OPEN LIVE CONVENTION THREAD - THURSDAY, JULY 21

[INVAR]

The wonderful thing though....is that our hope is in Christ! Not in this world.

And hold onto that blessed understanding, because you are going to need it in the near future.

Holding onto your faith and keeping it intact is what is going to be the most important thing, not who you want to sit on the throne in the oval office.

[Half Vast Conspiracy]

And, apparently, not all Republicans know how to use apostrophes.

The hard-core trumpsters at FR don't know how to use apostrophes and can't use then/than correctly.

See:  napscoordinator

[billva]

http://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/07/21/richard-viguerie-ted-cruz-committed-political-suicide-national-tv/

[starstruck]

Look folks, I admire Ted Cruz.  He gained my utmost respect with what he did last night.   The vitriol and hatred being fired at him, his wife, his family and all of us by the GOP and Trump's folks is just another example of a nation and culture that hates what was once considered the pillars of virtue, morality and righteousness.

Last night was validation that my resignation from the GOP was perfectly warranted.  The hatred and vitriol this morning and this afternoon directed at us from the Trump brigades continues to illustrate that it is not Hillary they fear and despise - but you and me.

That said, I think the sloganeering for Cruz 2020 is a bit off-putting.  Conservatives do not get wrapped up in cults of personality and assert they can save us and the nation.   Marxists do that.  Fascists (or if you prefer, Nationalist Populists) do that.  If you take time to seriously realize what is happening - this is no longer simple party politics.  You are witnessing the absolute END of a Republic and the start of something frightening and dangerous in terms of your near future and the future of liberty.

That the phrase "defend the Constitution" is booed by delegates at a Convention of a party that portrays itself as it's only defender (simply because they hate the man speaking it), was as revealing to what the Trump phenomena is all about as anything else you could ever demand in terms of a sign.

It's time to get sober because all of this is not some sporting event where you can rah-rah your team, have a beer and go home to bed later drunk and happy.  We've been fundamentally transformed, and we have all been played.

Sloganeering Cruz in 2020 is absurd considering you are watching the permanent entrenchment of a Ruling Class oligarchy under the false guise of an everyman outsider businessman who will fix all that ails us. The mobs want of a monarchy from both the Left and the populist nationalist right.   Constitutional Conservatives are in exodus and in the wilderness.  You are witness to the death of a party and a Republic by an overwhelming majority of the population that no longer has any fealty or use for the foundational principles and the documents that safeguarded liberty.  They want a king.  It's all about the man, or the woman, or loyalty to a party instead of once solid principles or values.  The absolute absurd and ridiculous efforts made to justify the egregious and the affronts to those principles demonstrates the total abandonment of the pillars of our liberty by both major parties.

They will claim them, and pay lip service to them, but the fruits are easily discernible to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

This is a day to mourn.  Not a day to proclaim a new president, a new savior or caesar for 2020. 

A nation has to be re-evangelized to the religious heritage it has discarded and the foundational principles it has abandoned.  A nation has to repent of it's waywardness.  But the mobs clamoring for Hillary, Bernie or Trump see no need for such things.  Indeed, even their champions themselves see no need for such humility under God because they see themselves as the means to perfection.  They despise "bible thumpers" and portray anyone suggesting a return to First Principles as religious fanatics who pose a danger to freedom and the separation of church and state.

These nominees reflect the culture and this people.  It's time to get real about that and stop fooling yourselves that we are a majority, because if we were - the majority has surrendered to ideologies and leaders who are anathema to everything we stood for, replacing them for empty promises of vengeance, walls and punishments to sate their feelings.  And no marvel, for the churches and religious institutions themselves are dwindling in attendance and influence. Government has become god.  Men are made messiahs and saviors.

Cruz has indeed manifested himself as a leader of the kind of Conservatism we still believe in and make us who we are, and he can do well to preach it.  Because until we return to becoming a religious and moral people, we have no hope of having decent leaders, because this people and the mobs will reject them for worse and more heinous wicked ones.  Being deceived and doing the deceiving because they delight in the season of unrighteousness under a sole ruler who is their own authority.

A people have to be won to the principles we once shared before we can give any thought to someone like a Cruz being elected a leader that can administer a nation.

Like.

 

[HonestJohn]

An amazing sight to see.  I'll never forget it.   The crowd was cheering loudly for Cruz, and then turned when he mentioned the word "conscience".

The crowd became, in an instant, a mob.

What you saw was what every non-Republican (ie: Independent and Democrat) see from the GOP every election cycle.  The hate directed at *you*, personally.  Or in this case, Cruz and his wife.

It isn't open arms, but a raised fist.

Which is why the GOP keeps shrinking, not growing.

---

It took me until the 2012 Romney loss to recognize what we are doing.  And I think we're seeing more conservatives wake up to it in 2016.

[sinkspur]

You know, I was just thinking.  Trump says we might renege on our long-standing promises to NATO, yet some expect him to keep his promises on judges.

Not likely.

[HonestJohn]

John McCormack ‏@McCormackJohn  1h1 hour ago
The beatings will continue until unity improves.

[geronl]

You know, I was just thinking.  Trump says we might renege on our long-standing promises to NATO, yet some expect him to keep his promises on judges.

Not likely.

What promise? That was a "suggestion" and don't talk about that list, Trump himself walked that back within 24 hours.

[Sanguine]

http://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/07/21/richard-viguerie-ted-cruz-committed-political-suicide-national-tv/

Yes, they're trying very hard to spin it that way.

[Sighlass]

Who said this about the loyality pledge back in March?

I'll give you one guess and it isn't Cruz.

http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,216812.0.html

Thank you Thank you Thank you I have been searching for this tidbit for most the morning...

@AbaraXas

[ABX]

Yesterday, McConnell told me that Trump has no "fixed notions" about major policy issues, and will heed Senate Republicans.

— Olivier Knox (@OKnox)

July 21, 2016

[don-o]

Serious question: How many Trump supporters could name Mitch McConnell or pick him out of a lineup?

[geronl]

Yesterday, McConnell told me that Trump has no "fixed notions" about major policy issues, and will heed Senate Republicans.

hahahaha, idiocy.

He's Malleable, they say.

Yet any attempt to actually push Trump to the right draws vicious and mean-spirited attacks from the same people promising to make Trump more conservative.

[Idaho_Cowboy]

Serious question: How many Trump supporters could name Mitch McConnell or pick him out of a lineup?

I'll you have to do is say drink are on the house the one who runs the fastest is Mitch Barkeep McConnell.

[geronl]

Serious question: How many Trump supporters could name Mitch McConnell or pick him out of a lineup?

A month ago he was the devil destroying the country, now they love him. Trump supporters fit the old stereotype of lemmings, even though lemmings were never like that.

[sinkspur]

On Trump's speech tonight:


Ross DouthatVerified account
‏@DouthatNYT
If the draft I'm seeing is right, the speech is basically Buchananism without religion.

[sinkspur]

McConnell said Trump has no fixed notions on policy and his cabinet will reign him in

Garry Kasparov ‏@Kasparov63  4m4 minutes ago
Garry Kasparov
Why study history?! This argument has been made about every dictator. He'll have advisers, he'll be more moderate..

[sinkspur]

 
NYT Politics
‏@nytpolitics
“I am willing to kind of chalk it up to a rookie mistake,” Mitch McConnell said of Trump's latest statements on NATO


"It's kind of like throwing past the cut off man," McConnell chuckled.  "Except with nukes."

[XenaLee]

A month ago he was the devil destroying the country, now they love him. Trump supporters fit the old stereotype of lemmings, even though lemmings were never like that.

Lemmings are cute, lovable little furry creatures (Tribbles?).  Trump supporters remind me more of jackals.  They attack in packs and they feed off of the dead (issues).  And their screech is ever so annoying.

[Crazieman]

Garry Kasparov ‏@Kasparov63  4m4 minutes ago
Garry Kasparov
Why study history?! This argument has been made about every dictator. He'll have advisers, he'll be more moderate..

I used to think it was pablum to reference things to a certain era in the 20s and 30s.

Now I see it.  Trumpists are scarier than Trump.

They also assume my like of Cruz is identical to their fanaticism of Trump.  Patently untrue. Last night I would have dropped Cruz like a hot potato if he endorsed.

[Cripplecreek]

Roger Stone, Alex Jones plot primary challenge to Cruz

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/288719-roger-stone-alex-jones-plot-primary-challenge-to-cruz

Nuthin but scumbags are out to get Iron Ted.

[L9teen]

I'm just sick of seeing people I thought were Christians, slamming Cruz.  It's pissing me off.

I posted this on my FB wall...

Hey, peeps, it is absolutely IRRELEVANT whether Cruz endorsed the King Cheetoh.  You know why?  Because he's going to be the nominee anyway.  And nothing that is said now, will change that. 

If people really cared about this damn country, they'd get ON TOPIC and start discussing what actually matters.


Fighting for the Constitution, Defending Liberty and STOPPING the opponents to those ends.  Hello?


Cruz is not the enemy.  He's just the messenger.  Stop attacking, vilifying and making HIM the story.  Pay attention to the message.

[Crazieman]

I'm just sick of seeing people I thought were Christians, slamming Cruz.  It's pissing me off.

I posted this on my FB wall...

Cruz innocently said vote your values.

The speech has been called a Rorschach test. Appropriately so.

I'm also reminded of the saying one throws a rock in to a pack of dogs, the one who yelps was hit.

[L9teen]

[L9teen]

Love the backdrop