Posted on 08/10/2015 3:45:16 AM PDT by lifeofgrace
The final Whig president of the United States was Millard Filmore in 1853. He marked the death of the Whigs, and the rise of the Know-Nothings. Today the GOP faces its own death, and the continued success of Donald Trump in the polls reflects the fact that the Republican Party is staring into its own grave.
The Know-Nothing party was formed in reaction to Irish Catholic immigration, and pledged to restore “Native Americans” to political power (and by that I don’t mean Hiawatha, but WASPs). Forming a party based on reactionary impulse is the death-rattle of a lost cause, and the Whigs became the American Party in 1854 after Fillmore’s term.
Donald Trump’s message resonates with many Republicans because he speaks what most of us know, and doesn’t hold his tongue or make excuses for our elected representatives’ failure to deal with immigration problems over the last three decades our failure to end the rise of Islamic terrorism, and our failure to keep the American economy growing.
But Trump’s promises are nothing but Styrofoam—light-weight and filling lots of volume. When heat is applied to Styrofoam, it evaporates, leaving a void. If nothing fills the void, the party will fall of its own weight. It’s nobody’s fault but our own if Trump destroys the GOP—and he very well could (take this seriously).
Trump’s only reaction to criticism is to play the know-nothing game: “I didn’t say that, and you’re a jerk.” Its one thing to be non-politically correct, and it’s quite another to use personal attacks as a primary method of dealing with all criticism.
When Trump told CNN’s Don Lemon that Fox News’ debate moderator Megyn Kelly “had blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her…whatever” there’s no way a reasonable person would interpret that to mean anything other than attributing Kelly’s question to her menstrual cycle—after calling Kelly a “bimbo.”
Trump’s remark goes beyond decorum and extends into gratuitous asshatery. Watch for yourself.
He said this in the midst of the biggest gathering of GOP candidates seen in one city, where each person gets to speak for a half hour instead of 4 to 10 minutes in a scripted “debate.” And Redstate Gathering host Erick Erickson said he didn’t want to share his stage with Trump unless he explained himself.
I have rescinded my invitation to Mr.Trump. While I have tried to give him great latitude, his remark about Megyn Kelly was a bridge too far — Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) August 8, 2015
Erick made the right call. Trump’s response:
“This is just another example of weakness through being politically correct. For all of the people who were looking forward to Mr. Trump coming, we will miss you. Blame Erick Erickson, your weak and pathetic leader,” according to a campaign statement.Trump is a direct result of the GOP’s inability to define itself as a party with a purpose. If the GOP is defined as “everything that isn’t Democrat” then it’s nothing more than the Whigs of 1854. Dead.
There are at least five solid conservative candidates who have real policies, who aren’t Stryofoam in the party. But if voters continue to fuel Trump’s ego-driven jags into personal attacks and obnoxiousness, his Styrofoam candidacy will continue to grow and increase the size of the void when it finally self-annihilates.
GOP, it’s time to grow up and look down into the grave that the Whigs fell into before our party goes the way of the Know-Nothings.
(crossposted from RedState.com)
the author.
Do women frequently bleed from their eyes during their menstrual cycles? I don't know how a "reasonable" person could connect the two.
The GOP destroyed itself. That is the reason that Trump is so popular.
For people that accuse Trump of name-calling, they sure do a lot of name-calling.
I agree with the basic premise of the article but probably for different reasons. Trump is proving once again that he is smarter than a lot of people, especially many pundits and media types.
Look at the full context of what he said,
“You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, “Blood coming out of her wherever.”
In full context he states “you could see it”.
Trump gave himself just enough room there for plausible denial.
And yet the same geniuses that allowed for the parsing of the definition of “is” are up in arms about Trump’s latest statement.
What is it about Trump that scares the beejeezus out of these people?
The problem with the GOP isn’t the candidates in particular. The problem with th GOP is it’s NOT different than the Democrats. Remember from Jan 2001 to Jan 2007 the GOP had all three branches, and what happened:
The debt continued to grow
We played a game of poitically correct football with terrorists (i.e. rebuilding Iraq’s utilities while bullets were still flying)
The Bridge to Nowhere
Nothing was done on to secure the border or enforce immigration laws
Wasted a bunch of time on BS, like steroids in baseball
Nothing was done about Planned Parenthood
Interference in personal lives of Americans continued apace, with bans on online gambling, eating horse meat, etc.
If the GOP would position itself as a clear alternative to the status quo, it nor we would be in this mess. Trump, whatever he is, is not the status quo.
Therefore the GOP did it to itself by having a bunch of fat delta males like Erickson and Rove make its platform.
The GOP is a whore who doesn’t even know what town she lives in anymore. It’s completely abandoned its base in favor of Dem-Lite®. It’s full of appeasers and dissemblers like McConnell, Boehner and McCain. They don’t represent me, in fact, they are actively opposing my interests.
If this be the death of the Republican party, so be it and good riddance.
Let what rises from the ashes represent the last good people in this country.
Great way to start the day! Thanks for posting something so cheerful.
Oldplayer
A party where the elitist leadership alienates itself and hates its own base is already dead, they just don’t know it yet.
Has anyone been charged with the illegal use of the IRS put penalize political opposition groups and obstruction of justice?
Has anyone been brought to justice for the disaster at Benghazi and the destruction/obstruction of the pertinent records?
Has anything at all been done to slow or stop the unrestricted flood of illegal immigrants into this country?
Is Obamacare still wrecking our country's health care systems?
The sole achievement that occurred under the GOP watch has been that anybody can "marry" anything. Swell.
The GOP died, drowned in its own excrement.
Just as the Whigs refused to cometo grips with slavery, the GOP has refused to come to grips with the illegal alien inundation.
One party represents the illegal aliens.
The other party represents their employers.
No one represents the citizens.
Trump stepped into that vacuum.
For the Republic to survive, the GOP must die
GOP-RIP
"GOP, it’s time to grow up and look down into the grave that the Whigs fell into before our party goes the way of the Know-Nothings."
"Our party?" Who you talkin' to? Karl Rove? Rinsed Penis? The Jebster?
If I were a liberal news network I’d hired clowns like him and Erickson and let them talk and talk with cameras rolling. And have the huge chyron on bottom saying “conservative.” Embarrassing.
Death to the GOP as it now exists, and death to the things it has condoned and promoted for a decade or more?
NOW YOU’RE TALKING!!!
Above we see Erick Erickson, Steve Berman and Mike Huckabee (not necessarily in that order) at the Red State gathering barely able to contain their appetite for each other!
That depends on the criticism. There is a lot of criticism from the left that deserves only this and any other reaction only dignifies false criticism.
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