GOP's New Drama: Populism v. Conservatism

Election 2016 is taking some sharp turns this year. The Democrats are evenly split between a progressive liar and a regressive socialist. The Republican Party has a late-breaking conservative running against two Latinos.

Yes, the Republican Party has more diversity in its thinning Presidential ranks than the entire Democratic Party! What are we witnessing now in the Republican Party? The fight used to be Conservatives or Grassroots v. Establishment A third party has entered, without the conservative principles or the Establishment underpinnings. The populist wing of the party has emerged as is elbowing its way into the front lines.

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Anti-Establishment does not mean conservative. In fact, all of this anti-Washington rhetoric can still give way to more government, but from a different source. Remember, people. Weekend at Bernie's is very much anti-Establishment, but he wants to establish more government in our lives. He is spreading his tired hatred for the "millionaires and billionaires", yet his policies will also enrich Washington at the expense of Main Street as well as Wall Street. Donald Trump rails against DC, but he has acute connections to every major money manager alive. He supported the Big Bank bailouts. He has supported massive government subsidies for government interests. He even wanted to use eminent domain against an old widow in New Jersey to take away her home and lay out a limousine parking lot. An outsider screaming at those in power today does not mean that they will stay an outsider once he gets elected tomorrow. Ben Shapiro diagnoses this serious political conundrum on the right very well:

Trump makes this case, too. He's said that he's the establishment's worst nightmare. He says he's too rich too be bought, too independent to care about what his enemies say, too powerful to be stopped. He'll stand up for the American people by standing against the powers-that-be.

No one would challenge that Trump is a nightmare for the GOP. So is Ted Cruz, however, and has a record proving it. He stood on the floor of the US Senate numerous times, challenging the spending, the waste, the cronyism, the backroom deals, the anti-worker proposals of the political class. Donald Trump makes deals with Democrats all the time. He even donated to California Attorney General Kamala Harris, who is now running for US Senate to replace the ailing, dithering Barbara Boxer!

Then he turns around and says he'll make deals. "I think the [establishment is] warming up," Trump said this week. "I want to be honest, I have received so many phone calls from people that you would call establishment, from people -- generally speaking ... conservatives, Republicans -- that want to come onto our team. We are getting calls from everybody that it's actually amazing. I'm actually surprised."

At this point, I draw the line. I do not want any more deal making. I want leadership. The Establishment would rather have Trump than Cruz! No surprise there. Cruz has staked out his views and his goals. He is on-record defending the US Constitution, and even openly defined the Washington Cartel leadership. He called Mitch McConnell a liar. Cruz has owned his slight mistakes. He has rejected the Trans Pacific Partnership deal. He has changed his mind on H-1B visas. Donald Trump tries to advertise himself as perfect. Cruz is humble yet driven. Trump claims that he could shoot people and not lose supporters. Does anyone really want that mentality in the White House? Now, let's return to the contrast between principles and politics. Populists are deal-makers, but not out in the open. They advertise little in terms of principles, but a great deal in terms of polarization. They scream bloody murder at the political class, they preach hate toward the Establishment, but they are just as power-centered and ambition-driven as any other politico. As soon as they climb into power, they are using it for themselves. Anger at the current regime is not enough, How does Trump plan on making America Great again without a clear understanding of our nation's founding principles? He has preached New York Values for decades. We are supposed to believe him now? Ted Cruz has done more than teach Constitutional values. He has exemplified them. He has fought for them. Populism is not conservatism. Trumpism is not conservatism. But will voters wake up to this difference in time?