I heartily accept the motto, "That government is best which governs least;" and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which I also believe, "That government is best which governs not at all;" and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have. --Henry Thoreau (1817-1862) "Civil Disobedience"
To hear some conservative elitists tell it you would think that to be considered a true conservative you need a special handshake, secret decoder ring, and a notarized certificate stating your conservative bona fides in triplicate. The truth is much simpler.
The traditional political spectrum runs from Big Government on the left (liberal) to limited or no government on the right (conservative). If you favor limited or no government then you are a political conservative, period. For example, today we would call Henry Thoreau a political conservative.
What type of conservative you are is another matter altogether. You might be a moderate conservative who believes in a fairly sizable if restricted government, or you may be a far right conservative who believes in a severely restricted government or no government at all. You might be an atheist--an Ayn Rand Objectivist for example. You might be a Christian Dominionist. You might be a full blown Libertarian, or a staunch US Constitution and "rule of law" aficionado. My point here is that what type of conservative you are does not affect whether you are a conservative in the generic sense at all. If you favor a lean and restricted government over a bloated and invasive one, then you are a political conservative.
So is Trump a conservative? I would say yes, absolutely -- but more out of pragmatism than any ideological "purity." Cleaning the c--p out of the Augean stables of Washington DC will be a Herculean task, no doubt, but I believe that Trump is up to the challenge. Yet I do not believe that the changes he'll make will be as radical as some on the Right might wish, or some on the Left might fear. As a successful businessman Trump is first and foremost interested in whatworks-- not in implementing some ideological agenda. He wants America to work, again.
Insofar as a government program is wasteful and non-productive it will be pruned or eliminated--not as some conservative cause celebre, but because that is how you run a successful business. And if, as President Coolidge claimed, "the business of America is business," then America's government should set the example for how a successful business is run, should it not? Lean and efficient, not bloated and ham-handed.
You can call that a conservative position if you like, but to me it is simply sound sense. Perhaps sound sense is conservatism...or at least an important element of it.
For me the practical matter of electability is of great importance in the upcoming 2016 election. Political pundits and establishment elites aside, I believe that Trump is eminently electable, and I cannot say the same for any of the other Republican candidates.
I wish Ted Cruz no ill will whatsoever--I agree with much of what he says and think he would make a fine Attorney General. But POTUS? While I believe that it's possible he could win the Republican nomination, I don't for a minute believe that he could garner enough votes to win a national general election.
Personally I concur with a lot of what Ted Cruz has to say--but in addition to his questionable electability I am wary of his ties with Goldman Sachs. I am not saying that there is anything nefarious going on...it's just that I am wary is all. Every oneof the Republican (and Democratic) candidates are beholden to Wall Street and/or special interests to one degree or another. All except Trump.
Not having financial strings tied to him makes Trump a loose cannon in the eyes of the Washington elites--and they hate loose cannons. Which is just one more reason to support him as far as I'm concerned.
Is Cruz more conservative, that is, farther to the right than Trump? Of course he is--but so what? What's the point; where's the advantage? Trump is much more likely to appeal to moderate liberals (so called "Reagan Democrats") in a general election than Cruz. Trump has a proven track record as a hugely successful businessman, Cruz does not. Trump has no eligibility issue hanging over him, Cruz does. In short, as mentioned earlier, Trump is simply much more "voter friendly," more electable.
Trump's business acumen, passionate patriotism, and freedom from obligations to special interests are enough to forgive him a multitude of sins in my book. I'll take his sharp elbows, rough edges, occasional missteps, and New York bluster in stride as long as he keeps speaking truth to power and delivering the goods. If he is not as conservative as I might wish, I find him to be more than sufficiently conservative in those areas that I consider most important--God, fiduciary responsibility, patriotism, respect for the US Constitution, and national defense.
I am not in the least interested in making some futile beau geste with my vote simply so I can stick it to the establishment. I want results, dammit! It infuriates me to watch glib professional politicians (read that as professional parasites) live off the taxpayer's dime while they feed at the public trough and squander our money on useless 43 million-dollar gas stations in Afghanistan and countless other boondoggles--while "we the people" twist in the wind over a financial abyss.
I'm beyond tired of betting on dark horses who become also-rans, and politicians who talk a good game but never deliver. I've had it with political dynasties, radical ideologues, neo-cons, war hawks, NWO globalists, and Washington elites. I want a true-blue electable patriot who will turn America's ship of state around and head it in the right direction.
Professional politician Bernie Sanders talks about a revolution? Well Trump is the revolution.
Born June 4, 1951 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Served in the U.S. Navy from 1970-1974 in both UDT-21 (Underwater Demolition Team) and SEAL Team Two. Worked as a commercial diver in the waters off of Scotland, India, and the United States. Worked overseas in the Merchant Marines. While attending the University of South Florida as a journalism student in 1998 was presented with the “Carol Burnett/University of Hawaii AEJMC Research in Journalism Ethics Award,” 1st place undergraduate division. (The annual contest was set up by Carol Burnett with money she won from successfully suing a national newspaper for libel). Awarded US Army, US Navy, South African, and Russian jump wings. Graduate of NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School, 1970). Member of Mensa, China Post #1, and lifetime member of the NRA and UDT/SEAL Association.
I heartily accept the motto, "That government is best which governs least;" and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which I also believe, "That government is best which governs not at all;" and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have. --Henry Thoreau (1817-1862) "Civil Disobedience"
To hear some conservative elitists tell it you would think that to be considered a true conservative you need a special handshake, secret decoder ring, and a notarized certificate stating your conservative bona fides in triplicate. The truth is much simpler.
The traditional political spectrum runs from Big Government on the left (liberal) to limited or no government on the right (conservative). If you favor limited or no government then you are a political conservative, period. For example, today we would call Henry Thoreau a political conservative. 
