Where Will Conservatives Draw the Line on Trump?

[EasyAce]

This is personal, not policy
By Noah Rothman
https://www.commentarymagazine.com/politics-ideas/donald-trump-amazon-authoritarianism/

You have to feel bad for conservatives and Republicans who have been dragged into a debate over whether Amazon is a valuable company. To engage earnestly with the idea that Jeff Bezos’s disruptive online retailer and entertainment producer is an unacceptable threat to existing retail or a drain on the American treasury is to take Donald Trump’s impulse-driven Twitter missives at face value. That’s a mistake, and I think those on the right know it. The American president is haranguing Amazon because the moneyed dinosaurs with whom he has surrounded himself find it threatening. But he’s doing it mostly because he dislikes the fact that the company’s owner also owns the Washington Post, which has failed to revere Trump to his satisfaction. In a roundabout way, the president is exerting pressure on a private American enterprise to effect a change of editorial culture in an American newsroom. That’s not only dangerous; it’s un-American. Republicans who stifle their criticism of Trump today are abetting the establishment of a precedent they will profoundly regret when it is deployed against them

. . . Conservatives should not pretend that the president is trying to ignite a serious policy conversation. He is salving his fragile ego by attacking a perceived enemy and leveraging the power of the presidency to enhance the authority of those attacks. Bezos is not alone; from behind a keyboard, the president has launched renewed assaults on familiar old targets including CNN, NBC, Mexico, the Justice Department, Resistance Democrats, Establishment Republicans, and anyone else responsible for the kind of mild effrontery the president cannot bear. What makes Trump’s assault on Amazon different, though, is that it has been effective in a way that his attacks on other entities cannot be.

Since Trump launched his war against the private American firm, the company’s stock has collapsed by 5 percent, costing it $36 billion in market value. That devastation is occurring amid a market selloff resulting from the inauguration of Trump’s “trade war” with China, so it is difficult to isolate the extent to which Trump’s tweets or Trump’s policies are hurting this firm, its investors, and its employees. It is clear, however, that the president’s tirades are

having a substantial impact on Amazon’s share price . . .

. . . Watching the right abdicate its moral authority is made even more painful because it will be followed by insufferable hypocrisy when a Democrat retakes the White House. Conservatives had no trouble recognizing the threat posed by a president’s scapegoating of the private sector when Barack Obama was doing the scapegoating. Surely, these conservatives will suddenly rediscover principle and patriotism when Trump flies off on Marine One for the last time, but by then it will be far too late. Persuadable minds will have long ago stopped listening. For those who believe the conservative program is the best hope for the American economy and the maintenance of U.S. interests in the world, that is an appalling tragedy. Those responsible for it today will not be able to shirk that shame.

[ABX]

From what I've seen, he could abort a baby, live on TV, on 5th Avenue, wearing an ISIS shirt, while snogging Hillary, and many will make the case it is all just MAGA and he is the best.

[INVAR]

NOT Conservatives. Republicans.

Principled Conservatives drew the line on Trump during the primaries.

Republicans, just like the Democrats with Obama - will see no evil in their chosen political savior, rather only those who refuse to submit and support them.

[Right_in_Virginia]

NOT Conservatives. Republicans.

Principled Conservatives drew the line on Trump during the primaries.

Republicans, just like the Democrats with Obama - will see no evil in their chosen political savior, rather only those who refuse to submit and support them.

Such "principles" will be the ruination of the United States.  Mark my words.

[Frank Cannon]

Where Will Conservatives Draw the Line on Trump?

Under his nose in a fake mustache?

[roamer_1]

Such "principles" will be the ruination of the United States.  Mark my words.

No. Giving power to unprincipled men is what's doing that. Present potus included.

[GtHawk]

NOT Conservatives. Republicans.

Principled Conservatives drew the line on Trump during the primaries.

Republicans, just like the Democrats with Obama - will see no evil in their chosen political savior, rather only those who refuse to submit and support them.

And this one because it's just............well, disturbing.

[Right_in_Virginia]

No. Giving power to unprincipled men is what's doing that. Present potus included.

The President is principled, but the principles are foreign to most "principled" conservatives --- he's putting America first.

principled conservatives today are a lost and hostile group desperately trying to figure out what happened to the world they were promised and expected never would change.  Finding a place in this world is the greatest challenge facing "principled" conservatives.  A private council of Trent would serve them better than their public tantrums.

Preaching, judging, threatening, destroying and hating bring no chance for political success and an ever-dwindling sphere of influence  ---- leaving principled conservatives consumed by bitterness.   And it is this bitterness that threatens to sabotage the efforts of good, decent and courageous Americans as they fight to right a ship too long steaming in the wrong direction.

Contrary to the false gospel so often preached, principled conservatives do not hold the high ground.  Under the cover of "principles" they are orchestrating another opportunity for socialists to gain greater control over all of us.  The pleasure they take in this is downright shameful. 

[RoosGirl]

Where Will Conservatives Draw the Line on Trump?

Under his nose in a fake mustache?

[roamer_1]

The President is principled, but the principles are foreign to most "principled" conservatives --- he's putting America first.

Naw. He ain't got a principled bone in his body.

principled conservatives today are a lost and hostile group desperately trying to figure out what happened to the world they were promised and expected never would change.  Finding a place in this world is the greatest challenge facing "principled" conservatives.  A private council of Trent would serve them better than their public tantrums.

Hostile? You ain't seen hostile at all... And I don't need to 'find a place in this world'... There ain't a damn thing in your world that's worth worrying about. You can keep it. But I will stand on my principles and speak truth to deaf ears until the last minute, and then I'll walk off and let y'all face the consequences.

Preaching, judging, threatening, destroying and hating bring no chance for political success and an ever-dwindling sphere of influence  ---- leaving principled conservatives consumed by bitterness.   And it is this bitterness that threatens to sabotage the efforts of good, decent and courageous Americans as they fight to right a ship too long steaming in the wrong direction.

Not bitter in the least. I've just been down the garden path enough to know where it goes. And I have sabotaged *nothing*. It sabotages itself with half measures and liberalism painted as conservatism... Without the principles that are Conservatism.

Contrary to the false gospel so often preached, principled conservatives do not hold the high ground.  Under the cover of "principles" they are orchestrating another opportunity for socialists to gain greater control over all of us.  The pleasure they take in this is downright shameful.

Nope. Principled Conservatism always holds the high ground BECAUSE it is based in principled truths. First things. Immovable and immutable. Had your movement been based in those principles, you would be succeeding, and you would be defended.

But what you have backed is simply indefensible.
But go ahead. knock yourself out. I am not stopping you.

[GtHawk]

Naw. He ain't got a principled bone in his body.

Hostile? You ain't seen hostile at all... And I don't need to 'find a place in this world'... There ain't a damn thing in your world that's worth worrying about. You can keep it. But I will stand on my principles and speak truth to deaf ears until the last minute, and then I'll walk off and let y'all face the consequences.

Not bitter in the least. I've just been down the garden path enough to know where it goes. And I have sabotaged *nothing*. It sabotages itself with half measures and liberalism painted as conservatism... Without the principles that are Conservatism.

Nope. Principled Conservatism always holds the high ground BECAUSE it is based in principled truths. First things. Immovable and immutable. Had your movement been based in those principles, you would be succeeding, and you would be defended.

But what you have backed is simply indefensible.
But go ahead. knock yourself out. I am not stopping you.

@roamer_1
I swear that every once in a while when this starts up from a certain corner I think of the The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. because, well they seem like some of the guards trying to force us to be Dr. T's piano players.

! No longer available

[INVAR]

Such "principles" will be the ruination of the United States.  Mark my words.

So you just illustrate yourself to be an enemy of the very things you paid lip service to all the years leading up to your political savior.

The President is principled, but the principles are foreign to most "principled" conservatives --- he's putting America first.

Oh yeah, spending us into oblivion and funding the entire Democrat agenda in full while bashing private companies in public because he has a personal beef with the owner is somehow 'putting America first' according to whatever these 'principles' are that you say you have.

You make me laugh.

principled conservatives today are a lost and hostile group desperately trying to figure out what happened to the world they were promised and expected never would change.

We know exactly what happened: people like you and your Republican party oligarchy. 

The repudiation of principled Conservatism was eschewed, ridiculed and held in the same kind of contempt you are illustrating right now.  You people went berserk and bonkers for a lifelong NYC liberal Democrat as your standard bearer of Conservatism and declared him to be some kind of messiah that is fundamentally changing the country and Conservatism for the better.  This even while he campaigns for and funded in-full -  the Clintons, DeBlasios, Schumers and their entire Leftist agenda, while pretending to be opposed to it.

I cannot tell your populist hypocrisy and Statism apart from the leftists' hypocrisy and statism anymore.  I simply have come to understand that we are enemies as assuredly as the Left is an enemy to Principled Conservatism, and we share little to no common ground with you people any longer.

Hell, you even agreed with Jazzhead's take on legally rendering the Second Amendment into a government-granted privilege with your slam on Axeslinger while declaring that Jazzhead won the debate.

Contrary to the false gospel so often preached, principled conservatives do not hold the high ground.  Under the cover of "principles" they are orchestrating another opportunity for socialists to gain greater control over all of us. 

That is hilarious coming from someone ridiculing Conservative principles as immoral. 

The fact is, you have already fully embraced socialism and statism.  All you've done is redefine it, attached it to Trump and called it 'better and pragmatic Conservatism'.

The deal is that sheep will always hear the voice of a true shepherd, and you and your party are certainly not any kind of shepherd of Conservatism. 

You're just wolves of another sort.

[Frank Cannon]

Trumps a Hipster?

[Right_in_Virginia]

We know exactly what happened: ....

You know exactly nothing.

[Concerned]

The President is principled, but the principles are foreign to most "principled" conservatives --- he's putting America first.

principled conservatives today are a lost and hostile group desperately trying to figure out what happened to the world they were promised and expected never would change.  Finding a place in this world is the greatest challenge facing "principled" conservatives.  A private council of Trent would serve them better than their public tantrums.

Preaching, judging, threatening, destroying and hating bring no chance for political success and an ever-dwindling sphere of influence  ---- leaving principled conservatives consumed by bitterness.   And it is this bitterness that threatens to sabotage the efforts of good, decent and courageous Americans as they fight to right a ship too long steaming in the wrong direction.

Contrary to the false gospel so often preached, principled conservatives do not hold the high ground.  Under the cover of "principles" they are orchestrating another opportunity for socialists to gain greater control over all of us.  The pleasure they take in this is downright shameful.

Oxford Dictionary defines “principled” as meaning “acting in accordance with morality and showing recognition of right and wrong.”  If Trump is “principled”, I certainly don’t want to be considered his kind of “principled conservative”.  He’s proposed budgets and is spending money like a Democrat (under his Administration we’re adding trillions to the debt – that’s certainly not my idea of being a “principled conservative” and nor is it “putting America first”…..at least IMO).  The guy lies/makes false statements/misleads all the time.  That’s not principled to me at least the kind of principled person I strive to be.  He’s broken promise after promise (e.g., Mexico paying for the wall, “repeal and replace”, “lock her up”, naming China a currency manipulator, proposing a term limit Constitutional Amendment, eliminating the debt in 2 terms - instead he’s massively adding to it, etc.).  He’s cheated on his wife and bragged about it publicly.  “Principled”?  Not by my definition of “morality” and “right and wrong”.

[jpsb]

I see the NeverTrumpers up to their old and tired tricks again, how boring. And oh, by the way,
Amazon, Bezos and the (fake news) Washington Post all suck.

[aligncare]

I see the NeverTrumpers up to their old and tired tricks again, how boring. And oh, by the way,
Amazon, Bezos and the (fake news) Washington Post all suck.

Bezos was doing fine as Amazon’s CEO. People love using Amazon and the company was on track to making huge profits.

Where he went wrong was when he bought the Washington Post then started using it as a weapon to get Donald Trump. A lot of his customers side with Trump politically. It never turns out well when a company boss throws down with one party and starts attacking the president. But, it’s worse when that president is Donald Trump and it’s personal.

[jmyrlefuller]

Most of them? The same place Obama drew the red line on Syria.

[jpsb]

Bezos was doing fine as Amazon’s CEO. People love using Amazon and the company was on track to making huge profits.

Where he went wrong was when he bought the Washington Post then started using it as a weapon to get Donald Trump. A lot of his customers side with Trump politically. It never turns out well when a company boss throws down with one party and starts attacking the president. But, it’s worse when that president is Donald Trump and it’s personal.

True, I've been a regular with Amazon since day 1. Now I refuse to shop there, for the very
reason you site.