By Timothy Birdnow ——Bio and Archives--January 19, 2016
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"And Republicans, or should I say a subset of Republicans, engage in a quadrennial event referred to by some as the conservative litmus test, or the circular firing squad, in which they enjoy comparing their chosen Republican presidential candidate to Ronald Reagan and comparing every other Republican candidate to Karl Marx (or possibly Groucho Marx). The length of this festival of futility usually runs from late November in the year preceding a presidential election and can end as late as the first Wednesday in November of the following year if the Democrat ends up winning the general election."This is demonstrably false. At this very moment in the political season Donald Trump is well in the lead of the Republican field. Trump is in no way Ronald Reagan; he doesn't even play him on TV. Trump has never been a staunch Conservative, and yet he is wildly popular among many of these benighted litmus test shooters. The reasons for Trump's popularity are outside the scope of this essay, but suffice it to say it is largely because he is not Jeb Bush, or any subset thereof. And he stands for something, rather than offering the same content-free kumbaya speeches we have come to expect from our betters in the GOP. People will overlook a lot for some refreshing honesty. (I personally don't see it with Trump, but that just illustrates how wrong the claim of a litmus test really is.) Those who make this "purity" claim ignore the many Conservative supporters of George W. Bush in 2000, ignore the fact that the very same Conservatives supported his father - a proven RINO. Apparently not letting the Establishment choose the candidate is somehow, in the eyes of the RINO wing, a type of treason, as though Conservatives have no right to ask for someone who mirrors their ideals.
"Trump: He was much smoother this time – getting better each time. His bluntness appeals to certain voters. Was Nikki Haley right about loudest voices and anger from some in the GOP? Yes, Trump says. "I am angry!" Then he gave a rundown of the country's mess, saying our country is run by incompetent people" [...] "The selfie voters and forty-two percent see, I believe, exactly what he says: an angry man. Will this appeal to them? Highly doubtful."And yet Trump is the epitome of a crossover candidate, one who is appealing to new demographics.
"What do the selfie- voters and the forty-two percent see? A confident man. But is he too conservative for them? The primary voters need to take that into consideration. They also see someone who, in my view, is not that appealing in the externals. He seems a little too scary, as if he would move too fast as president."What does James Arlandson base this determination on? In the usual RINO fashion he is saying we cannot win with bold colors, but must rather offer soft pastels. Conservatism is not a popular thing, we are told, and we must move to the center, be all things to all people, and coax the voters with likeable personalities and content-free campaigns. How well has that worked out for us? Since 1984 the GOP has offered this same campaign stratagem, and it has been at its absolute best a recipe for a photo finish. Bush Sr. won only because he claimed the mantle of Reagan. Bush Jr. actually lost the first election and won by a slim margin his re-election - at a time of war when Americans are loathe to change horses midstream. We've had a parade of "bum of the month" candidates; Romney, McCain, Dole. Prior to Reagan we had milquetoast candidates such as Gerald Ford. The GOP has offered only three actual Conservatives since the Roaring '20's and Calvin Coolidge, and only one of them lost. But we are told with absolute confidence that Conservatism is a loser. Where is the evidence? (By the way, what does "move to fast as President" mean? Has Mr. Arlandson missed the fact that Barack Hussein Obama moved faster than a jackrabbit in love and was re-elected by a solid majority?)
"But we cannot discount likeability. George W. Bush doubtless owes his two squeaker elections to things like Al Gore’s impatient sighs in the 2000 debates and blueblood John Kerry’s haughty disdain for his opponent four years later. Ted Cruz has made a point of his willingness to buck the Establishment in Washington. That’s certainly positive. But he has seemingly bucked everyone else, too. There are virtually no endorsements of Cruz from any of his congressional colleagues. He also seems not to know how far to take his criticisms. He called his own Majority Leader a liar on the floor of the U.S. Senate. That conduct used to get a senator censured. Question: If he cannot get along with his own party members, how likely is he to get along with any of the Opposition?"Who exactly decides the "likeability" factor? It is generally the news media, the Democratic Party, and the Establishment wing of the GOP. Mr. Morrison seems to think that being unpopular with his colleagues makes Ted Cruz "unlikable" but isn't that rather a testament to his honorable nature? During the election of 2008 we were told about how John McCain's "maverick" status was such a boon, and yet now Ted Cruz's same status is "unlikeability". McCain WAS unlikable; a testy old codger who would have been yelling at children on his lawn had he not been running for President. And McCain's most unlikable feature was his tendency to knife his own friends in the back. McCain's "maverick" status was conferred on him because he bucked his conservative base on numerous issues. Cruz bucks his RINO colleagues in the Senate to fulfill his campaign promises. Who is the more likable? So often the RINOs cite William F. Buckley's polemic about supporting the most conservative candidate who can win. I would suggest we modify that adage to say we should support the most delectable Conservative who won't betray us. Recent history has been most unkind in that regard, and as a result far too often we end up with a Progressive instead of a Conservative. America has continues its long, horrible slide into the abyss precisely because we keep nominating candidates who are great lions until they get into office then move to the left. We cannot make any headway in rolling back any of the things the Left has shoved down our throats because our side is afraid to fight. Even if we are going to lose, better to die as brave men, with one swift stroke of the sword, than cowering in our beds, hemorrhaging from a thousand paper cuts. Morrison also argues that we must be immigration friendly to a fault, which brings us to RINO lie #5:
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Timothy Birdnow is a conservative writer and blogger and lives in St. Louis Missouri. His work has appeared in many popular conservative publications including but not limited to The American Thinker, Pajamas Media, Intellectual Conservative and Orthodoxy Today. Tim is a featured contributor to American Daily Reviewand has appeared as a Guest Host on the Heading Right Radio Network. Tim’s website is tbirdnow.mee.nu.