Posted on 08/18/2015 5:45:56 AM PDT by Kaslin
We can acknowledge that Donald Trump's popularity is partially related to his unapologetic defense of himself and his policies, but let's examine why that is particularly appealing to his supporters and others. How did we get to this point?
Grass-roots conservatives believe that their policies can make America great again, that they can make Americans more secure and prosperous. Many of them still believe in traditional values, which are now in disrepute.
They are appalled at the systematic assault on their ideas in our public schools, our universities, the media and Hollywood. They are horrified by the attacks on their liberties. But they have not surrendered.
They see America disintegrating rapidly and little being done to stop it. They detect no sense of urgency from their elected representatives, and they wonder whether they are living in an alternate universe.
It's true that the Republicans don't control the executive branch, but that's no excuse for always caving and giving sissified overtures of bipartisanship to an implacable bully president.
President Obama is a lawless renegade, flouting the Constitution and the rule of law and mocking his opponents as if they were the ones overreaching. But too often, Republicans sit on their hands, refusing to exercise their powers to stop him. Some even join in Obama's condemnation of those few brave souls on our side who try to stop him.
It's not just that they're impotent to stop Obama. They routinely downplay his usurpations as if they're just another day at the office. They forfeit their bully pulpit, forcing the grass roots to publicly oppose these outrages. You might call this a case of the tail wagging the dog, except that the dog, for all intents and purposes, is dead -- by suicide.
Liberal Democrats have relentlessly pressed their case, placing their propaganda mouthpieces in our educational system and dominating Hollywood and the media with a monolithically radical message. Their ideas and values are so culturally dominant that those who disagree are too afraid of the PC thought police to voice their dissent publicly. Conservatives might still hold on to a slight majority, but we are no longer just a voluntarily silent one; we're a self-muzzled one.
Why are so many good people afraid of their own shadow? Maybe the simplest explanation is that liberal propaganda has slowly succeeded in making conservatives look uncompassionate, racist, sexist and homophobic. It has even made Christians seem mean-spirited.
Liberals trade almost exclusively on identity politics, painting all Republicans and conservatives -- except those who pander to them -- as haters. Many are afraid to speak up because they know that no one would have their back. If they violated the guidelines of political correctness, they'd be excommunicated from polite society as knuckle-dragging ogres.
The irony is that liberal policies harm the people they purport to help. The welfare state has devastated the nuclear family, and black families have been hit the hardest. Their economic policies have devastated the workforce. Blacks have been hit the hardest. Their top-down education mandates serve the teachers unions but trap minority children in vastly inferior and dangerous inner-city schools. Their campaign against law enforcement and cops has turned our cities into war zones. Black youths are being hit the hardest. Their abandonment of border security and illegal grants of amnesty are putting us all at risk. Their blocking of entitlement reform is bankrupting America. Their onerous taxes and regulations are impoverishing America and destroying businesses and jobs. Blacks have been hit the hardest. Their gutting of the military and refusal to fight in the war on terror are destroying our national security. Their savage support for abortion on demand is killing millions of babies and has devalued life across the board. Black babies are hardest hit.
Conservatives know that their policies lead to greater prosperity. They believe their values are grounded in moral absolutes, are tried and tested, and are overwhelmingly beneficial to society. They believe their policies demonstrate real compassion because they are based on results, not empty rhetoric and false promises.
They are tired of being vilified. They long for government leaders who will fight back without apology. They want a president who will not just campaign as a conservative but also implement conservative policies when elected.
This means that they don't want phony pledges to close the border in the future buried in some "comprehensive" reform plan, a partial repeal of Obamacare, half-measures reversing the Environmental Protection Agency's punitive regulations on the energy industry or meaningless tweaks to the tax code and entitlements. They want America to be strong again and self-aware of its positive impact on the world.
The grass roots have seen very little of these things from the ruling class. That's why they're rejecting most insiders and supporting outsiders and those inside who are genuinely trying to change the status quo.
I hope we can look back in a few years and say that Obama miscalculated -- that he pushed too far too fast instead of allowing liberalism to continue to grow incrementally. I pray that his arrogance in impatiently accelerating statism is what will finally bring the unrepresented majority to a boil, leading to a dramatic reversal of his fundamental transformation.
People are so mad, many of them are supporting a self-identified Democrat.
You know. The party that CREATED this mess.
Than I suppose it all depends on from whom you get the news.
My voting precinct had no paper in the voting machines. Touch screen black box only. No paper tape backup of any votes. Just as many ‘voted’ for a senile old white dude as voted for Obama in ‘08 my majority black district. Yeah, I believe that too /s.
It’s a ‘No sheet Sherlock!’ article.
Maybe, it was, maybe not. I have no idea
David Limbaugh is always boring and watered down and too little too.late. at least his brother is not boring.
I know I have.
The feckless GOP has been paid off to thwart the will of the citizens to secure the border and enforce the laws.
Their perfidy is plain for all to see.
Every district with a weasel like ours, Eric Cantor, needs to get the same treatment and be Cantorized.
You weren’t paying attention when the Barbours used Democrats to steal the nomination from McDaniel?
I am actually kinda worried that we are seeing America’s “man on horseback” and the rise of a populist fascism.
Even worse, I am worried that I supporting or agreeing with a lot of it.
That looks like a great book. Just added it to my list of things to get.
It is literally impossible for fascism to “arise” in America today.
One hundred percent of the people who insist that fascism can “arise” here today are unmitigated idiots.
No exceptions.
We have bakers prosecuted and losing their livelihood for not embracing homosexuals.
Fascism is here.
Nope. Calling them Marxists, or Socialists or Communists just doesn’t resonate any more. They just laugh and shrug it off, dismiss you as an overwrought idiot.
We have to fight fire with fire. Find and use terminology just a powerful and visceral as their “racist”, “bigot” etc. Something that undeniably accurate, is immediately and easily identifiable by the general public, already perceived as being extremely negative and can be used effectively to cut the Left off at the knees using their own tactics:
That word is “bully”
It is certainly looks that way.
Point well taken, tanknetter. I can’t find fault with a word you’ve said. I do think we should educate our younger citizens on the background/ origin. First things first (neutralize the threat.)
The word is, indeed, bully.
First we deal with the GOP; make it a conservative, pro-American organization. That means gathering and growing the base so we can change the so called ‘leadership’. Trump is helping mightily on that front, but is only getting started.
Then we win the WH and begin to undo the damage and regrow the country. This will take a long time and be met with strong resistance.
I’m fine with the anger, we need it, so long as that energy is put to good use. If we assume its not to late, there is a LOT of work to be done and frankly, this election has to be the turning point. If not, the GOP is done and I fear the country will be too far gone to ever return to something the founders might recognize.
It had better be the “try that and we’ll knock you on your *ss” point”.
It’s long past time for liberal style civil disobedience.
If “they” can riot and destroy property and get away with it, why cannot we?
Remember where Gore, the Clintons, etc live. Mark it down.
And watch and wait.
I don’t believe there is any question about the GOPe paying for Democrats to vote in the runoff who had already voted in the Democrat primary.
Speaking for myself I’ve been boiling for over 35 years, I would think by now others would be also, I’m am enthused to see so much evidence of that.
Check the FR archives for what actually happened in Mississippi. It was WELL documented in quite a few threads.
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