I made mention of blind followers in another thread the other day. I wasn't referring to everyone who voted for Trump. I was talking about those who knew what he was, knew what he represented and then turned around and claimed he wasn't those things. Who understood the damage he was doing to the Republican party but now supports him at every turn. A person who understood that the presidency actually meant some expectations beyond simply filling the office.
I present to you a blind follower.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
I made mention of blind followers in another thread the other day. I wasn't referring to everyone who voted for Trump. I was talking about those who knew what he was, knew what he represented and then turned around and claimed he wasn't those things. Who understood the damage he was doing to the Republican party but now supports him at every turn. A person who understood that the presidency actually meant some expectations beyond simply filling the office.
I present to you a blind follower.
Every word he said pre-election was true. Was true then and it's true now. GOP has sold their souls to the devil - and they will need to live with it. In decades to come this will be a history lesson on how easily men and politics can be corrupted. Senate and Congress are supposed to provide checks and balance - instead they enable and act like sycophants. It's sad. It'll be interesting to see if ANY have the fortitude to speak up and disown Trump closer to the election.
The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.
Ben Shapiro was big time anti-Trump during the election process. He repeated the same thing over and over, paraphrasing but something like “Trump will forever damage the Republican Party, it will never recover”.
I agreed with him entirely, but in this article he reveals to why someone like me would begrudgingly vote for him.
I will never vote for Donald Trump because I stand with certain principles. I stand with small government and free markets and religious freedom and personal responsibility. Donald Trump stands against all of these things. He stands for Planned Parenthood and trade restrictions and targeting of political enemies and an anti-morality foreign policy and government domination of religion and nastiness toward women and tacit appeals to racism and unbounded personal power. I stand with the Constitution of the United States, and its embedded protection of my God-given rights through governmental checks and balances. Donald Trump does not. I stand with conservatism. Donald Trump stands against it.
I stand with #NeverTrump.
The counterargument to the #NeverTrump movement comes down to two words: Hillary Clinton. Trump will supposedly close the borders (a lie); Hillary will not. Trump will appoint conservative Supreme Court justices (unlikely); Hillary will not. No matter how bad Trump is, the argument goes, conservatives have a duty to back the anti-Hillary.
I think Trump will get blown out in a general election. But let’s assume that these critics of #NeverTrump are right. Let’s assume that but for we #NeverTrump voters sitting out the election, Trump would become president, and Hillary would go down in flaming defeat. And let’s assume that Hillary Clinton will appoint terrible justices, destroy the military, and usher in the apocalypse. Why in the world would conservatives live with President Hillary Clinton on their consciences?
Because first, it’s not on our consciences. It’s on the consciences of the people who went along with this nomination. We did not select Trump. We will not vote for him.
And if we are going to save the country, it will not rest on one or two justices on the Supreme Court. It will rest on the will of the people to resist tyranny. That will start at the state and local level. It will start with the people.
It will start with conservatives willing to say “no.”
Because if we never say “no,” we will never have the opportunity to say “yes.”
We must have a conservative party. The Republican Party is not that party, and has not been for a very long time. The Obama administration has brought about a unique moment – a transformational choice for the Party. Will they abandon all conservative principle in pursuit of victory, or will they turn back to the conservatism they supposedly espouse? This entire election cycle, the answer has been the former. In fact, for virtually my entire life, the answer has been the former. Establishment Republicans abandoned Reaganism for Bushism, and then abandoned Bushism for McCainism, and then abandoned McCainism for Romneyism. Until the last five minutes, they were ready to embrace Trump himself rather getting behind Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX). Now they call for conservatives to swallow hard and unify behind a man who opposes all conservative principles – to save conservatism!
In every election cycle, the establishment insists that we unify behind a candidate who does not reflect conservatism because elections are always a choice between the two worst options. They blackmail conservatives into supporting candidates who undermine the message and morality of our mission. Now Trump does the same. The establishment created the Donald Trump phenomenon with their “best of two bad options” logic, and now Trump is using that logic to destroy conservatism openly. The establishment doesn’t object to Trumpism. They only object to Trump. Strip the drunken boor antics from Trump, and you’ve got John McCain who will lie transparently to pander to the populist wing.
We don’t have to be complicit. As Ben Domenech is fond of citing, Alexander Hamilton once wrote, “If we must have an enemy at the head of government, let it be one whom we can oppose, and for whom we are not responsible.” Let us not be our own enemies.
Now is the time to say no.
“No” is a useful tool. If conservatives don’t say “no” to Nelson Rockefeller in 1964, there is no Ronald Reagan. If conservatives don’t say “no” to Gerald Ford in 1976 and George H.W. Bush in 1980, there is no Ronald Reagan. And if we don’t say “no” to Donald Trump now, we will continue drifting ever further left, diluting conservatism into the vacillating, demagogic absurdity of Trumpism. Conservatism will become the crypto-racist, pseudo-strong, quasi-tyrannical, toxic brew leftists have always accused it of being.
And we will have been complicit in that.
I will not be complicit in that. I stand against the establishment that sowed the seeds of Trumpism. I stand against the Republican Party that insists that victory matters more than principle, because victory without principle isn’t just meaningless, it’s counterproductive to my belief system.
I didn't say that it did change anything. I still support a lot of what he said he was going to do. I'm not rationalizing anything, I am explaining why I voted for him.
If you believed the things that Lindsey Graham stated in that video, there's no way in good conscience anyone could vote for Trump. Surely, if those were your beliefs it would have been far too repugnant to have supported any such person as the president of our nation. If you voted for him despite all of that, your reasoning are excuses.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
That’s the thing, I did not vote for him in good conscience, it was essentially a coin flip, vote for Gary Johnson or vote for Trump. I literally did not know what I was going to do walking up to the booth.
I can’t watch the video at work, but if it’s a religious version of conservatism I don’t really care about all that.
The New York Times podcast The Daily released an episode the other day titled 'What Happened To Lindsey Graham?'
Graham mentions his reasons for the change in attitude/behavior toward Trump is that he sees it as important to his re-election and his desire to remain relevant. He even jokes about his change in attitude toward Trump during a town hall event.
I don't know if it's being a "blind follower" so much as it is self-serving.
Sounds like some solid reasons too this deplorable ....
Having an open mind and judging someone on results ... We have no room in this country for that unless of course they think like us .... JUST HORRIBLE of the blind follower!!!!!!!
This dudes funny ... best line i’ve heard in a while .... President Trump can’t collude with his own goverment ... ...
Back to your regurlary scheduled insults and general bafoonary ... knock yourselves out dawgs ...
I don't see how any of that changes what Trump is and what you actually supported. My dad called that rationalizing a mistake.
I'll vote for Trump in 2020. I know who he is and what he is. I knew who he was and what he was before I pulled the lever the first time. I was out there cautioning friends, family, and strangers who had such high expectations about Trump pushing a conservative agenda. I fully expected there would be times where he would break with the GOP and push through something the Dems wanted.
The reason he hasn't advanced the left's agenda is because they've acted like, and continue to act like such a-holes. He won't go along with them out of spite. Spite seems like a decent if temporary bulwark against their madness.
I'll pull the lever for him again because I know what the left was, currently is, and where it wants to go. It's a dangerous and disasterous road and I can't abide that.
"Hey, I'm a reasonable guy. But I've just experienced some very unreasonable things." -Jack Burton
-It looks like the Harvard Boys know what they are doing after all.
I don't see how any of that changes what Trump is and what you actually supported. My dad called that rationalizing a mistake.
I'll vote for Trump in 2020. I know who he is and what he is. I knew who he was and what he was before I pulled the lever the first time. I was out there cautioning friends, family, and strangers who had such high expectations about Trump pushing a conservative agenda. I fully expected there would be times where he would break with the GOP and push through something the Dems wanted.
The reason he hasn't advanced the left's agenda is because they've acted like, and continue to act like such a-holes. He won't go along with them out of spite. Spite seems like a decent if temporary bulwark against their madness.
I'll pull the lever for him again because I know what the left was, currently is, and where it wants to go. It's a dangerous and disasterous road and I can't abide that.
Over 9000 proven lies and/or misleading statements, Effectively shutting down the EPA to make his buddies in industry happy, can't keep a staff, hires people with no or low credentials, More indictments of associates than any other president since Reagan or Nixon, More criminal charges than among associates than any other president, More guilty pleas by associates since Nixon/Reagan and a $22 Trillion deficit.
Yup,, he's a winner alright.....
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe." Damanshot
This dudes funny ... best line i’ve heard in a while .... President Trump can’t collude with his own goverment ... ...
Back to your regurlary scheduled insults and general bafoonary ... knock yourselves out dawgs ...
this was a party political no-content speech by LG ... soft ball questions and party line all the way.
As for Trump not being able to collude with his own gov't ... yeah that was funny. Funny because Trump is indeed too incompetent to work with his GOP sycophants ... Funny because Trump had control of all 3 branches of gov't for 2 years. And the "National Emergency" couldn't get addressed. He had to wait till after he lost the House of Representatives did he make this a hot point....
You see hate and Trump being a victim.... I see an incompetent train wreck who has broken many laws.
The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.
This dudes funny ... best line i’ve heard in a while .... President Trump can’t collude with his own goverment ... ...
Back to your regurlary scheduled insults and general bafoonary ... knock yourselves out dawgs ...
Funny because Trump had control of all 3 branches of gov't for 2 years. And the "National Emergency" couldn't get addressed. He had to wait till after he lost the House of Representatives did he make this a hot point....
So I understand, you're arguing that he should have pushed to sneak a non partisan act through congress simply because he could because the republicans owned the majority?
If this border wall was actually important - important enough to be a National Emergency ... then it should have been pushed through when the Republicans held the house and senate.
The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.
The real question at this juncture is how low can Trump go before people say he's gone too far? How many more lies can he tell? How many more allies can he insult? How many more times can he take the word of world dictators over the word of our own intel? How many times can he forgive dictators for the deaths of Americans? How many more juvenile insults can he throw out until people call for him to be accountable?
At what point is it where those who support him would or could ever change their mind?
Could he really go out on Fifth Avenue in New York and shoot somebody and not lose a vote?
I'm beginning to wonder.
And Diam, I did question the word deplorable in regards to Trump supporters when it was first used. But not anymore.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
I agree with you 100% Devil for I too am completely astonished by the lefts lack of humanity and hatred toward the U.S. and people who disagree with them, they are truly a vitriolic group.
Yet you vote for a man who believes Putin over our own intel. Who takes a North Korean dictators word and excuses him for the death of one of your fellow Americans. Who believes a Prince in Saudi Arabia over our own intel about killing an American journalist. And then you have the nerve to claim it's someone else who hates America? Deplorable.
So you support the word of Putin, Kim and a crowned Muslim prince over our professional American intelligence and question how American the other side is?
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
Congrats devil on completely living up to the title of the thread.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Yet you vote for a man who believes Putin over our own intel. Who takes a North Korean dictators word and excuses him for the death of one of your fellow Americans. Who believes a Prince in Saudi Arabia over our own intel about killing an American journalist. And then you have the nerve to claim it's someone else who hates America? Deplorable.
So you support the word of Putin, Kim and a crowned Muslim prince over our professional American intelligence and question how American the other side is?
Are you talking about the same Intel agencies that swore before Congress they are not monitoring or spying on American Citizens and their online presence?
Wow whatta a vitriolic hate filled rant ….Good trolling . You should practice what you preach blind follower. I wonder why your heart is so full of hate cause I disagree with you?
All I did was agree with Devil and you chose to rant at me for what he said that I agreed with . You started this thread wit the intent of disparaging the cons IMO and you did. Hope your real proud that you showed your solidarity with the libs here that turn on you also.
blind followers applies to both sides. Pit has also called out us libs.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
I like Pitt. Some days I agree with him whole heartily, some days we fight like brothers. But the dude is always respectful and thoughtful. He's a complete delight.
Congrats devil on completely living up to the title of the thread.
It's odd there wasn't a single original thought in your reply to me about being in a cult... kind of like the response you get from someone in a cult.
That literally makes no sense.
Ya know, like how cult followers typically sound.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
I don't see how any of that changes what Trump is and what you actually supported. My dad called that rationalizing a mistake.
I'll vote for Trump in 2020. I know who he is and what he is. I knew who he was and what he was before I pulled the lever the first time. I was out there cautioning friends, family, and strangers who had such high expectations about Trump pushing a conservative agenda. I fully expected there would be times where he would break with the GOP and push through something the Dems wanted.
The reason he hasn't advanced the left's agenda is because they've acted like, and continue to act like such a-holes. He won't go along with them out of spite. Spite seems like a decent if temporary bulwark against their madness.
I'll pull the lever for him again because I know what the left was, currently is, and where it wants to go. It's a dangerous and disasterous road and I can't abide that.
Over 9000 proven lies and/or misleading statements, Effectively shutting down the EPA to make his buddies in industry happy, can't keep a staff, hires people with no or low credentials, More indictments of associates than any other president since Reagan or Nixon, More criminal charges than among associates than any other president, More guilty pleas by associates since Nixon/Reagan and a $22 Trillion deficit.
Yup,, he's a winner alright.....
And?
I've never said Trump was a good guy. I have said I know who he is and I believe my expectations of what he would do in Office is more tempered than most people.
What you say is true. But the flaw in your argument is that you present it in a context that the alternative is something better.
While I find Trump entertaining at times, he is a buffoon and I don't particularly like him as a person. He's not a guy I'd shoot the crap over a beer with.
"Hey, I'm a reasonable guy. But I've just experienced some very unreasonable things." -Jack Burton
-It looks like the Harvard Boys know what they are doing after all.
All I did was agree with Devil and you chose to rant at me for what he said that I agreed with . You started this thread wit the intent of disparaging the cons IMO and you did. Hope your real proud that you showed your solidarity with the libs here that turn on you also.
My thinking is that you must have no idea what a rant is or means. You see, I don't consider Trump supporters as conservatives at all. An ideologue I would say is a much closer description for me. His spending and the deficit are proof that he doesn't stand for anything close to what a conservative actually believes. As far as a "spend now and pay later" kind of politician, he looks very much the part of a liberal.
You see, a real conservative cares about the budget. An ideologue only cares that you're spending money on the things he believes in. Those aren't the same thing.
And you see, when I have both the conservatives and liberals turn on me, I feel I'm in a great place. Because both of them have flawed ideas in my opinion. Both also have their strong points. When you're not an extremist in either direction, you'll have disagreements with both sides. I'm fine with that.
Trump is a terrible human being. He is an embarrassment to our country. His entire life goes against every value the right has claimed they stand for. He is a pathological liar. He sounds like a petulant child when speaking about anyone who disagrees with him.
Now you may not like hearing those things but it doesn't change the fact that it's all true. And out of a field of 16 Republicans, he was your top choice.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
Rep. Ilhan Omar slams Barack Obama's message of 'hope and change' as a 'mirage'
Rookie Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, fresh off igniting an intra-party uproar with comments widely viewed as anti-Semitic, took a swipe at former President Barack Obama, saying in an explosive interview the 44th president's message of "hope and change" was a "mirage" and blasting his administration's drone and border detention policies.
Omar, D-Minn., took aim at the president's famed slogan, while further criticizing the Democratic Party for “perpetuating the status quo,” in the interview with Politico.
“Recalling the ‘caging of kids’ at the U.S.-Mexico border and the ‘droning of countries around the world’ on Obama’s watch," Omar charged that Obama "operated within the same fundamentally broken framework as his Republican successor,” the piece reads.
Rep. Ilhan Omar slams Barack Obama's message of 'hope and change' as a 'mirage'
Rookie Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, fresh off igniting an intra-party uproar with comments widely viewed as anti-Semitic, took a swipe at former President Barack Obama, saying in an explosive interview the 44th president's message of "hope and change" was a "mirage" and blasting his administration's drone and border detention policies.
Omar, D-Minn., took aim at the president's famed slogan, while further criticizing the Democratic Party for “perpetuating the status quo,” in the interview with Politico.
“Recalling the ‘caging of kids’ at the U.S.-Mexico border and the ‘droning of countries around the world’ on Obama’s watch," Omar charged that Obama "operated within the same fundamentally broken framework as his Republican successor,” the piece reads.
Rep. Ilhan Omar slams Barack Obama's message of 'hope and change' as a 'mirage'
Rookie Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, fresh off igniting an intra-party uproar with comments widely viewed as anti-Semitic, took a swipe at former President Barack Obama, saying in an explosive interview the 44th president's message of "hope and change" was a "mirage" and blasting his administration's drone and border detention policies.
Omar, D-Minn., took aim at the president's famed slogan, while further criticizing the Democratic Party for “perpetuating the status quo,” in the interview with Politico.
“Recalling the ‘caging of kids’ at the U.S.-Mexico border and the ‘droning of countries around the world’ on Obama’s watch," Omar charged that Obama "operated within the same fundamentally broken framework as his Republican successor,” the piece reads.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Nah, she's right. Can't keep excusing the horrific actions of Democrats or Obama just because we're on "the same side". I'm glad she's not letting the media establish walk all over her.
I believe a lot of people on both sides say a lot of things for attention, without thinking or without putting things in context. It's the Twitter world we now live in.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
