The Conservative Betrayal

By William McRight

In thinking tactically, I think it now seems clear why so many of our supposed conservative “heroes” have openly doing nothing to slow the nomination of Donald Trump. For decades so many of these people have been the voice of reason of our radios and television.  Limbaugh, (Rush-not David. David seems to have not lost his mind) Hannity, Coulter, Fox News, Jeff Sessions, O’Reilly, Ingraham, Ben Carson, Sarah Palin, apostate mega church pastors have all made a decision to abandon anchoring, conservative principles in some sort of a wave of “voter anger.” The group as a whole ought to be reminded that being angry does not give you a free pass to be stupid and make irrational choices. In considering this it may be much more of a calculation than an endorsement. These villains have chosen their 30 pieces of silver in lieu of doing what they know if their heart is right for our government and our country.

All of the above mentioned made a great deal of their hay quixotically tilting against the Clinton Windmill.  One might posit that they view the next Clinton Administration as a revenue stream of ratings, books and speaking fees easily claimed by enabling an oafish “Republican” opponent that they are quite sure will get steamrolled in the general.  It will allow them to continue talking about the things that make all of us feel part of something bigger – in a word, conservatism, and how it is the only way government should be run. A Hillary Clinton administration will allow them to keep doing what they have been doing - cashing checks.  They will wave their papers and slam their desks in faux outrage about the Clinton machine while not realizing their enabling behavior of a terrible Republican candidate will have been the major factor in electing her.

Let’s remind ourselves that we are doing in this election what we have done over and over again. We are positioning and supporting in the case of Trump, at best, an extremely liberal Republican. (Although it is highly doubtful he is more than a barely moderate Progressive)  To remind everyone, that gets us a mouth full of kicked in teeth in the general election. Ask Presidents Romney, McCain and Dole. Republicans have as a very viable option the most conservative candidate in a generation, Ted Cruz, and the GOP and the media is doing everything in their power to limit his chances of winning.  Billions of free air time for an unqualified ill prepared Donald Trump. Party leadership disparages, disavows and demeans Cruz at every opportunity.  And now we are left with a candidate in John Kasich that no one wants or votes for (thanks Ohio) to further split votes and stick us with a Democrat as our nominee or our next President. If Trump and Hillary are the nominees we get a Democrat either way.

To the original point, all of the individuals mentioned had and still have a choice. Mathematically and otherwise the only Republican who can beat Trump on the numbers is Ted Cruz. The great fear is these individuals will consider self over principle and continue giving Trump the oxygen and air of legitimacy that his candidacy so desperately needs.  They will continue their willful suspension of disbelief that Trump will govern as a constitutional conservative.

Millions of us have watched Trump lie over and over again. We have listened to him contradict himself in the matter of minutes on two different networks. We have listened to him say that on foreign policy, he is consulting with himself because he has a good brain and says a lot of things.  He has committed hundreds of missteps, half truths and outright lies captured on film and the aforementioned “conservatives” continue to lend him an air of legitimacy that he does not deserve and has not earned. He is a master manipulator who will get to the office of President and clearly have no idea of what to do or how to do it.  When that happens the “conservatives” who gave him oxygen, legitimacy and credibility will have an awful lot to answer for.

For me in the voting booth, I will never, ever, in no way support for or vote for Trump, regardless of who tells me he is “one of us.” He is not. He never has been and never will be. I will no longer hold my nose because Rush and Sean tell me it is OK. I will vote principle and conservatism.

I will vote for Ted Cruz.