Monday, September 19, 2016

Why Many Attacks on 'Never Trump' Conservatives Are Unfair and Flawed

Image via GQ Politics
Writing at Independent Journal Review, conservative radio host John Cardillo says he's got #NeverTrump conservatives all figured out. Let's review his argument, then I'll address it in some detail. Carrillo, with whom I had an amicable exchange after he published his piece, begins with the base premise that conservative opponents of Donald Trump are in it for one thing -- cash money -- and that they're willing to make Hillary Clinton president in order to protect their own financial interests:
Daily, listeners call my radio show and ask “why are so many Republicans #NeverTrump?” I answer with one word: "Money." They then ask if I really mean it when I say that many on the right opposing Trump are actually hoping for a Hillary Clinton win. Again I answer with one word: “Yes.” Which typically gets me a “really?” from the caller. So I explain.
His promised explanation rests on the flawed theory that all Trump opponents fall into one of four categories:
1. Establishment Republicans who are terrified of a paradigm shift in campaigning and governance.
2. Conservative purists who believed that Ted Cruz was handpicked by God, and can’t believe God lied to them.
3. CINOs (Conservatives In Name Only) who are really establishment types too afraid to admit that their inner social justice warriors are afraid of Trump.
4. Progressive Democrats.
This analysis is, at best, incomplete and uncharitable.  In light of Donald Trump's historically awful favorability ratings -- which Hillary Clinton is doing her best to match -- it is obvious that a great many Americans who fall into none of those columns have concluded that they will not vote for Trump.  This large swath of voters includes countless independent and apolitical people who have no familiarity with, or interest in, the fraught political circles that heatedly toss about loaded labels like "establishment" or "RINO/CINOs," and whose heterodox and often loosely-held ideologies disqualify them as committed progressives.  Cardillo's four silos also discount the existence of center-right conservatives who genuinely believe two things:  First, that Trump is vastly ignorant and temperamentally unfit for the presidency.  And second, that as a walking left-wing caricature of a conservative who is uniquely repellant to a number of ascendant voting demographics who will increasingly determine elections for decades to come, he poses a serious threat to the longer-term electoral prospects of conservatism (and, adding insult to injury, who also isn't even remotelyreliable conservative anyway).  Some of these center-right 'Never Trump' individuals have determined that for those reasons, Hillary Clinton is the lesser of two evils, and they'll support her.  Most, I'd wager, find her equally unacceptable -- a corrupt statist liar who will never, ever earn their vote.
Read the rest from Guy Benson HERE.


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2 comments:

cimbri said...

These so-called attacks are simply rejoinders to the NT push to get Hillary Clinton elected president. The NTs are out here every day trying to depress GOP turnout which of course, helps Hillary, so obviously there will be some pushback.

Remember the old saying - you're either with us or against us. That's the reality in an election between 2 sides. Many NTs need to quit playing rhetorical games and just admit they want Hillary to be elected president. Just come out and admit it.

cimbri said...

Also, Cardillo did hit the nail on the head. All the NTs fall into one of those categories.