Next Right Reads
11/3/16
Talitha Brauer goes to Greenville.
I met John (20) at a Trump rally in Dayton, Ohio and then spent the day with him and his friends, Austin & Devon, who are Bernie Sanders supporters.
As we hung out, I was struck by the undercurrent of fear in their discussion — the Paris bombings led to thoughts about a recent school shooting in a nearby township; opinions on money spent abroad quickly gave way to discussing the reality of homelessness and the challenge to make ends meet from $10.50/hr (minimum wage).
Braden Pace asks if the “establishment” is really responsible for Trump?
I understand that at times, Republicans in Washington have fallen short of their commitment to conservative values. I also understand that they do not have a veto-proof majority in Congress. They have passed a bill that would repeal ObamaCare. It was vetoed. They shut down the government over a budget battle. That didn’t achieve much. They tried to defund Planned Parenthood. That was vetoed too. I know that Congress has the power of the purse, but at what point are they being held to an impossibly high standard?
So why is Trump the leader that the “anti-establishment” has turned to? He donated to and supported the “establishment” for years, in addition to many very liberal Democrats like Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, Anthony Weiner and Hillary Clinton. He supported a government-run, universal healthcare system, very much akin to the system that Barack Obama originally proposed. He stated he was “very pro-choice” and that he wouldn’t ban partial-birth abortion. He even said he would be “a little establishment” in order to “get things done.” His record is infinitely more liberal than that of the Republican “establishment.” Therein lies my confusion.
Tim Carlson calls for the conservative movement to find fresh faces.
So while I think that ‘purging’ is too strong a word for some of those left shattered by 2016 yet longing for the past, we should use care in putting faith in them and giving significance to their opinions. There is no return to the golden age of ‘conservatism’. It is gone. It is over. And no one should wish its return. Time to move on and find new voices, retain the faithful among the established voices of old, and move on; but any wishing for a return should be rebuked. Wishing for a return to a time that is past and a legacy shattered shows demonstrably questionable judgment, not necessarily flagging loyalty.
