(01-12-2020 08:12 PM)AdoptedMonarch Wrote:  Good article. Thanks for posting it.

(01-12-2020 07:47 PM)bullet Wrote:  https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2020/01/27/never-trump-revisited/

"...Many of us would prefer a more articulate and chaste classical liberal as our president. I don’t have any special fondness for Trump, either, but I also don’t hold any special antagonism for him. Political support is a transactional arrangement, not a religious oath, and Trump has done much to like. I support policies, not people. If Trump protects the constitutional order, he deserves to be praised for it. If not, he doesn’t. But the notion of some Trump critics that conservatives have a moral duty to uniformly oppose the president for the sake of principle or patriotism — or because they once opposed him during a GOP primary — is plainly silly. "

(01-12-2020 10:23 PM)Kronke Wrote:  So, is this their attempt to whitewash the past now that they've been proven wrong?

Nah, I don't give anyone at national review the time of day, and I hope they ultimately go the way of the weekly standard. Feckless, controlled opposition that would sell your and this country's interests down the river in a heartbeat if it got them as little as a contributor's position at the NYT or CNN.

(01-12-2020 10:23 PM)Kronke Wrote:  I don't give anyone at national review the time of day, and I hope they ultimately go the way of the weekly standard.

Quote:Feckless, controlled opposition that would sell your and this country's interests down the river in a heartbeat if it got them as little as a contributor's position at the NYT or CNN.

(01-13-2020 08:02 AM)SoMs Eagle Wrote:  One can only wonder how his presidency would be different without the vile attacks by the media and the TDS left. It goes beyond the normal political harassment. The article needs to ponder that question to be fair. Much of Trump’s perceived crudeness comes from the fact that he fights back very hard against those attacking him. And does so in a very strong way.
Many of Trump’s policy victories have come against withering opposition. Without the help of the left and many of his own party he has managed to come close to bringing China to its knees. That battle would already be won without the relentless attacks from the press and democrats.

(01-13-2020 08:11 AM)AdoptedMonarch Wrote:  DJT is a transactional president, not a politician. That, on the whole, is a very good thing.

But, had the left not gone on immediate attack against him so personally, and instead had stroked his ego and allowed him to preen, I think there is a fair chance that he would have given substantial ground on virtually any policy point. The insane level of TDS behavior on the part of the left, perversely, is perhaps the most important element in causing President Trump to actually come out and fight for conservative policies, that he otherwise would not have.

That's my suspicion at least.

(01-13-2020 08:11 AM)AdoptedMonarch Wrote:  

(01-13-2020 08:02 AM)SoMs Eagle Wrote:  One can only wonder how his presidency would be different without the vile attacks by the media and the TDS left. It goes beyond the normal political harassment. The article needs to ponder that question to be fair. Much of Trump’s perceived crudeness comes from the fact that he fights back very hard against those attacking him. And does so in a very strong way.
Many of Trump’s policy victories have come against withering opposition. Without the help of the left and many of his own party he has managed to come close to bringing China to its knees. That battle would already be won without the relentless attacks from the press and democrats.

I think that's a very fair point - - but the answer cuts both ways.

As the article points out, DJT is a transactional president, not a politician. That, on the whole, is a very good thing.

But, had the left not gone on immediate attack against him so personally, and instead had stroked his ego and allowed him to preen, I think there is a fair chance that he would have given substantial ground on virtually any policy point. The insane level of TDS behavior on the part of the left, perversely, is perhaps the most important element in causing President Trump to actually come out and fight for conservative policies, that he otherwise would not have.

That's my suspicion at least.

Quote:I do live in the world that exists, not the one I wish existed.

(01-13-2020 08:11 AM)AdoptedMonarch Wrote:  I think that's a very fair point - - but the answer cuts both ways.

As the article points out, DJT is a transactional president, not a politician. That, on the whole, is a very good thing.

But, had the left not gone on immediate attack against him so personally, and instead had stroked his ego and allowed him to preen, I think there is a fair chance that he would have given substantial ground on virtually any policy point. The insane level of TDS behavior on the part of the left, perversely, is perhaps the most important element in causing President Trump to actually come out and fight for conservative policies, that he otherwise would not have.

That's my suspicion at least.

(01-13-2020 11:57 AM)Eldonabe Wrote:  

(01-13-2020 08:11 AM)AdoptedMonarch Wrote:  I think that's a very fair point - - but the answer cuts both ways.

As the article points out, DJT is a transactional president, not a politician. That, on the whole, is a very good thing.

But, had the left not gone on immediate attack against him so personally, and instead had stroked his ego and allowed him to preen, I think there is a fair chance that he would have given substantial ground on virtually any policy point. The insane level of TDS behavior on the part of the left, perversely, is perhaps the most important element in causing President Trump to actually come out and fight for conservative policies, that he otherwise would not have.

That's my suspicion at least.

I agree - in essence the Dems have been trying to beat him "off the field".

He is still not a politician, but instead of beating him politically which they may have been able to do, they decided to try to beat him in his sandbox instead. They gave up any possible leverage they had the moment they started playing by his rules instead of their own.

The absolute best strategy would have been an exaggerated form of ignoring him. He feeds off of insults and "nanner-nanner-nanner" like no other person. The second his ego gets a shot of oxygen, it's game on and that is purely based on getting attention. They should have treated him like an outsider and stayed in their lane, instead they jumped their own shark and took his bait.

They have proven that the "party of tolerance" was nothing more than a quiet counterbalance to the republicans, until DJT started pushing back. Then they became unraveled and showed their truest colors.

It is a classic case of "I'm rubber, you're glue....".

(01-13-2020 03:36 PM)olliebaba Wrote:  "I support policies, not people. If Trump protects the constitutional order, he deserves to be praised for it."

I was not a Trump supporter at first, I admit it. I found his personality coarse. But even after one year I realized that this guy could go down in history as one of our greatest presidents, I kid you not. He has upheld constitutional law in every thing that he has done. Even in the elimination of Solemiani he had that right...as did Oblunder (but you didn't hear any peep from the Liberals when he used it).

He is the complete opposite of all the Demons running for office. They are the epitome of pushers of immorality, illegality and corruption, statewide and federal, re: the Virginia governor and his stance on abortion.

He gets criticized by the very anti-Christian Left as if they had a foot to stand on. They conveniently use the Bible which they don't know or understand to bash him. Irony at its best.

I got on the Trump Train when I saw that he was what I was looking for as far as policies and he has upheld every one of my wants, i.e. the Supreme Court for one.

(01-13-2020 04:31 PM)stinkfist Wrote:  

(01-13-2020 03:36 PM)olliebaba Wrote:  "I support policies, not people. If Trump protects the constitutional order, he deserves to be praised for it."

I was not a Trump supporter at first, I admit it. I found his personality coarse. But even after one year I realized that this guy could go down in history as one of our greatest presidents, I kid you not. He has upheld constitutional law in every thing that he has done. Even in the elimination of Solemiani he had that right...as did Oblunder (but you didn't hear any peep from the Liberals when he used it).

He is the complete opposite of all the Demons running for office. They are the epitome of pushers of immorality, illegality and corruption, statewide and federal, re: the Virginia governor and his stance on abortion.

He gets criticized by the very anti-Christian Left as if they had a foot to stand on. They conveniently use the Bible which they don't know or understand to bash him. Irony at its best.

I got on the Trump Train when I saw that he was what I was looking for as far as policies and he has upheld every one of my wants, i.e. the Supreme Court for one.

you're not alone....