Posted on 03/03/2016 4:52:15 AM PST by LouD
Gratuitous Hatred Is Destroying Republicans — Just as It Did the Ancient Israelites By Dennis Prager — March 1, 2016 I have been a radio talk-show host for 33 years, nationally syndicated for 18. I have never experienced anything similar to what I am experiencing now. Until recently, the only hate mail I ever received was from a small number of people on the left. The major reason for this, I am convinced, is that I don’t yell at callers and I treat callers who disagree with respect.
Reading my e-mails these days is a brand-new experience. I receive hate mail, sometimes laced with obscenities, from Republicans. Most of it comes from Trump supporters, even though whenever I explain my opposition to Trump, I also explain that I understand why so many people support Trump, and even though I ask anti-Trump listeners to respect these Trump supporters.
To show how widespread the hatred among Republicans is, here are excerpts from an e-mail sent by a Cruz supporter in Michigan. He was livid at my having suggested that Cruz consider announcing that he will now back Rubio in order to give Republicans a unified opposition, which is the only chance to stop Trump. I might add that I have said many times that if I could simply appoint a Republican president, it would be Ted Cruz, since he is a true conservative and he doesn’t care whether people love him. However, I believe that Rubio – at least until this weekend and his imitation of Trump’s high-school-level personal insults – has been the Republican with the best chance of defeating Hillary Clinton.
The listener’s e-mail read in part:
Dennis, I can’t tell you how p**sed off I am at you for suggesting Cruz drop out in favor of the back stabbing, lying Rubio. You have compromised your own principles. . . . Despicable! A*****es like you . . . lie about “if I could appoint a president, it would be Cruz.” Screw you and all your Salem colleague’s [sic] for pushing the false narrative ‘Rubio is more electable.’ . . . I am no longer a faithful listener and have switched back to Rush after many years. You have lied by obfuscation, and tried to manipulate your listeners, and for that, I despise you and the other Salem turncoats. You all can go F*** yourselves!
As noted, I have quite a few e-mails from Trump supporters who, after years, even decades, of listening to my show, have decided that I am no longer worthy of being listened to. If one doesn’t support Trump, they believe, one is a traitor to the cause.
It is important to point out that I have said over and over that I would vote for Trump if he were the nominee, because it is difficult to conceive of even Trump being worse than four more years of a left-wing president and decades of a left-wing Supreme Court. But to more than a few Trump supporters that is not enough: If you don’t support Trump, you are the enemy.
RELATED: The Worrisome Implications of 2016’s ‘Insult Campaign’
In a nutshell, the hatred and contempt some of the Republican candidates have shown one another is reflected among rank-and-file Republicans. I understand why: Most Republicans view this election as the last chance to save America from becoming the opposite of what it was founded to be. The Left has been eating away at America’s foundational values for nearly a century, and it has been largely successful. Two examples: Seventy percent of college students do not believe in freedom of speech if the speech might hurt someone’s feelings, and many young Americans support a socialist for president.
Meanwhile, many Republicans believe that only their candidate can turn things around. Therefore, Republicans who oppose their man are regarded as no different from Democrats — indeed, perhaps worse.
So this is where we stand today: Many anti-Rubio Republicans regard Rubio as a traitor on the immigration issue and therefore have contempt for his supporters. Many anti-Cruz Republicans regard Cruz as an extremist conservative who is, moreover, a misanthrope, and therefore have contempt for his supporters. And many anti-Trump Republicans – perhaps most – regard Trump as a dangerous fraud, and therefore view his supporters with contempt.
Needless to say, with these attitudes, there is little chance any Republican can win.
RELATED: Stop Defending Trump’s Poisonous ‘Middle-Finger Politics’
So, then, despite eight years of failure under a Democratic president, and with Hillary Clinton — widely regarded as a completely untrustworthy woman who has put pursuit of money and power above the interests of her country — as the Democratic candidate, Republicans will still lose.
And Republicans will have no one to blame but themselves.
In Jewish tradition, there is a famous explanation for the destruction of the Jewish state by the Romans in 70 a.d. The ancient rabbis did not blame the Romans. They blamed the Jews. And the reason, they said, was “gratuitous hatred” — Jews hating one another for no good reason.
Bear in mind: Not all hatred is gratuitous. The hatred of evil, for example, is actually the only moral response to evil.
But gratuitous hatred is utterly destructive. And that’s what many Republicans now have for one another — and what will therefore enable today’s Romans, the Democrats, to destroy our country in the year 2016.
— Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and columnist. His latest book, The Ten Commandments: Still the Best Moral Code, was published by Regnery. He is the founder of Prager University and may be contacted at dennisprager.com. © 2016 Creators.com
There is nothing new under the sun.
Dennis Praeger, the author of this piece, is one of the neo-Rockefeller Republicans falsely called Neocons (implying there are conservative).
These people are not believers in conservative principles like smaller government, less regulation.
They want world trade across sovereign borders, cheap labor across borders of nations etc. etc.
I doubt Trump is the solution to the RINO’s, but the rage in his support reflects the fact that people are fed up and want things to really change, I’ll give you all that.
Radio talk show host Michael Berry in Houston has jumped the shark on Trump too. Berry, like several other talkers thinks they can spit at their listeners constantly who support Trump. Berry makes fun of and belittles his listeners who don’t support Cruz. He insists he is more intelligent than many of the people who he is trying to sell what his sponsors are pushing via his radio show. That does not seem too smart to me.
I completely agree. Unfortunately,anger has allowed Trump to push him aside somewhat.
I will not vote for a Democrat. But if Donald Trump is the Republican nomination, I will vote for him. There is something wrong with Republicans who will not vote for a Republican candidate.
You must've said something to tick off your audience (whoever they are). I've never heard Dennis Prager on the radio. He may be or have been on some radio stations in SE Michigan, but I did not know or were tuned in to others reflective of my point of view. I've read a few of his articles over the years
This sounds whiney, possibly built on a false premise to advance some future meme.
Applauding your post #15 here.
I’m sorry to hear Prager is anti-Trump. But most of the hatred I’ve seen is from condescending Cruzors like yourself.
Although i agree with much of what you say, I’ve done my homework on the candidates enough to understand that anger can cause a voter to choos3 q candidate that will take us from the frying pan into the fire.
Sometimes due to the human condition war is the answer unfortunately.
The Republican Party has been using the words of conservatism to keep us on the plantation voting for people who work against us.
Open borders and unenforced laws are NOT conservatism!
But that is the most important thing to the RNC/GOP.
I have an ongoing question: Of the remaining Republican candidates still standing, which of them do you (or does ANYONE) think has the BEST chance of beating Hillary in the November Election? THAT is the candidate for whom I will want to vote in my state’s Primary on March 15.
What, exactly are, “conservatives principals”? Are these the same principals that allow open borders for cheap labor? Does it mean never ending wars in the Middle East that have no benefit for the US? That’s the only “conservative principals” that I see being actively pursued any more. Sure, there are the those who still talk about abortion, defending the 2nd amendment, and Common Corpse, and things like that, but it is only open borders and endless wars that seem to galvanize and energize the so-called “conservative movement”.
Everyday I see some new evidence of who is part of the establishment and who is on the side of America. I’m actually shocked at how controlled we are during the election process.
I’ve spent thousands of hours listening to Levin, Rush, Beck (years ago) and others, where have they gotten us? Our conservative media icons make us feel great but what do they really do to help?
Are they simply our caretakers, nudging and corralling us into pens so that we can stay on the margins? It seems to be the case lately.
Rush and Levin and Beck telling us we need to step away from Trump because he’s a big meanie and isn’t 100% conservative. While at the same time talking up an anchor baby and a fricking Canadian citizen! Both of them guilty of supporting legislation that will eventually put the permanent boot of communism and Islam on America’s neck!
We are at war, our country is dead! We might be able to bring it back to life but we need a leader, an outsider. Please wake up! God handed us a lifeline in Trump. War is ugly and everyone here is not going to get everything they want! Suck it up snowflakes. Do you think our brave men were concerned about eminent domain or issues like abortion when they were fighting the Germans in Normandy?
)
“Everyone on this forum has been praying for decades for a patriot to fight for us. He’s here right now folks! WAKE UP! He’s not perfect, get over it!”
Who is it?
Prager is exactly correct.
The ‘small hands’ , ‘heavy makeup ‘, comments, how juvenile.
The candidates are destroying each other and any chance to win in Nov.
And FR, I can’t believe the hatred spewed by one side or the other.
Let’s face it, no candidate is 100% .
My favorite likely isn’t 100% of what I want but any of them is better than the alternative.
I like Cruz but think Trump would be superior on the economy, so I won’t have any problem voting for either.
Rubio? Distant 3rd but still better than any dim.
Im just sick of the name calling. You cant state your beliefs without someone jumping down your throat.
The end result is the same. Time dependent but still the same. I for one am sick and tied of being in the pan
TRUMP
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