Kasich. The GOP candidate everybody basically ignored until he somehow made his way to the last three standing. The conservative breakdown: He’s weak on Obamacare, shaky on religious freedom but quietly a pro-life fighter.
Loyalty. Normally a good thing—except during this crazy election cycle. Grassroots loyalty, establishment loyalty, party loyalty, candidate loyalty, Rubio loyalty, Cruz loyalty … loyalty to anything except pure conservatism has been a distraction that has splintered the field and let Trump get ahead.
Mitt. Former Massachusetts governor and 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney has been MVP when it comes to trolling Trump. His speech urging conservatives to unite against the Democrat slash possible dictator who has infiltrated the field separated GOP principles from Trumpisms, while his recent wisecracks at Trump’s expense were just icing on the cake.
From: The ABCs of the Craziest Election of Our Lives — Paradox
loyalty to anything except pure conservatism has been a distraction that has splintered the field and let Trump get ahead.
Well, this comment right here, if meant sincerely, is the whole conservative “problem” in a nutshell: “pure conservatism” has been put on trial this election cycle and the practical value, coherence and utility of the concept has been found lacking. The verdict is in: No pure conservatism for you!Report
I agree-ish in the particular, but the comment holds if you go with a more general “our values” (which I think you would still disagree with, but c’est la vie)Report
Oh, I’m not sure I’d disagree with the values at that point – heck, I totally understand the value-based argument that life begins at conception, for example – as much as two other things. 1) how those values are codified and enforced; and 2) that the “values” appealed to are purely politically (read: partisanly) derived and have no actual grounding in a person’s life outside of hyper-politics.
I mean, this sounds like the “unseen” stuff D Scotto was talking about, which I think is the primary defect in conservative thought. (If it can’t be seen then what the hell are we talking about wrt policy?) CK talks about that stuff too: truths that are beyond truth-values (I’m pretty sure that’s not how he phrases it), which I also think is incoherent (and impractical) tho doubly so*.
*For the additional reason that if there are truths deeper than actual truths (you know, empirical variety) then no claims mean anything anymore.Report
The RFRAs make me grateful that in 1964 the White Citizens’ Councils didn’t appreciate the Constitutional applicability of Genesis 9:25.Report
The author left out Cruz and, more understandably, Jeb.Report
I trust Jeb!. Not with the presidency or anything, but if he named a restaurant in DC and told me it was good and cheap, I might check it out some time. My strongest emotion with regard to Jeb! was and remains pity. He’s just so hapless…Report
You and I might have a different notion of “cheap” from people whose families own residences often described as “compounds”.Report
The most distrusted and disliked candidate with more votes then all the other candidates. I’m sure some how that proves just how insidious she is.Report
@mike-schilling
Do people dislike Jeb? I always figured he was like The Silence, where all your memories of him disappear as soon as you’re not looking at him.Report
Rubio. A glimpse of what the 2016 race could have been—a time of renewed passion for conservative ideals and a future where the GOP is known for listening to everyday Americans, working to heal racial tensions and promoting the precious American Dream.
Ricky Rubio? Certainly not the robotic, oft-befuddled senator from Florida. Anyway, it’s all water under the bridge.Report