper class, a broad middle class and a small lower class. That was shaped like a TOP.  Now we have a very narrow upper class, a shrinking middle class and a very broad lower class which is shaped like a pyramid.

Conservatism has done nothing to stop the movement from middle class to lower class. In fact, given that the nominal Conservative party has been controlled by Dacha Republicans like Lindsey Graham, McConnell and Boehner and the Bush family, they have actually put their own signature on the destruction with their emphasis on free trade and open borders.  Now Cruz' own heady ambition has him playing footsie with Graham. At best it can be said that Conservatism is a complete failure. At worst, it can be said that Conservatism is complicit in the destruction of the middle class and the expansion of the lower class.

[GAJohnnie]

I don't think it is angfer so much as realism that driver Trump supporters. It is perceived as anger but it is more an honest common sense assessment.

It is not anger. It is not Nihilism. It is not "get even with themism". It is Realism. Since 1988 Conservatives have faithfully pledges their treasure and time to the GOP. Despite elections successes in 1988, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2010 and 2014 what have Conservative gotten from the GOP?

Prosperity? Nope worse economy since 1979.

Reduction in Government-nope as expensive, corrupt, incompetent, intrusive and bigger then ever

Supreme Court? Nope as far left as it has ever been.

A Nation secure? Nope at risk in a dangerous world. Military broken, exhausted and overextended.

A respect for rule of law and the Constitution? Nope. Government, and society, is more lawless then it has ever been.

A healthy growing vibrant society? Nope stagnant, or in decline, everywhere in every way.

So, it is not anger, it Realism. It is a realistic assessment that doing the same thing again this year electorally is going to continue this decline and degradation from DC. You can only overcome inertia in any system with force. So we need to force DC out of it denigrate path onto a new path.

The Dogmatic choir, in the "Conservative Media"  are clinging to the same slogans and buzz words that have failed for 30 years to accomplish a single thing

[Bigun]

Conservatism has done nothing to stop the movement from middle class to lower class. In fact, given that the nominal Conservative party has been controlled by Dacha Republicans like Lindsey Graham, McConnell and Boehner nod the Bush family, they have actually put their own signature on the destruction with their emphasis on free trade and open borders.  Now Cruz' own heady ambition has him playing footsie with Graham. At best it can be said that Conservatism is a complete failure. At worst, it can be said that Conservatism is complicit in the destruction of the middle class and the expansion of the lower class.

I'm sorry Scott but that is just plain BS! ALL of it!

[Scottftlc]

I'm sorry Scott but that is just plain BS! ALL of it!

Then, my friend, show me where conservatism has succeeded and tell me why the spokesmen and controlling powers of "conservatism" are the Graham's and Bush's of the political elite?

[alicewonders]

I don't know how to post the images from the website. Author used the image of a top and a pyramid to show the shrinkage in the Middle Class.

Use to be we had a small upper class, a broad middle class and a small lower class. That was shaped like a TOP.  Now we have a very narrow upper class, a shrinking middle class and a very broad lower class which is shaped like a pyramid.

[Bigun]

Then, my friend, show me where conservatism has succeeded and tell me why the spokesmen and controlling powers of "conservatism" are the Graham's and Bush's of the political elite?

For years I have promoted the idea of Conservatives taking over the Republican party and although we aren't there yet GREAT strides have been made in that direction. All one needs to do to confirm that is to honestly look at what has happened in the state legislatures and the U.S House and Senate recently!

[A-Lert]

For years I have promoted the idea of Conservatives taking over the Republican party and although we aren't there yet GREAT strides have been made in that direction. All one needs to do to confirm that is to honestly look at what has happened in the state legislatures and the U.S House and Senate recently!

You didn't answer the question Scottftlc asked.