What has happened to conservatives in America?

By Rob Janicki

When did conservatives sell out their principles for the promises of a post constitutional presidential candidate that would do exactly what our post constitutional president has been doing for seven years, i.e. acting through the usurpation of law by issuing Executive Orders that are obviously unconstitutional?

I find it difficult to follow the thinking of those who support a coarse and crude individual and his post constitutional presidential candidacy as he seeks to follow in the footsteps of a post constitutional president who has already made a mockery of the rule of law?  How does a conservative raise his political principles by sinking to the level of liberals?  Some say conservatives must fight fire with fire.  To these people, I say you need to rethink that idea, because you become just as unethical and immoral as those liberals you castigate.

I further find it incomprehensible, if not completely unbelievable, when supporters of Donald Trump call him a patriot and accord him other such similar laurels associated with what was once called constitutional conservatism.

Trump has told these same self proclaimed patriots of what he would do as president, even though it is obvious that many of his proclamations are patently false and unconstitutional on their face.  Other than a policy paper on restructuring our failed tax system, exactly what has Donald Trump laid out on how he will accomplish his outlandish plans to "Make America Great Again"?  He hasn't because he knows that too many people would actually see through his make believe political pronouncements.

Have conservatives, or those who claim to be conservatives, entered a post constitutional period in American history that I am unaware of?  When did it become mandated that conservatives give up their political principles to someone who would then violate the rule of law in order to establish his vision of the constitution?  Exactly where did Donald Trump study conservative political principles, the Constitution and the Rule of Law that flows from that document?  

Either you believe in the rule of law or you believe in the rule of man.  Count me as one who believes in the rule of law, rather than in the rule of someone who engages in populist nationalist jingoistic rhetoric and the emotional sophistry of false action words that such sycophants desperately want to hear.  

There are approximately 35 days until the Iowa caucuses cast their votes for the candidates of their choice.  This result will be more telling in determining whether the folks of middle America are willing to trade their conservative principles for political expediency led by someone who has spent his adult life supporting liberal political positions and liberal politicians.  My hope is that the Republicans attending and voting in these caucuses will refuse to follow someone so willing to throw aside conservative principles for personal political expediency and autocratic authoritarian leadership.