Republicans Have Overestimated the Conservatism of the Base

National Review ^

[TontoKowalski]

If the intent of the article is to explain the Trump candidacy, they've got it wrong. It's not that the base is insufficiently conservative. It's that the base is FED UP.

You'd think the establishment would have figured it out after Cantor was dumped, after the epic primary battle against Thad Cochran, after Boner was kicked out, after the fight over the new Speaker, after the awful approval numbers for a Republican Congress... by Republicans voters.

[samtheman]

If the intent of the article is to explain the Trump candidacy, they’ve got it wrong. It’s not that the base is insufficiently conservative. It’s that the base is FED UP.
You’d think the establishment would have figured it out after Cantor was dumped, after the epic primary battle against Thad Cochran, after Boner was kicked out, after the fight over the new Speaker, after the awful approval numbers for a Republican Congress... by Republicans voters.

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Yup

[TigerClaws]

Nailed it.

Cantor was the shot across the bow. They still ignored it. Trump and Cruz are the direct hit.

[Albion Wilde]

Republicans Cruz supporters Have Overestimated the Conservatism of the Base

Fixed it.

[Caipirabob]

Absolutely! The conservative base is WAAAY overestimated. In fact, the base is ALL RINOS!

Here the all are - At a JEB! speech. Just look at them!

Did I mention they are also invisible?

[Theodore R.]

TN had a Republican super majority and did nothing with it.

TX too! Joe Straus keeps liberalism alive in Austin.

[C. Edmund Wright]

As a conservative, I have over estimated the intelligence of a good chunk of the base.

I’ll never do that again.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

As a conservative, I have over estimated the intelligence of a good chunk of the base.

It is pretty shocking. I can understand the initial attraction, but at this point...

I'll never do that again.

I might. ;-)

[Ted Grant]

If the GOP delivered on just one or two issues important to their voters sometime over the last fifteen years, they wouldn’t have this problem.

[Nifster]

How very kind of you.

Since you are all knowing would you share with us your choice so we can likewise look intellugent

[dforest]

Oh Goody, another piece by the delusional pipsqueaks at National Review.

No pipsqueaks, the people have figured out that both parties are not Pro America.

They are
pro politician
pro illegal alien
pro Islam
pro Wall Street bankers
pro meddling all over the world
pro open borders

And, by the way TigerClaws, your post is spot on.

[C. Edmund Wright]

no pearls before swine

[central_va]

Because Republicans, on the national level, are pro amnesty, open border, H-1B loving, unFair Trading, a gloBULList corporate whores and Obama butt kissers. Those aren’t very conservative values.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

Actually, I think he makes some good points.

I've read hundreds of posts here where people are calling out Trump for "not being a conservative" and often, the response is some variation on "I don't care." Maybe those particular Trump supporters (not all, obviously), just aren't/weren't real movement conservatives.

And I think the author also is right in explaining why Trump is attracting Democrats. It's not because those Democrats are closet conservatives, but rather that they're not liberal, and that's the direction in which their party is heading at breakneck speed.