Blame Liberals for the Rise of Trump

Townhall.com ^ | August 28, 2015 | S.E Cupp

[Kaslin]

There are a few existential questions which man has struggled but failed to answer conclusively, despite Sisyphean efforts, such as: Why are we here? What happens when we die? And why do kids go ape for "Frozen"?

To these we may add another, which will go down as one of the great enigmas of modern American history: Why Trump?

His rise -- and, more inexplicably, his durability -- has baffled even the most open-minded of us. But when man can't explain something, he settles for the next best thing: deciding who's to blame for it.

To me, it's obvious. Trump is the result of liberal political correctness run amok.

Sound crazy? Stick around a minute.

Conventional wisdom -- and by that I of course mean Twitter -- will tell you that Trump is the logical conclusion of 21st century conservatism.

This line of thinking actually has two strains, both of which absolve the left of any responsibility for the advent of Trump.

The first strain posits that Republicans are awful people, and Trump merely embodies this quality in its purest form. This idea is articulated largely by the far left, in representative tweets like:

@enigmaxtreme: "Fox News, you created this monster called Trump, you have only yourself to blame for the GOP crumbling..."

According to the other strain, the Republican establishment has so disappointed the conservative base that it created an opening for Trump to fill. This comes primarily from the far right, exhibited in tweets like:

@KurtSchlichter: "This condescending, hyperbolic establishment bullish (sic) is why Trump exists. Thanks, GOP squishes."

As Adam Brandon at the Washington Examiner put it, after betrayals by Republican leadership, "Enter Trump, a straight talking, political outsider billionaire who's not afraid of being politically incorrect."

There's probably more truth to the latter line of thought than the former. The conservative base, infamous for its dogmatic purity tests, probably isn't behind the success of a guy who used to be a Democrat, once favored assault weapons bans and single-payer health care, and recently questioned the heroism of war prisoners.

I have a different explanation for ascendant Trumpism. It isn't the result of conservatism but of liberalism. Thanks to unrelenting demands by the left for increasingly preposterous levels of political correctness over the past decade, people are simply fed up. Trump survives -- nay, thrives! -- because he is seen as the antidote, bravely and unimpeachably standing athwart political correctness.

The new era of liberal political correctness -- in which colleges designate "free speech zones," words like "American" and "mother" are considered discriminatory, and children are suspended from school for firing make-believe weapons -- has reached critical mass. If not for the loony sensitivities foisted upon us by the left, someone like Trump would be immediately dismissed as unprofessional and unserious, an incoherent blurter. Instead, he's the equally extreme response to extreme correctness -- if everything is offensive in Liberalville, then nothing will be offensive in Trumpland.

It's all absurd, of course. Trump says things that are unequivocally offensive, and regularly. But conservatives (and even comedians) have reached their limit on political correctness. And so Trump supporters will justify nearly everything he says, no matter how bizarre or unbecoming.

Remember, too, liberals taught us a valuable lesson about political correctness that many conservatives haven't forgotten: It's only offensive if you don't like the person saying it. When conservatives tried to accept the liberal rules of political correctness, pointing out Vice President Joe Biden's too-numerous-to-count slurs and gaffes, there was a collective shrug from the left.

So, if the rules are demonstrably stupid, and they only exist for the right, why play by them?

This is how Trump supporters came to be. They have taken the governor off the racecar.

It's a shame because, as lamentable as political correctness is, voters can do better than Trump. Political ignorance isn't the same as being politically incorrect. Calling journalists names isn't the same as being politically incorrect. These aren't acts of courage; they're acts of kindergarteners.

But in a world in which nearly everything could be considered a microaggression, a macroaggressor like Trump is inevitable.

So, thanks, political correctness.

[Lisbon1940]

Don’t forget Walker is off the race car, too.

[jmaroneps37]

Yes, I agree. Blame the liberals in the GOPe.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Agreed. If the GOP didn’t stand for nothing, you wouldn’t have a Trump stepping in to fill the vacuum. Conversely, if the GOP was a vibrant party with a clear ideology, Trump would not be its leading presidential candidate.

[PGalt]

It's a shame because, as lamentable as political correctness is, voters can do better than Trump.

Usually, however, these gentlemen — the reformers, the legislators, and the writers on public affairs — do not desire to impose direct despotism upon mankind. Oh no, they are too moderate and philanthropic for such direct action. Instead, they turn to the law for this despotism, this absolutism, this omnipotence. They desire only to make the laws. - Bastiat

Social Engineering Cupp

[sauropod]

It's a shame because, as lamentable as political correctness is, voters can do better than Trump.

It's a shame I have to point out the obvious, but readers can do batter than S.E. Cupp.

[erkelly]

I have never understood why anyone would not want to be affiliated with a political party, and therefore disenfranchising himself of having any voice whatsoever, however small, in an extremely important part of the political process. Unless, I suppose, you live in an open primary state. By not belonging to a political party, you have no say whatsoever in who is nominated, thereby giving even control over the nomination process to the party hacks and insiders. By being independent you make the problem even worse. Stop kidding yourself, it is not noble to be an independent, in fact it is disgraceful and wicked. You are not morally superior, indeed you committing a crime against your fellow Americans who doing what they can to wrest control of our political parties away from the elites and return it to the people. Do your civic duty, be responsible, and stop committing this sin against American freedom, and join the political party of your choice, and then start doing what you can to free the process, and return control to the people. Fighting the power structure at the top starts at the bottom. I don't know your circumstances of course, but you may be in a good position to really get involved and change things at the local level. Even if you are not free to do much at this point in your life, there is still probably a little that you can do. If you have done what you can, then you are free to criticize and complain, if you have just decided to do nothing, which it appears you have, then you deserve the candidates you get. Sorry for the strong words, but I hope I have given you something to think about. And, I do need to add the caveat that I did not vote for Romney. As a Christian, I simply could not do so, and I realized I could not when I heard Michelle Bachmann state that Mormons are Christians. But I was very engaged in the process, in fact I was both county and then a state delegate, supporting Newt Gingrich (who won our caucus by the way, after a few of us were able to convince that Mormon majority wearing Romney stickers that Mr. Newt and Rick Santorum were far better candidates.) If not for the sudden development of a life-threatening health problem I would have tried to go to the national convention as a delegate to do what I could there. Each and every one of us needs to get involved with our political parties and do whatever we can, it is an important step in trying to change the awful situation we are in.

[geologist]

have never understood why anyone would not want to be affiliated with a political party, and therefore disenfranchising himself of having any voice whatsoever, however small, in an extremely important part of the political process. Unless, I suppose, you live in an open primary state. By not belonging to a political party, you have no say whatsoever in who is nominated, thereby giving even control over the nomination process to the party hacks and insiders.

By being independent you make the problem even worse. Stop kidding yourself, it is not noble to be an independent, in fact it is disgraceful and wicked. You are not morally superior, indeed you committing a crime against your fellow Americans who doing what they can to wrest control of our political parties away from the elites and return it to the people. Do your civic duty, be responsible, and stop committing this sin against American freedom, and join the political party of your choice, and then start doing what you can to free the process, and return control to the people. Fighting the power structure at the top starts at the bottom.

I don't know your circumstances of course, but you may be in a good position to really get involved and change things at the local level. Even if you are not free to do much at this point in your life, there is still probably a little that you can do. If you have done what you can, then you are free to criticize and complain, if you have just decided to do nothing, which it appears you have, then you deserve the candidates you get.

Sorry for the strong words, but I hope I have given you something to think about. And, I do need to add the caveat that I did not vote for Romney. As a Christian, I simply could not do so, and I realized I could not when I heard Michelle Bachmann state that Mormons are Christians.

But I was very engaged in the process, in fact I was both county and then a state delegate, supporting Newt Gingrich (who won our caucus by the way, after a few of us were able to convince that Mormon majority wearing Romney stickers that Mr. Newt and Rick Santorum were far better candidates.)

If not for the sudden development of a life-threatening health problem I would have tried to go to the national convention as a delegate to do what I could there. Each and every one of us needs to get involved with our political parties and do whatever we can, it is an important step in trying to change the awful situation we are in.

#8206;AM by erkell ...)

perhaps it is easier to read.

[driftless2]

Paragraphs are your friends.

[Uncle Miltie]

I blame the GOPe.

Trump is a pure response to their elitist liberal disdain for conservative grass roots.

[trebb]

Blame the RNC, the GOPE, and the traitorous RINOS for the rise of Trump - another false meme to try to turn of the “Go Trump” spigot.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

Trump is the Revenge of the Tea Party! For years they have been used by the GOP for votes then tossed away after the election—they have been branded unfairly as Bigots and racists. Look what they did to Sarah Palin! But, now a man has stood up to the RINOs and said what he thinks. Supporting Trump is like sticking it to the Man! He makes the Rino/MSM/ Demo-Commies shake in their boots. He is much more than a Republican-—He’s an American, maybe the last American. He transcends the old party lines. I have no idea what will happen but he has changed things forever. If he’s elected—he will change things for America.

[webstersII]

One of the problems in our country right now is people like you that call things you merely disagree with “wicked” and “sinful”.

If you would like a definition of what is wicked and sinful read the Biblical and stop adding your own definitions.

[chud]

Obama's policies caused the Republican landslide in the Senate.
Then the business-as-usual attitude of those Republicans caused everyone to support Trump.
The GOP had better start paying attention, conservatives are angry.

[timestax]

ping

[timestax]

[econjack]

I can declare any party I wish and vote in the primary. What I do in a primary is not binding. You have your way of doing things, I have mine and yours is, in no way, superior to mine. I do not have to belong to a political party to vote. Right now, I am very displeased with the GOP and until I see changes made that I like, they will not get my support. I will vote, but whom I vote for depends upon the alternatives. The current GOP does not show any evidence of changing their ways despite pressure from conservatives. As to your statement: stop committing this sin against American freedom, I could say the GOP is a much bigger sinner than I am. You overstate your case with such non-sequiturs.

[uncitizen]

This s.e.cupp sure is the brainiac.

[tanknetter]

I agree, and have been saying this: Trump is largely a reaction to the Fascist tactics of the “Progressive” Left.

But the GOPe bears it’s fair share of responsibility as well. Had really been opposing the PC nonsense for the last 10-15 years, things wouldn’t have reached a point where Trump could have the success he’s experiencing.

[KGeorge]

Not that I know of. I believe it was Katie Pavlich and Mary Something, whom I’ve never heard of- or noticed on a byline.

[Buckeye McFrog]

She is only partly correct. Trump is also a result of the intense burning desire of the GOP base to gobsmack Boehner, McConnell, Priebus, and the rest of the Beltway leadership.

Besides, articles by S.E. Cupp are useless without...