I reminded folks that I’m a conservative, but I said conservative policies aren’t good enough. Decency, honesty and compassion matter, too. But they wanted nothing to do with it. There was more booing, more yelling, and I caught a middle finger or two. I’m a big boy, and I can take a tough crowd, but leaving the caucus that night, I realized once and for all that nobody can beat Trump in a Republican primary. Not just because it’s become his party, but because it has become a cult, and he’s a cult leader. He doesn’t have supporters; he has followers. And in their eyes, he can do no wrong.
They’re being spoon-fed a daily dose of B.S. from “conservative” media. They don’t know what the truth is and—more importantly—they don’t care. There’s nothing that any Republican challenger can do to break them out of this spell. (Thanks, Hannity.)
— Joe Walsh, who ended his primary challenge to Donald Trump for the Republican nomination yesterday, and apparently gave up on the GOP as well.
7 Comments
Mr. Walsh has excellent “conservative” credentials.
But please remember this: “Conservatives” helped create what we have today in the Republican Party over the last 50-plus years of lies and political fraud coming from the mouths and “minds” of conservatives. These conservatives are in denial about their contributions to the creation of today’s political situation.
Today, “Conservatives” like Mr. Walsh and others like George Will, Bill Kristol (Sr. & Jr.), Grover Norquist and others, sit on the sidelines bemoaning how horrible Republican Party has become and how it isn’t “conservatism” at all. Except it is the epitome of conservatism.
I’m not sure I can agree with that. All politicians have a strong desire, if not need, to win. If they don’t win their election, they then have no say, no power, and often, no future. And this is the system that has driven people (and I’ll say it, on both sides) to do things that go against their beliefs, in order to win.
You know, like getting into bed with Fox News and Rush Limbaugh, in order to win.
I think there are still some people who hold actual conservative values. But I don’t know if they will ever be a force in the Republican party again. And I agree with you — it was their own fault.
As a conservative myself and a former republican, this has been particularly upsetting. While there has always been partisanship and politicians twisting the truth to fit their narrative, Trump has taken it to a new level, cultivating a cult of personality in the model of “great” dictators of the past and present.
Since the death of John McCain, there is no one inside the party willing to speak out against him. The more moral congressmen have been purged, administration has been repeated cleansed of dissenting voices, sycophants elevated, and “conservative” TV, social media and radio walks in lockstep (almost like it was planned, wink wink) to reverberate the messages.
If you watch his rally’s and the interviews with attendees (or talk to most Trump supporters) you can see that they don’t know the truth or even care frankly. We have been moving closer and closer to the Orwellian 1984 for years and Trump forces a HUGE leap.
Well put, Mark.
I know I sound like a flaming liberal most of the time, but I am definitely a moderate (meaning that I agree will both conservative and liberal principles, and actually often don’t find them that much in opposition to each other as much as the two parties would have you believe.)
I’m really happy to have some conservative (as opposed to Trumpian) voices speak up in this blog (in case he doesn’t realize it, I especially welcome Hassan). So welcome to Mark too.
To be honest i’m not sure what it means to be a conservative or a liberal these days.The republican party is pretty much entire behind someone who gives a new meaning to “deficit”
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/09/politics/trump-budget-plan-deficit/index.html
And “liberals” these days aren’t fond of new ideas other than their own. Its their way or a boycott.
Joe Walsh only says what will get Joe Walsh on the news. Look up ‘Pander’ in the dictionary and you’ll find his picture. After reading any of his quotes, I feel the need to wash out my eyeballs with soap and water. He is an embarrassment to our species.
Pandering or not Walsh told the truth. I have a friend who announced she is now a one issue voter- Defeat ALL Republicans.
A woman I have known for many years (She and her Husband had a church) told me all Democrats are going to hell. Trump put prayer back into schools, is ending abortions, and another issue that Trumps own words debunked the day after. Some people will believe anything.