Donald Trump, a true conservative leader.

[Mesaclone]

http://thefederalist.com/2016/06/09/the-intellectual-case-for-trump-iii-yes-virginia-trump-is-conservative/


Article does a great job comparing his positions to those of previous conservative candidates and presidents. Very detailed and issue specific look at where Trump fits in the conservative spectrum...and its nowhere near where the NeverTrump movement places him. He's a step or two to the right of our most recent GOP president, for example.

Excerpt:
With regard to libertinism, yes, Trump’s no boy scout. But neither were many people conservatives idolize. Newt Gingrich’s romantic past is right in line with Trump’s where divorce is concerned. Reagan was the first remarried divorcee to be elected president. Grover Cleveland, one of the most effective anti-government presidents in American history, came to power under the cloud of having allegedly fathered a bastard child. The Founding Fathers themselves were infamously willing to get the juices flowing, whether we’re talking about Thomas Jefferson’s many affairs with his slaves or the serial womanizing of Benjamin Franklin. Libertinism, it seems, does not preclude one being a patriot or a conservative.

As for Trump’s allegedly bullying style? Well, as George Nash reminds us in “The Conservative Intellectual Movement In America,” Trump’s got good company in the history of National Review in the form of its old publisher William Rusher:

Rusher was a fighter. He took no prisoners, gave no quarter, and cared not a whit for anyone’s feelings. Bill Buckley would attract, engage, and convert. Bill Rusher was out to destroy.

The advent of late-night talk radio in the ’60s gave him his arena. The Fairness Doctrine was still in force, so hosts had to provide two sides to discuss the controversies of the day. One side may have come to discuss; Rusher came to debate. The other side may have brought notes on yellow legal pads; Rusher brought a carving knife. Time and again, to the delight of the listening audience, he filleted his liberal counterparts and, for good measure, sliced to pieces any host who came to their defense.
Sound familiar?

So once you get rid of these non-unique character flaws as impediments to conservatism, what does that leave us with? That Trump isn’t particularly Christian? Well, that does seem true enough, as far as it goes: Christian Trump may claim to be, but his conception of God is distinctively Old Testament. But again, lack of Christian commitments is not a new attribute for conservative heroes. Many of the Founders were Deists, and while some believed in the moral philosophy of Christianity (like John Adams), they still shied away from endorsing a God who intervened in human affairs.

Moreover, objecting to Trump’s religion (or lack thereof) seems particularly rich coming from #NeverTrump. Let’s not forget that Mitt Romney, #NeverTrump’s lion in winter, was subjected to religion-baiting on the basis of his Mormonism, which rightly scandalized the Right. Many #NeverTrumpers who complain of Trump’s irreligion also object to his Muslim ban for being “anti-American” for imposing religious tests, even though logic dictates they can’t have both.

[RedHead]

Trump’s tax plan is well to the right even of the Bush tax cuts.
And according to studies would increase the deficit by at least $10 trillion.  Not a conservative value

Trump’s proposed list of judicial nominees are universally more conservative and more qualified than Miers was.

And Trump has said his pick may not come from that list.  So why publicize it?


These strategies have always worked for him before, and floating off into some intellectual ideal-system-design effort has never worked for him before. So when he says that he’s going to solve Medicare by hiring great managers and knowing all the right people, I don’t think this is some vapid way of avoiding the question. I think it’s the honest output of a mind that works very differently from mine.

It's the answer of a man who hasn't a clue how to address the problem.

[skeeter]

"So once you get rid of these non-unique character flaws as impediments to conservatism, what does that leave us with?"

Trump doesn't tell the truth.

Thats kind of a big one.

[kevindavis007]

Plus his high tariff plan is not a conservative position.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Rusher was a fighter. He took no prisoners, gave no quarter, and cared not a whit for anyone’s feelings. Bill Buckley would attract, engage, and convert. Bill Rusher was out to destroy.

We've been hollering for a "Rusher"--someone who would fight harder and stronger than a liberal.  Someone who would understand this is a war.

But I guess most are "Rusbots"--happy to try and win in the arena of ideas instead of the battlefield of politics.  This "win in the arena of ideas" is the single, worst piece of ass-backwards  Rush has promoted.  You win on the battlefield, you govern in the arena of ideas.

[sinkspur]

We've been hollering for a "Rusher"--someone who would fight harder and stronger than a liberal.  Someone who would understand this is a war.

But I guess most are "Rusbots"--happy to try and win in the arena of ideas instead of the battlefield of politics.  This "win in the arena of ideas" is the single, worst piece of ass-backwards  Rush has promoted.  You win on the battlefield, you govern in the arena of ideas.

Dopey. Americans don't want a rude bullying racist as their leader. 

The thrill is gone, RIV.  That lame-assed rally last night revealed it.  8000 empty seats in arena of 10,000.

[ExFreeper]

So the whole premise of this article by Mytheos Holt is comparing Trump's conservatism with George W Bush's record? 

As a commenter at The Federalist said:

Making a case for Trump as a conservative is a fool's errand. As the late Andrew Brietbart said in an interview in 2011 when asked about Trump as a potential nominee, he laughed and said the man NEVER was a conservative. He also warned the GOP that Trump would use his celebrity to fool people - and he was right about that too. Trump's trade policy is a left wing protectionist pro-union anti-free market capitalism policy and similar to that of Bernie Sanders. When you have left wing economists like Paul Krugman agreeing with it then trying to support Trump as a conservative is a joke.  How many times does Trump have to tell you he loves government run single payer healthcare before it sinks in . He said one of the main functions of government is to provide healthcare and his plan after it was reviewed does not work.  He has clearly stated he would not touch entitlements and with that has no plan to reduce government and spending.  Trump favors eminent domain in it s most extreme form.  Trump is a poser and a con artist (see Trump U) and is a bigot.  He is not an option for conservatives unless they want to see him destroy what conservatism should be.

[Right_in_Virginia]

So the whole premise of this article by Mytheos Holt is comparing Trump's conservatism with George W Bush's record? 

Whose record would you compare Trump to?

[ExFreeper]

Whose record would you compare Trump to?

Tony Blair

[NavyCanDo]

Whose record would you compare Trump to?

He has no record, because he has never held office. Just populist bumper sticker catch phrases, and positions on issues both liberal and conservative that seem to be always shifting, based on his audience. But if you really want me to compare him with someone, I would say Max Headroom, another person with artificial intelligence.

[INVAR]

Whose record would you compare Trump to?

Benito Mussolini.

[Doug Loss]

Whose record would you compare Trump to?

P. T. Barnum.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Benito Mussolini.

Okay, @INVAR ... do it. Compare policy by policy Trump's conservatism with Benito's. 

[Right_in_Virginia]

P. T. Barnum.

I'll ask the say of you @Doug Loss   Compare Barnum's conservative record with Trump's policies.  Make the comparison one by one.

[Right_in_Virginia]

He has no record, because he has never held office. Just populist bumper sticker catch phrases, and positions on issues both liberal and conservative that seem to be always shifting, based on his audience. But if you really want me to compare him with someone, I would say Max Headroom, another person with artificial intelligence.

Okay.. you threw it out there @NavyCanDo .... make the comparison, line by line:  Trump v Max Headroom.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Tony Blair

Make the comparison ... policy by policy @ExFreeper.  Trump v Blair.

[INVAR]

Trump is no Conservative.

Neither was Benito.

So there is no conservative principles to compare between them, because neither of them have any.

Both of them are easily seen as Nationalist Populist Fascists (or crony capitalists if you prefer).

No Conservative endorses, funds and votes for a known Communist for mayor of the largest city in the country less than 3 years ago - nor endorses a pro-abortion/pro-Amnesty/Pro-big government Leftist for Congress less than 3 weeks ago.

Trump is not a Conservative.  Never was.  No matter how much redefining of Conservatism you attempt to sculpt into the image of your prince.

[sinkspur]

Why would anybody compare Trump's "suggestions" to actual policies?  He has never done anything politically and has already indicated he'd change his "policies" as necessary.

[Doug Loss]

I'll ask the say of you @Doug Loss   Compare Barnum's conservative record with Trump's policies.  Make the comparison one by one.

No problem.  Neither has a conservative record of any sort.  End of story.

[sinkspur]

Trump just now in Tampa.  I guess the GOP is still not his party:

"The Republican Party has to come together, they have to get their act together,"

"They."  Not "we." 

What a bunch of gullible saps his followers are.

[Gov Bean Counter]

Why would anybody compare Trump's "suggestions" to actual policies?  He has never done anything politically and has already indicated he'd change his "policies" as necessary.

Screw his policy positions. They don't mean a thing. What matters is that he has lived his life and run his businesses like the flaming liberal that he is.

[Right_in_Virginia]

No problem.  Neither has a conservative record of any sort.  End of story.

Not nearly good enough of an answer @Doug Loss.  Either you can make a comparison or you're full of hyperbole.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Screw his policy positions. They don't mean a thing. What matters is that he has lived his life and run his businesses like the flaming liberal that he is. 

His policy positions certain do matter.  You can screw them if you like, but that doesn't change their importance.

And how has he run his businesses like a "flaming liberal".  Please, do be specific.

[Gov Bean Counter]

His policy positions certain do matter.  You can screw them if you like, but that doesn't change their importance.

And how has he run his businesses like a "flaming liberal".  Please, do be specific.

Government bailouts. Shorting contractors. Mob ties and depending on swill like Soros to save his sorry behind.

[sinkspur]

Trump yesterday:  "I'm the least racist person you've ever met."

Anybody on here ever had to defend themselves against charges of racism? 

I didn't think so.

This is not going to go away because Trump has never walked back his comments.