By William McRight
Around the interwebs, we are seeing an electronic Maginot Line being drawn. Conservatives and Republicans ( please notice they are not always the same group) are finally waking up to the fact that the GOP is in real danger of nominating a lifelong Democrat to be the party standard bearer. Funny cause the guy does not seem to have any standards.
We spent the weekend in the passionate throes of the #NeverTrump movement. There movement washed over much of the Conservative Commentariat and regular Joes and Joanne alike. At it’s peak it was trending with nearly half a million tweets and it has inexplicably disappeared and reappeared on the trending list multiple times. As one who knows everything you see on the internet is totally true, I am sure no shenanigans, messaging or data manipulation are involved. One thing is for sure. There are a LOT of people on this side of the fence who don’t like the guy. (What you cannot see right now is me raising my hand. He is awful. Ick.)
As #NeverTrump heated and tweeted up Friday into the weekend, it all developed in the wake of the contentious and heated GOP debate last week. A conscious shift in strategy from Senators #Crubio2016 (more on that later) was evident as a debate between them, a preeminent businessman, a world renowned neurosurgeon, and a Governor turned into the political equivalent of the most recent viral World Star Hip Hop Video. Three “Top Men” playing a political version of “The KnockOut Game.”
The strategy continued into Saturday as Cruz and Rubio continued raining body blows at the ersatz teeny fingered Mogul. Nothing was off limits. Rubio’s ears and prodigious self contained coolant issues, Trump’s nectarine like complexion and Lollipop Guild hands and Cruz supposed aversion to truth telling were also on the docket. Hot on the heels of Willard “Mitt” Romney’s call to examine Trump’s tax returns was Ted Cruz implying that perhaps Trump was guarding them as they may reveal alleged mafia ties. Anytime anyone talks about your involvement with some called “Fat Tony” good things are not happening for you. It was ugly, sorely needed and far over due. Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) and Liam Donovan (@LPDonovan), both National Review Contributors, have been proponents of “Attacking The Brand” as a way to confound and frustrate Trump. To their point, high minded rhetoric has shown little ability to throw Trump off his game, what little of it there may be. One would hope that this strategic theory was crafted as a joint operation between the Cruz and Rubio campaigns.
Is it possible that two solidly conservative Senator both looked in the mirror and said, “This is not working. We are throwing strikes and no one is swinging. Shall we change the game?” This space and my Twitter account (@sirvitup) have long advocated for a #Crubio2016 ticket. They complete each other in terms of wonkiness and electability. True Believers can only hope this is the case. We can be encouraged as voters as it shows that at least two of the remaining candidates (Why are the other two even there? The newly minted “BenJohn” ought to tell their story walking) are engaged and willing to put a knife between their teeth to win the nomination. They see their party and a conservative vision for America slipping away in a puff of sordid, ugly green marble, gold filigree, denied applications from Trump Mortgage and gristly Trump Steaks.
Mr. Trump executed his usual strategy of controlling the media cycle when he rolled out (sorry, that was mean) his newest Gubernatorial endorsement Chris Christie. Christie and Trump breathe the same smelly NY-NJ air and for most of the early campaign occupied the same “straight tough talker” space. While the move accomplished the goal of getting the news cycle to move off the Trump attacks, many recalled a long ago distant memory (three weeks ago) when Christie called Trump “unfit” and Trump called Christie “weak.” The move did not help control the cycle as planned however, as the withering attacks from #Crubio2016 continued all weekend unabated. Trump’s time in the barrel continued during his weekend interview with Jake Tapper. It was an awful unforced error and no matter how many times you read or watch it, there is still no excuse.
Tapper: I want to ask you about the Anti-Defamation League, which this week called on you to publicly condemn unequivocally the racism of former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke who recently said that voting against you at this point would be treason to your heritage. Will you unequivocally condemn David Duke and say you don't want his vote or that of other white supremacists in this election?
Trump: Just so you understand, I don't know anything about David Duke, ok? I don't know what you're even talking about with 'white supremacy' or 'white supremacist.' So, I don't know. I mean, I don't know, did he endorse me, or what's going on? Because, you know, I know nothing about David Duke. I know nothing about white supremacists. And so you're asking me a question that I'm supposed to be talking about people that i know nothing about.
Tapper: But I guess the question from the Anti-Defamation League is, even if you don't know about their endorsement, there are these groups and individuals endorsing you. Would you just say unequivocally you condemn them and you don't want their support?
Trump: Well, I have to look at the group. I mean, I don't know what group you're talking about. You wouldn't want me to condemn a group up that I know nothing about. I'd have to look. If you would send me a list of the groups, I will do research on them and certainly I would disavow them if I thought there was something wrong. But you may have groups in there that are totally fine and it would be very unfair...
Tapper: The Ku Klux Klan?
Trump: So give me a list of the groups and I'll let you know.
Tapper: I'm just talking about David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan here.
Trump: Honestly, I don't know David Duke. I don't believe I've ever met him, I'm pretty sure I didn't meet him, and I just don't know anything about him.
Yeesh. Even the always affable and pro Trump Joe Scarborough called it “disqualifying.” Trump has UNBELIEVABLY taken to now saying that he had a bad earpiece and could not hear what Tapper was asking. You see, what happens when you try and put toothpaste back in the tube is that you get all yucky, messy and embarrassed. Sometime it is better to wipe it up and move on. Trump capped his weekend with the endorsement of conservative Senator Jeff Sessions. This move while not surprising to some was actually a twofer. It mutes Ted Cruz argument about Sessions’ validity as an ally in the GO8 Fight and it puts Trump shockingly up 1-0 in Senate endorsements over Cruz. It also may have made the case that the good Senator from Alabama is certifiable.
The weekend culminated with another glorious “Open Letter” from Ben Sasse via Twitter questioning Trump’s veracity as an individual and a candidate. I’d imagine either part of #Crubio2016 would welcome a common sense endorser like Ben Sasse.
All of this begs the question: Is it too late for Conservatives to unite around a candidate or ticket that would save the Republic and all over us from being cut to bits under the wheels of the “Trump Train?” I’d say that we have time but not a great deal. If Cruz and Rubio can take some air out of Trump with wins on Super Tuesday time exists to solidify the #UnityTicket and get out ahead of the rest of the race. The expiration date on all of that might be the March 15th primaries. However, if Rubio offers a terrible showing tomorrow and wins nothing, that date may be moved to March 2. In either scenario, the sand is running low in the hour glass. Conservatives and Republicans must can the populist anger and be pragmatic. We can win with ideas and youthful conservatism. The GOP is a party of limited government, low taxes and strong national defense. We don’t elect people who have been supporting the progressive agenda their whole lives and cannot point clearly to a foxhole conversion to conservatism. So yes dear friends, it is time to listen to your Better Angels and save our Party, our Conservative Movement and our Republic.
It is Time To Take A Stand.
#NeverTrump.
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