Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Popular Culture, Social Commentary

The Late Jumpers On The Trump Train

22 Comments

I agree with Jonah: I’m not going to abandon my principles just because he is “a winner”:

The “people have spoken” is not some abracadabra phrase that can change my opinions, never mind my convictions. If “the people” vote that I must hate dogs, I’m not going to start hating dogs. If a plurality of Republican primary voters tells me I have to like blue cheese, I’m not going to start liking blue cheese. And even if 99.99 percent of Americans tell me that I should shed my opinions of Donald Trump, I’m not going to do that either. New facts or some new argument — in theory — could make me change my mind. But crowds, mobs, twitter trolls, bullying hacks, eye-rolling apparatchiks – or even voters can’t just because they all shout at once. Why? Because I am not a politician.

[Update later morning]

Why #NeverTrump remains relevant. Yes, it wasn’t about denying him the nomination, per se. It’s about preserving what few limited-government principles the party had left.

[Late-morning update]

Five reasons Cruz shouldn’t have dropped out.

I was surprised. When I heard that late deciders had been going for Cruz, I saw it as a good sign going forward. I can only think that his CA donors told him to give it up.

22 thoughts on “The Late Jumpers On The Trump Train”

  1. Trump was dead last on my list of Republican candidates. But now that he’s the nominee we should get over it and get on with it. He will not be as bad as Hillary. I know what she will do: exactly the opposite of what this country needs on every issue of consequence. With Trump it’ll probably be random.

  2. The #nevertrump post was interesting. Of course he will never be my standard-bearer either. But I thought nevertrump meant more than that. This guy didn’t sound as if anything in that tag stops him from voting for him. Well, good.

  3. The GOP must and should die as a national force.

    Was Walter Hudson one of those people demanding Trump sign a loyalty pledge?

    While coalition must be built with compromise

    As long as that compromise is one way? Isn’t that what the Democrats call compromise?

    it must first be founded on some fundamental similarity.

    Trump still has more in common with the GOP than the #NeverEverTrumps have with Hillary. They would have been happy with a RINO from the establishment. So maybe it is a good thing that a lot a small but significant portion of Republicans wont just blindly accept whatever Trump offers like they would other RINOs.

    Even if you can’t vote for Trump, look at the down ticket candidates. A Trump that will work really well with Democrats, can only be checked by the conservative wing of congress.

  4. The 5 reasons article could have been shortened to 1, spite.

    That sentiment is just as damaging to a united party as Trump, probably more so.

  5. As Iowahawk said:

    Trump: If you don’t vote for me, you vote for her.
    Hillary: If you don’t vote for me, you vote for him.
    Me: I guess I’m voting for both of you.

  6. NeverCruz was far more insistent than NeverTrump. 2016 will be a lot like previous presidential elections: voting for the better of two poor choices.

        1. Under the Hamilton Rule, there would be no Tea Party and Democrats would have secured more seats in congress during the Obama years.

  7. Remember, cemeteries vote Democrat. But, they can’t cheat if it isn’t close. So don’t let it be close.

  8. [[try this again- I hope there doesn’t end with three of them]]
    “Why? Because I am not a politician.”
    Neither is Trump. And the question still remains will Trump become
    a politician. One could say Trump is trying to be politician, but he
    not keen on the idea.
    One could also say that Clinton is not really politician, either.

    And could say Trump “might” be more interested in becoming
    a political than Clinton is.
    One could say Clinton is the bored housewife of a Bill Clinton, who is a politician.
    And Trump is billionaire which wants to do something about the politics
    of America and do so by trying to be presidential candidate and then as the US President. Or it’s unlikely Trump would attempting to be the President, if US presidents were doing a good job.

    Now way I look at it, Trump has not tried to be the president candidate, yet. But now that he is presumptive republican candidate for President, he “might” do it differently.
    Though I think it’s reasonable that Trump might not change what he is doing- or he might do president campaign in the same way he did the primary candidate- so just treat Clinton as though she was a republican primary candidate.
    The clue which support this assumption, is Trump saying beating Clinton will be easier than it was beating the 16 republican primary candidates.
    So based on what Trump has done before, Trump may dismiss Clinton as someone who has low energy [she does- despite her screeching] and paint her as part of the establishment [which she is]. and hit back twice as hard [as Instapundit, Glenn Reynolds repetitively says one should always do].
    I also think Trump will focus as he says he will, on the Bernie supporters. Or Trump may explain why Bernie supporters should not support fascism. And suggest the younger generation should do things like what which their parents do- grow up and become respectable adults.

    1. Trump has been a politician for decades. You don’t make billions in New York real estate without political connections (and a great deal of corruption). They don’t call it Gotham City for nothing.

      1. “Trump has been a politician for decades. You don’t make billions in New York real estate without political connections (and a great deal of corruption). They don’t call it Gotham City for nothing.”

        So Batman was a politician?
        By this measure, is there any billionaire in the US [or world] who are not politicians?

        Or, Elon Musk would be politician. And taking it to an extreme, as would anyone who manages to get driver’s license.
        One could say the hundreds of congressional aides, or say Monica Lewinsky and Chelsea Clinton, as being politicians.

        You should observe my context, I said that Ms Clinton was also not a politician.
        Obviously, Clinton was involved in politics, but merely being a First Lady does not actually make you a politician- even if you want to call it a co-presidency.
        Also being a Sec of State does not make you a politician.
        Normally being a Senator, does make you a politician, but in Clinton’s case- and in other cases, it’s not actually the case. Because basically, the New York political machine made Ms Clinton the New York, Senator.

        Everyone knew that Clinton becoming a Senator for 8 years was make it appear that she was a politician- or so she wasn’t merely Bill’s wife.
        And being Sec State so she could claim experience in US government and have foreign policy experience of being top governmental position on the nation’s foreign policy.

        Main thing is, Clinton did *nothing* to earn these positions and also did nothing with these positions which indicated that she should have had been given those positions.

        There is no doubt that Ms Clinton is within large network political connections of the “best of people” and that she is connected to a massive amount governmental corruption.

        And if surgeon tells you where and how to cut, one could then claim to be [or others could call you] a surgeon. Or if someone paid you dollar to do it, a professional surgeon.

        But Trump and Clinton are not really politicians, instead I would say Trump might be learning to be a politician, and Clinton doesn’t want to be a politician- rather, as she has indicated she wants be an Empress, who has others doing the politics.

        1. Elon is a lousy politician. In fact, his employees go to great lengths to keep him *away* from Congress because he alienates politicians every time he speaks to them.

          Also being a Sec of State does not make you a politician

          What you think the Secretary of State does? The job is all about politics.

    2. Trump may explain why Bernie supporters should not support fascism.

      Why would a fascist tell voters not to support fascism?

  9. Yeah, standing on principle is great. Like standing on the deck of the Titanic, and insisting you would never think of getting your dinner jacket wet.

    We had McCain, and the purists insisted on waiting for the perfect candidate. So, McCain lost. Then, we had Romney. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Now, Trump.

    Waiting on the perfect candidate is like waiting for Godot. He’s not coming. Ever. And, in the meantime, the ship is sinking.

    1. No one here is waiting for the “perfect” candidate. I perennially hope that I’ll get one that’s not awful. This one is the worst yet.

      1. There is a committee to draft Sen. Ben Sasse for a third-party run, and he has indicated that he might not be opposed to it. In the Libertarian Party, Gary Johnson and Austin Petersen are interesting. The other potential Libertarian nominees — well, let’s just say that on-stage they come across as stereotypical third-party candidates. They may have some good ideas but the presentation’s decidedly lacking.

  10. The GOP as we knew it is effectively dead. Michael Reagan read the death knoll — “No longer the party of Ronald Reagan.”

    The phones are ringing with indignation at GOP headquarters, and Google searches for Libertarian Party are skyrocketing.

    There is a predictable backlash as well. Trump’s hatchetman Roger Stone instructed an anonymous “journalist” to assemble a list of traitors. David Limbaugh and I requested that our names be placed on the top of the list. Stone canceled the list after Ted Cruz conceded, however, so apparently David and I won’t be getting a free trip to the Trump gulag. I feel cheated. If we can’t trust Trump to carry out smarmy threats against political opponents, what can we trust him to do?

  11. This will be just another election cycle for me, just like every presidential election I have participated in for the last 40 years, except ’84. I will not be voting FOR anyone. But I will cast a vote for the candidate I think has the best chance to defeat the person I am voting AGAINST. Which means no third party choices, since none of them have ever shown that they can be a serious contender, instead of just a spoiler. (I’m looking at you – Ross, George and Ralph)

    This is easy as ABC – Anyone But Clinton. If you dig up and resurrect Adolph Hitler I will vote for zombie Hitler if he is main candidate running against Hillary…

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