So it appears we have the victory of the “lesser” evil. I’m still trying to see some silver linings in this mess. What analogy could be used to describe this election?
Think of America as a little boy who is playing out in sub-zero temperatures wearing nothing but his boxers. He’s fast developing frost bite. The situation looks quite grim, so we are told “If we do not amputate his limbs, he will die of gangrene.”
Hillary Clinton is, of course, the gangrene in this scenario. Trump is the amputation of the limbs.
But even this analogy doesn’t quite get at the reality of the situation, because running desperately toward the shivering little boy is the mother screaming at the top of her lungs, “JUST GO INSIDE AND GET YOUR COAT!” That was the voice of conservatives who rightly point out that literally any of the seven million other Republican candidates this year would have been better than Trump—even Jeb! would have been an improvement. Instead, America opted to ignore that advice and pick amputation.
Is it really the lesser of two evils when the lesser evil could have been avoided altogether?
The bottom line is, like in the analogy above where the little boy will have to live on now without his limbs, America will now have to live on without a Conservative candidate ever being nominated as president again. I’ve explained the logic before, but I’ll state it again. The RNC wants to win elections more than they care about principals. Conservatives have just told them that they will vote for a candidate as liberal as Trump is, because the Democrat is worse than Trump. (And believe me, the Democrat is always worse than the Republican, otherwise he or she would have had an R after his/her name instead of the D.) The RNC knows that it will be able to pick off more votes from the middle if they run Liberal Republicans, whereas they will already have just as many Conservative votes either way. Therefore, simple math dictates that they must move leftward on the spectrum.
I will never see a Conservative nominated in my lifetime. Trump’s victory assures that.
But I mentioned I’m looking for some silver linings.
Well…
1) Hillary might go to jail. Except no one really expect Obama not to pardon her. So…
1) Liberals might see how “reasonable” Conservatives are in voting for someone who is not a religious fuddy-duddy. Except, as one of my atheist friends on Facebook said, “Those of you who voted for Trump -- especially those of you who are Christian -- never again are allowed to say the moral character and integrity of the president is a priority to you.” So…
1) Trump might not be as bad as Hillary would have been.
Well. There is that.
I sure hope you got some great soup out of selling your birthright, Conservatives. It’s not like the Bible ever says things will go wrong if you give up your principals for political convenience or anything.
"I will never see a Conservative nominated in my lifetime. Trump’s victory assures that. "
ReplyDeleteI agree with your basic reasoning, but if Trump is a disaster (and he certainly has the potential in this regard) then Democrats win 2020 and there is a chance that Republicans nominate a conservative in 2024.
Of course there may be a good chance Democrats win 2020 even if Trump isn't a disaster. The demographics are still moving left. Trump tapped into something with his talk about trade and white people, but he faced a uniquely corrupt and vulnderable candidate. Democrats likely won't make that mistake again. Expect a black woman with decent record to be nominated by Democrats in 2020. Michelle Obama? I'm mainly joking.
"Is it really the lesser of two evils when the lesser evil could have been avoided altogether?"
ReplyDeleteVery apt point, Peter.
Yea Peter im sure Clinton picking supreme court judges would have turned out far greater in the long run. This #nevertrump nonsense is just that - nonsense. You got what 3 more of them that might get replaced being 80+ years old. Im glad someone who vows to pick pro-life anti-homosexual marriage, etc.. gets to make that choice(s) loading up the bench.
ReplyDeleteThe other funny part is all these "better" choices like cruz and Jeb will continue to kill brown people across the world with illegal involvement funding rebels like Libya, syria, etc.. for your "safety" while dropping the annual 3$ billion to Israel to terrorize Palestinians. This is where your little atheist friend can slam his quote in your face.
Talk is cheap, but atleast Trump said what his positions are regarding this.
Shizmoo
Delete"Yea Peter im sure Clinton picking supreme court judges would have turned out far greater in the long run. This #nevertrump nonsense is just that - nonsense. You got what 3 more of them that might get replaced being 80+ years old. Im glad someone who vows to pick pro-life anti-homosexual marriage, etc.. gets to make that choice(s) loading up the bench."
How is it "nonsense"? Because some NeverTrumpers don't immediately kowtow to a chronic liar, trusting he'll surely remain true to all his "vows," trusting he'll surely keep all his promises? Sure, Trump might, but then again he might not. Who knows? Trump is such a wild card. It would've been far better to have had someone like Rubio or Walker since, for one thing, they have a good conservative track record.
"The other funny part is all these "better" choices like cruz and Jeb will continue to kill brown people across the world with illegal involvement funding rebels like Libya, syria, etc.. for your "safety""
Are you alleging the other presidential candidates would "fund rebels like Libya, syria" which in turn leads to "brown people across the world" being killed? If so, what about Trump continuing to support people like Putin which in turn could lead to "brown people across the world" being killed?
"while dropping the annual 3$ billion to Israel to terrorize Palestinians."
Interesting you say "terrorize" Palestinians when the truth is far more the other way around. Is this what most other Trumpkins think Israel is doing to the Palestinians too? Is this the alt-right's anti-Semitism rearing its ugly head?
"This is where your little atheist friend can slam his quote in your face. Talk is cheap, but atleast Trump said what his positions are regarding this."
During the GOP primaries, Trump said he wouldn't take sides on Israel-Palestine. He said he'd be a neutral broker. Now he seems to be veering back right. So whether or not his talk is cheap, it certainly seems to be shifty!
Shizmoo said:
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Yea Peter im sure Clinton picking supreme court judges would have turned out far greater in the long run.
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Keep on attacking that straw man. The fact remains, there is no longer any reason a conservative Republican will ever be nominated by the GOP.
Shizmoo said:
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The other funny part is all these "better" choices like cruz and Jeb will continue to kill brown people......
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Ah, but it's not like you care about conservative principals anyway, since you clearly get your talking points from Comedy Central.
Whatever. You're not the target audience of this post.
I share your dismay at future conservatives candidates. I voted for the most conservative candidate available to me in the primary. Despite that, Trump won. I live in a state that always votes Democrat, so my vote in the general election is superfluous - at least for President. Sometimes, these things are out of "our" hands. To make matters worse, my state also legalized marijuana last night. So plenty of disappointment to go around.
ReplyDeletePeter -- what is "a conservative"? Where do they exist and amass themselves today, in such great numbers that they can be considered some kind of "movement"?
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean by a conservative anyway? Since the days of Jack Kemp it has come to mean a right-leaning statist. As PJ O'Rourke once quipped, the difference between liberals and conservatives is what they expect big government to do. ISTM too many third parties would rather run for president and lose than do the hard work of serving on school boards and town councils and get their messages out.
ReplyDeleteConservatism is dead. It was a false idol that Christians were forced to ally with because the radical revolutionary movements of the 20th century that dominated politics, such as nazism and communism, were inherently anti-Christian.
ReplyDelete