How the right lost its mind, sold its soul and embraced Donald Trump: Article by By Charles Sykes On 9/21/17 at 8:00 AM...

tommymore

Article by By Charles Sykes On 9/21/17 at 8:00 AM
http://www.newsweek.com/2017/09/29/right-lost-mind-embraced-donald-trump-668180.html

This is a painful story for me to write.

For a quarter of a century, I was a major part of the conservative movement. But like many on the right, in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory I had to ask some uncomfortable questions. The 2016 p**********l campaign was a brutal, disillusioning slog, and there came a moment when I realized that conservatives had created an alternate reality bubble—one that I had helped shape.

During the 2016 e******n, conservatives turned on the principles that had once animated them. Somehow a movement based on real ideas—such as economic freedom and limited government—had devolved into a tribe that valued neither principle nor t***h; luminaries such as Edmund Burke and William F. Buckley Jr. had been replaced by media clowns such as Ann Coulter and Milo Yiannopoulos.

Icons such as Ronald Reagan—with his optimism and geniality—had been supplanted by the dark, erratic narcissism of Donald Trump. Gradualism, expertise and prudence—the values that once were taken for granted among conservatives—were replaced by polls and ratings spikes, as the right allowed liberal overreach in the Obama era to blind them to the crackpots and bigots in their midst.

Some have argued that the e******n was a binary choice, that Hillary Clinton had to be defeated by any means. I share many of their concerns about Clinton, but the price was ruinous. The right’s e*******l victory has not wiped away its sins. It has magnified them, and the problems that were exposed during the 2016 campaign haven’t disappeared. Success does not necessarily imply virtue or sanity. Kings can be both mad and bad, and the courtiers are usually loath to point out the obvious—just look at Caligula or Kim Jong Un.

Today, with Trump in office, the problems of the right are the problems of all Americans. And the worst part of it is that we—conservatives—did this to ourselves.
Donald Trump is the president we deserve.

Trump, however, exploited such divisions for his own gain. He tapped into something disturbing that we had ignored and perhaps nurtured—a shift from freedom to authoritarianism, from American “exceptionalism” to nativism and xenophobia. From his hard line on immigration and rebuttal of free trade to his strange fascination with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump represented a dramatic repudiation of the values that had once defined the movement.
If Reagan were alive, he would hardly recognize his party—or the walls it had erected.

vernon

tommymore wrote:

Article by By Charles Sykes On 9/21/17 at 8:00 AM
http://www.newsweek.com/2017/09/29/right-lost-mind-embraced-donald-trump-668180.html

This is a painful story for me to write.

For a quarter of a century, I was a major part of the conservative movement. But like many on the right, in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory I had to ask some uncomfortable questions. The 2016 p**********l campaign was a brutal, disillusioning slog, and there came a moment when I realized that conservatives had created an alternate reality bubble—one that I had helped shape.

During the 2016 e******n, conservatives turned on the principles that had once animated them. Somehow a movement based on real ideas—such as economic freedom and limited government—had devolved into a tribe that valued neither principle nor t***h; luminaries such as Edmund Burke and William F. Buckley Jr. had been replaced by media clowns such as Ann Coulter and Milo Yiannopoulos.

Icons such as Ronald Reagan—with his optimism and geniality—had been supplanted by the dark, erratic narcissism of Donald Trump. Gradualism, expertise and prudence—the values that once were taken for granted among conservatives—were replaced by polls and ratings spikes, as the right allowed liberal overreach in the Obama era to blind them to the crackpots and bigots in their midst.

Some have argued that the e******n was a binary choice, that Hillary Clinton had to be defeated by any means. I share many of their concerns about Clinton, but the price was ruinous. The right’s e*******l victory has not wiped away its sins. It has magnified them, and the problems that were exposed during the 2016 campaign haven’t disappeared. Success does not necessarily imply virtue or sanity. Kings can be both mad and bad, and the courtiers are usually loath to point out the obvious—just look at Caligula or Kim Jong Un.

Today, with Trump in office, the problems of the right are the problems of all Americans. And the worst part of it is that we—conservatives—did this to ourselves.
Donald Trump is the president we deserve.

Trump, however, exploited such divisions for his own gain. He tapped into something disturbing that we had ignored and perhaps nurtured—a shift from freedom to authoritarianism, from American “exceptionalism” to nativism and xenophobia. From his hard line on immigration and rebuttal of free trade to his strange fascination with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump represented a dramatic repudiation of the values that had once defined the movement.
If Reagan were alive, he would hardly recognize his party—or the walls it had erected.

Article by By Charles Sykes On 9/21/17 at 8:00 AM ... (show quote)

The author of this article is nothing more than a Trump h**er,full of accusations and distortions .I personally v**ed for Trump for one major reason
the demorats were carrying this country to out and out socialism and clinton would have finished obamas work.Now you claim to be conservative,
but from your words i have to assume you are just another rino liberal with socialism on the brain.

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

tommymore wrote:

Article by By Charles Sykes On 9/21/17 at 8:00 AM
http://www.newsweek.com/2017/09/29/right-lost-mind-embraced-donald-trump-668180.html

This is a painful story for me to write.

For a quarter of a century, I was a major part of the conservative movement. But like many on the right, in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory I had to ask some uncomfortable questions. The 2016 p**********l campaign was a brutal, disillusioning slog, and there came a moment when I realized that conservatives had created an alternate reality bubble—one that I had helped shape.

During the 2016 e******n, conservatives turned on the principles that had once animated them. Somehow a movement based on real ideas—such as economic freedom and limited government—had devolved into a tribe that valued neither principle nor t***h; luminaries such as Edmund Burke and William F. Buckley Jr. had been replaced by media clowns such as Ann Coulter and Milo Yiannopoulos.

Icons such as Ronald Reagan—with his optimism and geniality—had been supplanted by the dark, erratic narcissism of Donald Trump. Gradualism, expertise and prudence—the values that once were taken for granted among conservatives—were replaced by polls and ratings spikes, as the right allowed liberal overreach in the Obama era to blind them to the crackpots and bigots in their midst.

Some have argued that the e******n was a binary choice, that Hillary Clinton had to be defeated by any means. I share many of their concerns about Clinton, but the price was ruinous. The right’s e*******l victory has not wiped away its sins. It has magnified them, and the problems that were exposed during the 2016 campaign haven’t disappeared. Success does not necessarily imply virtue or sanity. Kings can be both mad and bad, and the courtiers are usually loath to point out the obvious—just look at Caligula or Kim Jong Un.

Today, with Trump in office, the problems of the right are the problems of all Americans. And the worst part of it is that we—conservatives—did this to ourselves.
Donald Trump is the president we deserve.

Trump, however, exploited such divisions for his own gain. He tapped into something disturbing that we had ignored and perhaps nurtured—a shift from freedom to authoritarianism, from American “exceptionalism” to nativism and xenophobia. From his hard line on immigration and rebuttal of free trade to his strange fascination with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump represented a dramatic repudiation of the values that had once defined the movement.
If Reagan were alive, he would hardly recognize his party—or the walls it had erected.

Article by By Charles Sykes On 9/21/17 at 8:00 AM ... (show quote)

I h**e to add insult to injury, or injury to insult depending on where you're at - but you were warned, repeatedly and not by some hack from the left. Some of us had no dog in that hunt, but wound up being hunted. I'm talking about the non partisan Centrists that exist.

It WAS a binary choice, by design, a design created by Republicans and Democrats in 1864 and allowed to become law in all but name. I was attacked by the left for warning against Hillary Clinton and attacked by the right for warning against Donald Trump.........and all of America acted as though those were the only two choices - there were other names on the b****t.

Americans have become schizophrenic where politics is concerned ( perhaps about many things ). Some v**ed for Clinton because they believed in her policies, some v**ed for Trump because he had none, but had some good marketing. Some v**ed for Clinton to avoid Trump, some v**ed for Trump to avoid Clinton. 2/3 of America did not v**e at all.......to avoid both of them.

Tell me; who has knowledge about the Libertarian primaries? The green party primaries? ANY primary not repub or dem? Repubs and dems refuse to debate with anyone not a repub or dem. National networks ( other than PBS and NPR ) refuse to cover any debates other than repub and dem. P**********l candidates don't allow anyone not dem or repub to appear in debates( one exception; Ross Perro who was rich enough to BUY a podium ).

There are financial conservatives, social conservatives, liberals and moderates who are non partisan Centrists. Centrists look for ideas and concepts that bring ALL citizens under the Constitutional umbrella.............and that THAT determine ideology..............everyone else does the opposite and try to force the Constitution to comply.

Kevyn

tommymore wrote:

Article by By Charles Sykes On 9/21/17 at 8:00 AM
http://www.newsweek.com/2017/09/29/right-lost-mind-embraced-donald-trump-668180.html

This is a painful story for me to write.

For a quarter of a century, I was a major part of the conservative movement. But like many on the right, in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory I had to ask some uncomfortable questions. The 2016 p**********l campaign was a brutal, disillusioning slog, and there came a moment when I realized that conservatives had created an alternate reality bubble—one that I had helped shape.

During the 2016 e******n, conservatives turned on the principles that had once animated them. Somehow a movement based on real ideas—such as economic freedom and limited government—had devolved into a tribe that valued neither principle nor t***h; luminaries such as Edmund Burke and William F. Buckley Jr. had been replaced by media clowns such as Ann Coulter and Milo Yiannopoulos.

Icons such as Ronald Reagan—with his optimism and geniality—had been supplanted by the dark, erratic narcissism of Donald Trump. Gradualism, expertise and prudence—the values that once were taken for granted among conservatives—were replaced by polls and ratings spikes, as the right allowed liberal overreach in the Obama era to blind them to the crackpots and bigots in their midst.

Some have argued that the e******n was a binary choice, that Hillary Clinton had to be defeated by any means. I share many of their concerns about Clinton, but the price was ruinous. The right’s e*******l victory has not wiped away its sins. It has magnified them, and the problems that were exposed during the 2016 campaign haven’t disappeared. Success does not necessarily imply virtue or sanity. Kings can be both mad and bad, and the courtiers are usually loath to point out the obvious—just look at Caligula or Kim Jong Un.

Today, with Trump in office, the problems of the right are the problems of all Americans. And the worst part of it is that we—conservatives—did this to ourselves.
Donald Trump is the president we deserve.

Trump, however, exploited such divisions for his own gain. He tapped into something disturbing that we had ignored and perhaps nurtured—a shift from freedom to authoritarianism, from American “exceptionalism” to nativism and xenophobia. From his hard line on immigration and rebuttal of free trade to his strange fascination with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump represented a dramatic repudiation of the values that had once defined the movement.
If Reagan were alive, he would hardly recognize his party—or the walls it had erected.

Article by By Charles Sykes On 9/21/17 at 8:00 AM ... (show quote)

This pretty accurately describes the current situation, although the flowering description of Reagan is rubbish Reagan was as crooked as Trump he just had better manners a better haircut and one fewer wife.

pafret Loc: Northeast

tommymore wrote:

Article by By Charles Sykes On 9/21/17 at 8:00 AM
http://www.newsweek.com/2017/09/29/right-lost-mind-embraced-donald-trump-668180.html

This is a painful story for me to write.

For a quarter of a century, I was a major part of the conservative movement. But like many on the right, in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory I had to ask some uncomfortable questions. The 2016 p**********l campaign was a brutal, disillusioning slog, and there came a moment when I realized that conservatives had created an alternate reality bubble—one that I had helped shape.

During the 2016 e******n, conservatives turned on the principles that had once animated them. Somehow a movement based on real ideas—such as economic freedom and limited government—had devolved into a tribe that valued neither principle nor t***h; luminaries such as Edmund Burke and William F. Buckley Jr. had been replaced by media clowns such as Ann Coulter and Milo Yiannopoulos.

Icons such as Ronald Reagan—with his optimism and geniality—had been supplanted by the dark, erratic narcissism of Donald Trump. Gradualism, expertise and prudence—the values that once were taken for granted among conservatives—were replaced by polls and ratings spikes, as the right allowed liberal overreach in the Obama era to blind them to the crackpots and bigots in their midst.

Some have argued that the e******n was a binary choice, that Hillary Clinton had to be defeated by any means. I share many of their concerns about Clinton, but the price was ruinous. The right’s e*******l victory has not wiped away its sins. It has magnified them, and the problems that were exposed during the 2016 campaign haven’t disappeared. Success does not necessarily imply virtue or sanity. Kings can be both mad and bad, and the courtiers are usually loath to point out the obvious—just look at Caligula or Kim Jong Un.

Today, with Trump in office, the problems of the right are the problems of all Americans. And the worst part of it is that we—conservatives—did this to ourselves.
Donald Trump is the president we deserve.

Trump, however, exploited such divisions for his own gain. He tapped into something disturbing that we had ignored and perhaps nurtured—a shift from freedom to authoritarianism, from American “exceptionalism” to nativism and xenophobia. From his hard line on immigration and rebuttal of free trade to his strange fascination with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump represented a dramatic repudiation of the values that had once defined the movement.
If Reagan were alive, he would hardly recognize his party—or the walls it had erected.

Article by By Charles Sykes On 9/21/17 at 8:00 AM ... (show quote)

This is nothing more than a progressive hit piece on Donald Trump. Virtually every assertion is in error or a lie.. Any price is cheap in comparison with allowing the Clinton Witch to become president. Dimwits like this, who claim to be conservative, wouldn't recognize a true conservative unless one stomped on him, which is what he deserves for this ridiculous diatribe.

saltwind 78 Loc: Murrells Inlet, South Carolina

vernon, You still haven't learned the definitions of capitalism, liberalism, conservatism, socialism, and c*******m. I suggest that you go back and take a high school course in government. God knows you certainly need it.

vernon wrote:

The author of this article is nothing more than a Trump h**er,full of accusations and distortions .I personally v**ed for Trump for one major reason
the demorats were carrying this country to out and out socialism and clinton would have finished obamas work.Now you claim to be conservative,
but from your words i have to assume you are just another rino liberal with socialism on the brain.

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

pafret wrote:

This is nothing more than a progressive hit piece on Donald Trump. Virtually every assertion is in error or a lie.. Any price is cheap in comparison with allowing the Clinton Witch to become president. Dimwits like this, who claim to be conservative, wouldn't recognize a true conservative unless one stomped on him, which is what he deserves for this ridiculous diatribe.

Thanks for proving the premise here. I once had a problem with roaches in my house..............so I burned the house down.

pafret Loc: Northeast

lpnmajor wrote:

I h**e to add insult to injury, or injury to insul... (show quote)

Given that all you say about the parties is true, it should be apparant that there is no chance that any party other than Democrat or Republican will prevail. It is therefore a waste of time to consider the merits of whomever will envitably be an also ran. In most years these third party candidates were pygmies rightfully consigned to the dustbin of obscurity. In some years they are spoilers, preventing the e******n of a potentially better man.

Anyone who v**ed for one of these candidates in the last e******n was playing dice with the future of our nation and they came close to crapping out. Fortunately the Clinton machine wasn't able to steal enough v**es.

pafret Loc: Northeast

lpnmajor wrote:

Thanks for proving the premise here. I once had a problem with roaches in my house..............so I burned the house down.

Good for you, consistent with your "thinking".

Super Dave Loc: Realville, USA

tommymore wrote:

Article by By Charles Sykes On 9/21/17 at 8:00 AM
http://www.newsweek.com/2017/09/29/right-lost-mind-embraced-donald-trump-668180.html

This is a painful story for me to write.

For a quarter of a century, I was a major part of the conservative movement. But like many on the right, in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory I had to ask some uncomfortable questions. The 2016 p**********l campaign was a brutal, disillusioning slog, and there came a moment when I realized that conservatives had created an alternate reality bubble—one that I had helped shape.

During the 2016 e******n, conservatives turned on the principles that had once animated them. Somehow a movement based on real ideas—such as economic freedom and limited government—had devolved into a tribe that valued neither principle nor t***h; luminaries such as Edmund Burke and William F. Buckley Jr. had been replaced by media clowns such as Ann Coulter and Milo Yiannopoulos.

Icons such as Ronald Reagan—with his optimism and geniality—had been supplanted by the dark, erratic narcissism of Donald Trump. Gradualism, expertise and prudence—the values that once were taken for granted among conservatives—were replaced by polls and ratings spikes, as the right allowed liberal overreach in the Obama era to blind them to the crackpots and bigots in their midst.

Some have argued that the e******n was a binary choice, that Hillary Clinton had to be defeated by any means. I share many of their concerns about Clinton, but the price was ruinous. The right’s e*******l victory has not wiped away its sins. It has magnified them, and the problems that were exposed during the 2016 campaign haven’t disappeared. Success does not necessarily imply virtue or sanity. Kings can be both mad and bad, and the courtiers are usually loath to point out the obvious—just look at Caligula or Kim Jong Un.

Today, with Trump in office, the problems of the right are the problems of all Americans. And the worst part of it is that we—conservatives—did this to ourselves.
Donald Trump is the president we deserve.

Trump, however, exploited such divisions for his own gain. He tapped into something disturbing that we had ignored and perhaps nurtured—a shift from freedom to authoritarianism, from American “exceptionalism” to nativism and xenophobia. From his hard line on immigration and rebuttal of free trade to his strange fascination with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump represented a dramatic repudiation of the values that had once defined the movement.
If Reagan were alive, he would hardly recognize his party—or the walls it had erected.

Article by By Charles Sykes On 9/21/17 at 8:00 AM ... (show quote)

Wow....

Trump has lost a Never-Trumper Elitist Establishmenter?

That's it, I'm done with Trump...

Loki Loc: Georgia

lpnmajor wrote:

I h**e to add insult to injury, or injury to insul... (show quote)

I used to v**e Libertarian. You realize that the Libertarian candidate had a Socialist running mate? That kind of was a dealbreaker for me.

Super Dave Loc: Realville, USA

Loki wrote:

I used to v**e Libertarian. You realize that the Libertarian candidate had a Socialist running mate? That kind of was a dealbreaker for me.

Little things mean a lot.

ldsuttonjr Loc: ShangriLa

tommymore wrote:

Article by By Charles Sykes On 9/21/17 at 8:00 AM
http://www.newsweek.com/2017/09/29/right-lost-mind-embraced-donald-trump-668180.html

This is a painful story for me to write.

For a quarter of a century, I was a major part of the conservative movement. But like many on the right, in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory I had to ask some uncomfortable questions. The 2016 p**********l campaign was a brutal, disillusioning slog, and there came a moment when I realized that conservatives had created an alternate reality bubble—one that I had helped shape.

During the 2016 e******n, conservatives turned on the principles that had once animated them. Somehow a movement based on real ideas—such as economic freedom and limited government—had devolved into a tribe that valued neither principle nor t***h; luminaries such as Edmund Burke and William F. Buckley Jr. had been replaced by media clowns such as Ann Coulter and Milo Yiannopoulos.

Icons such as Ronald Reagan—with his optimism and geniality—had been supplanted by the dark, erratic narcissism of Donald Trump. Gradualism, expertise and prudence—the values that once were taken for granted among conservatives—were replaced by polls and ratings spikes, as the right allowed liberal overreach in the Obama era to blind them to the crackpots and bigots in their midst.

Some have argued that the e******n was a binary choice, that Hillary Clinton had to be defeated by any means. I share many of their concerns about Clinton, but the price was ruinous. The right’s e*******l victory has not wiped away its sins. It has magnified them, and the problems that were exposed during the 2016 campaign haven’t disappeared. Success does not necessarily imply virtue or sanity. Kings can be both mad and bad, and the courtiers are usually loath to point out the obvious—just look at Caligula or Kim Jong Un.

Today, with Trump in office, the problems of the right are the problems of all Americans. And the worst part of it is that we—conservatives—did this to ourselves.
Donald Trump is the president we deserve.

Trump, however, exploited such divisions for his own gain. He tapped into something disturbing that we had ignored and perhaps nurtured—a shift from freedom to authoritarianism, from American “exceptionalism” to nativism and xenophobia. From his hard line on immigration and rebuttal of free trade to his strange fascination with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump represented a dramatic repudiation of the values that had once defined the movement.
If Reagan were alive, he would hardly recognize his party—or the walls it had erected.

Article by By Charles Sykes On 9/21/17 at 8:00 AM ... (show quote)

tommymore: This is why you lost your mind and sold your soul to the Cultural C*******t & demorat party!!!!!

vernon

saltwind 78 wrote:

vernon, You still haven't learned the definitions of capitalism, liberalism, conservatism, socialism, and c*******m. I suggest that you go back and take a high school course in government. God knows you certainly need it.

Well this is your chance.Please explain the differences you mentioned .The way you speak you must be expert on these subjects so please help me understand.Thank you.

Loki Loc: Georgia

Super Dave wrote:

Little things mean a lot.

Having a Socialist/Democrat from Taxachusetts as a running mate for someone who claims to be a Libertarian is NOT a "little thing." It is a sellout of the Libertarian platform that I used to support back when it was not Diet Democrat.