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It’s a sign of Conservatism Inc.’s desperation that they are turning to Ted Cruz to stop Donald Trump. With Jeb! a joke, Christie floundering, Carson cratering, and Rubio’s “momentum” looking like wishful thinking by the consultants, even “Establishment” Republicans recognize they may need Ted Cruz, the Texas Senator who has been the bête noire of Capital Hill Republicans since he entered office, to save the Party and the “Movement” from Donald Trump. But the question for patriots outside the Beltway: is it more important to save the existing “Conservative Movement”—or build a new one to save the country?
Desperation can be seen in the speed with which Conservatism Inc.’s bigwigs are moving to consolidate behind Cruz. At the heart of this effort: the Religious Right organizations, spearheaded by Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council (like us, a “hate group” according to the $PLC). Perkins summoned dozens of conservative leaders to form a collective known as “The Group” to unite and marshal their support behind one candidate early in the primaries. After heavy debate, they choose Cruz over Rubio in a meeting at Northern Virginia hotel.
National Review’s Tim Alberta writes:
The impact was felt immediately on the 2016 campaign. Three prominent participants—direct-mail pioneer and longtime activist Richard Viguerie, the National Organization for Marriage’s Brian Brown, and The Family Leader’s Bob Vander Plaats—announced their support of Cruz within 72 hours of the meeting at the Sheraton.
[Inside the Secret Meeting Where Conservative Leaders Pledged Allegiance to Ted Cruz, December 14, 2015]
Cruz is counting on evangelicals to deliver him a victory in Iowa and is even trying to sap Donald Trump’s strength in the Deep South.
Significantly, Cruz is also taking action to guard his greatest vulnerability—on immigration. He’s rallied the man VDARE.com calls “America’s Senator,” Jeff Sessions, to his defense.
Refuting charges Cruz had favored some kind of an Amnesty/Immigration Surge and accusations of double talk from Marco Rubio (who would know), Sessions defended Cruz at a Saturday rally in Alabama, saying the Texas Senator was with Sessions “every step of the way” when fighting the Gang of Eight bill [Defiant Jeff Sessions on ‘Gang of Eight’: ‘Every Step of the Way, Ted Cruz was on my side, by Jeff Poor, Breitbart, December 19, 2015]
Sessions also squarely identified Marco Rubio as the man who “wrote” and “created” the Gang of Eight Bill—which will make it even more difficult for Rubio to squirm out of his prior positions [Ted Cruz, with Jeff Sessions at his side, toughens immigration stance during Daphne speech, by John Sharp, AL.com,December 20, 2015]
Cruz has also received the endorsements of former Congressmen Tom Tancredo and Steve King, neither of whom need any introduction to immigration patriots.
Yet the fact remains that Cruz has a checkered record on immigration. He undoubtedly advocated Amnesty in 2013, even if he ultimately did not support the Gang of Eight bill [Ted Cruz Jettisons 2013 Compromise on Immigration, by Jay Root and Patrick Svitek, The Texas Tribune, December 16, 2015]. More importantly, even now Cruz appears to be leaving a door open for a later Amnesty/Immigration Surge.
Obviously, Cruz’s recent moves towards Trump’s immigration stance arise from a purely political calculation. And Cruz dueling Rubio on the battleground of immigration does nothing to help the Texas Senator displace Trump, who is, after all, still the undisputed frontrunner.
Yet there is a strategy here. Cruz is, in his own words, trying to restore the “old Reagan coalition” [Exclusive: Ted Cruz Lays Out Pathway to National Victory on Grassroots Strength: ‘Reassemble That Old Reagan Coalition’ by Matthew Boyle,Breitbart, December 12, 2015]. Congressional Republicans and donors will grumble, but they’ll support Cruz over Trump as Cruz will “govern in line with congressional Republicans’ policy preferences [GOP leaders hate Ted Cruz, but he may be their last best hope, by Matthew Yglesias, Vox, December 14, 2015] Cruz is assuming that if the Beltway institutions unite around him, he can consolidate support (and funding) and edge out Trump by appearing the more “electable” alternative—all without attacking him.
The irony is that it is only because Trump has shifted the Overton Window, and also has destroyed much-touted rivals like Rick Perry, Scott Walker and (just about) Jeb Bush, that Cruz is even competitive.
Cruz has been a largely consistent Movement Conservative. But immigration barely appears on his “to do” list and there’s little evidence he sees the issue as important.
The fact is that Immigration patriots have long been trapped as simply part of the “Right wing” of the conservative movement. And being the “right of the Right” is a problem for three major reasons.
- It turns immigration into just another issue, rather than a core priority. And when other elements of the Republican coalition (namely donors) want cheap labor, congressmen, Senators, and even conservative nonprofit heads tend to listen to the donors rather than anti-immigration voters.
- It makes immigration a one-party issue. Even blue-collar oriented Democrat Jim Webb was disappointing on immigration during his presidential campaign.
- Immigration patriotism becomes associated with Conservatism Inc.’s policy panoply, which includes positions like free trade and a neoconservative foreign policy.
But Donald Trump has changed everything. He has created the potential for a different movement altogether. Not only is immigration at the center of his campaign, it’s part of a larger agenda that is genuinely different from the “movement conservatism” of Ted Cruz:
- Trade. Trump has been a vocal opponent of bad trade deals, while Cruz is a supporter of “free trade,” even vocally backing Trade Promotion Authority for months before opportunistically voting against it when it no longer mattered [Cruz reverses support for TPA trade bill, blasts GOP leaders, by Manu Raju,Politico, June 23, 2015]
- Safety Net. Trump is opposed to raising the retirement age for Social Security while Cruz supports it [Where the presidential candidates stand on Social Security, by Steve Vernon, MoneyWatch, November 23, 2015] Trump is also placing the protection of Medicare at the center of his campaign, defying conservative movement dogma [Debate over Medicare, Social Security, other federal benefits divides GOP, by Robert Costa and Ed O’Keefe,Washington Post, November 4, 2015]
- Russia. Trump has famously promised he’d get along with Vladimir Putin, praised Putin’s actions in Syria and has received compliments from the Russian leader; Cruz sticks to the usual anti-Russian rhetoric of the conservative movement calling Putin a “KGB thug” and saying America should undertake more intervention in the Middle East to confront Russia [Ted Cruz: Russia-US tensions increasing over weak foreign policy, by Sandy Fitzgerald,Newsmax, October 7, 2015]
- Christianity. Ted Cruz notoriously called a group of Middle Eastern Christians “consumed with hate” for being insufficiently pro-Israeli while Trump has defended Middle Eastern Christians as a group that is “under assault” from Islamic terrorism [Trump: Absolutely An Assault on Christianity, by Joe Kovacs, WND, August 25, 2015]. At the same time, while Trump has been quick to defend American Christians from cultural assaults, he is also probably the Republican “most friendly” to gay rights, as homosexual columnist Mark Stern has mischievously noted [Of course Donald Trump is the Most Pro-Gay Republican Presidential Candidate, Slate, December 18, 2015]
While Cruz wants to rebuild the “old Reagan coalition” and simply turn out the evangelical vote, Trump wants to win back Reagan Democrats and build a new coalition of independents, blue collar workers, whites who had given up on the political process, and perhaps a surprising number of minority voters. And while Trump-style conservatism isn’t totally different from traditional economistic“Movement Conservatism,” there is far less rhetorical emphasis on “limited government” and moral issues and far more emphasis on nationalism, especially when it comes to trade and immigration.
In this respect, Trump (like Sessions) is advocating something more like the immigration-critical, pro-worker “National Conservatism” that has emerged in Europe.
Of course, considering the Beltway Right’s total failure in “limiting government” or promoting “traditional values,” it’s hard to see what practical difference Trump vs. Cruz really makes from a libertarian or Christian perspective. Even Cruz no longer speaks of reversing homosexual marriage.
Indeed, Trump isn’t a total clean break with the Conservative Movement. Ann Coulter i s of course on board the Trump Train and legendary pro-family and conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly speaks warmly of The Donald. Former Constitution Party presidential candidate and Congressman Virgil Goode has also enthusiastically endorsed Trump and is working as part of Trump’s Virginia team.
The real divide on the American right today: between those who think a new approach, a new coalition, and new alliances are needed—and those who think that, if we can just get a “true conservative” like Cruz, it won’t be like all those other false dawns…this time!
But to borrow one of Marco Rubio’s more banal slogans for my own purposes: “This election is about the future.” And in an age dominated by questions of terrorism, immigration, and above all identity, it’s hard to see why the American Right should once again turn to an approach that’s been failing for decades.
After all, what good is a “conservative movement” that doesn’t think it’s important to conserve the American nation itself?
James Kirkpatrick [Email him] is a Beltway veteran and a refugee from Conservatism Inc.
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Job number one is excluding Hillary from the White House. Donald Trump has the best fighting ability to do this. I also go along with Trumps hybrid conservative populist appeal. But if somehow we end up with a President Cruz I can accept this. Cruz is far above the other Republican contenders.
On my scale Trump is a 10 and Cruz is a 7. Jeb is a 1. Rubio is a 3.
in my opinion, the assessment of the situation as presented here by Kirkpatrick is the best description of what is really going on. Trump’s success is partially due to the fact that he is not a small gov’t republican, and because he seems committed to keeping social security/medicare strong….and in the recent past he has said that he believes that we have a duty to provide medical care to all. Partly because of this centrist aspect to his platform, I think trump will easily defeat the Democratic candidate once trump gets the nomination.
also, this quote from the article is dead on:
“The real divide on the American right today: between those who think a new approach, a new coalition, and new alliances are needed—and those who think that, if we can just get a “true conservative” like Cruz, it won’t be like all those other false dawns…this time!”
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So true! Isn’t it about time we drop the search for conservative politicians. Conservative politicians do not represent the white majority. They have proven that time and time over the past few decades.
Well stated. Long ago I realized I was no longer “conservative” as there was pretty much nothing left to conserve.
Brimelow has often spoken of a personal anecdote of his from the early 80’s where he tells an old girlfriend “I’m an anti-communist and it’s likely we’re going to lose.” Well now that has come to pass.
The Left are now the Establishment Conservatives. Weirdness all around.
Interesting times are upon us.
So basically, from our perspective Hillary will try to push feminist rioters;Trump evangelical missionaries.
Wonder how cuck Trump will act when Sikhs started killing 100s millions christians/muslims? 😀
The real loser is the Constitution and limited government. The American people no longer want freedom, just a strong leader to save them. Doesn’t matter whether he’s communist or fascist, liberal or conservative. Anything but self-rule.
Genetic Übermensch, Khan Noonien, is that you?
It is now one minute before Midnight, and you are talking about National Conservatism?..WTF?
The narcissistic homosexual Kenyan Foreigner and his majority non-white voting-bloc are waging an over-the-top-violent-race-war against The Historic Native Born White American Majority. The only proper response….the only viable option for our people…is Populist Racial Nationalism. Resurrecting the corpse of Cold War Reagan and Cold War JFK is a racial death sentence. Playing policy wonkery with an enemy who wants The Historic Native Born White American Majority dead is a death sentence for our People.
Trump can’t win because of the passage of the 1965 Immigration Reform Act.
Nothing less than reversing the demographic transformation of the US will prevent the complete destruction of The Historic Native Born White American Majority.
There has to be a grassroots tsunami of Native Born White American race-revolts across the US. No more Negro Ball Sports Entertainment….No more vdare.com friendly policy wonkery to the Republican Party.
“Toto…I don’t think we are in Kansas anymore….”
At the most fundamental level, our mortal enemy are the Greedy Cheating Psychopathic White Male MEGA-CEOs……It’s Guillotine Time!!!!! for this fucking SLIME!!!!!
Whoa! Why don’t you tell us what you really think! The pressure appears to be building. Madame Dufarge, call your office!
Maybe the cuckishness of western civilization is inevitable since the Christian religion begins with the biggest cuck story ever.
Joseph’s wife Mary is pregnant with the child of another Being.
Jesus isn’t the son of Joseph but the Son of God.
He was cucked big time…but he accepted his fate. He accepted the humiliation as a blessing.
So,western male psychology has been conditioned by 2000 yrs of Christianity to resign itself to cucking out to the higher being.
Since Jews and blacks are worshiped as godlike figures–Holocaust, MLK, black athletes & music stars as heroes–, it is no wonder that so many white guys cuck out to these new gods.
They consider it a honor to act before them how Joseph acted before God.
Eyes Wide Shut takes place during Christmas time, and Bill Harford has the Joseph Blues.
Groovy Blair and Priss!!! Right on!!
As Philip Giraldi said earlier that no matter who wins among the American traitors, such as, Cruz, Trump, Hillary, Ben Carson, Bernie Sanders, etc. etc. – It’s Israel and not Americans who would be the winner in the long run.
Why, Israeli Jews remind American White Christians their ancestors’ racism, bigotry and mass murders.
A recent video (watch below) showing Zionist Jews celebrating the death of 18-month-old Ali Dawabsheh during a wedding party, is the latest example of the ZioNazi Israeli cancer in the Middle East. Carrying weapons, the terrorist Jews even stabbed the photo of baby Ali Dawabsheh.
On July 31, 2015, a group of young Jews hurled a Molotov cocktail through a window of the Dawabsheh’s home. Saad Dawabsheh’s 18-month-old son, Ali, was killed in the blaze, while his other son, 4, and his wife were seriously injured. Saad later died of injuries he sustained in the attack.
Three Jewish youths were held in administrative detention following the deadly arson attack. However, Israel’s internal security agency, Shin Bet, has yet to gather enough evidence concerning the attack on the Dawabshehs to charge the suspects, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported. That means, the three terrorist Jews would be set free eventually, because killing of non-Jewish people is blessed by Talmudic rabbis….
http://rehmat1.com/2015/12/25/israeli-jews-celebrate-killing-of-a-muslim-toddler/
Every time I hear the phrase ‘Reagan conservative’ I just roll my eyes and tune out. The guy’s been dead over 20 years; it’s time the Republican party gave him a rest.
As critical of Trump as I sometimes am, I have to say that’s one thing about the guy I do respect – namely, he seems to be his own man. He doesn’t go around describing himself as a ‘Reagan Republican’ or an ‘FDR Democrat’. Politicians who do that are basically telling me that, on their own, they’re nothing, so that’s why they have to go around name-dropping. That’s why they have to dig up some corpse and use it as a brand.
Seamus
Ronnie Reagan Republican=inner-core-rectum-slime of the Republican Party=Carly Fiorina=1950s-1980s Texas White Elite Political Culture=JR Dallas+SMU Football boosters=supplying SMU Negro Football Players with White Blond-haired Blue Eyed Coeds=Cold War against Russia=Civil Rights Act for Blacks=passage of the 1965 Immigration Reform Act=The simultaneous racial extermination of The Historic Native Born White American Majority+the Thermonuclear Extermination of the Conservative Orthodox Christian Russian People in the name of homo-pedophile filth legal marriage by a narcissistic homosexual Kenyan Foreigner War Criminal.
Huh?
White people need a racial and cultural union.
Workers had Labor Unions to protect their interest.
So, if a single worker was wronged by the bosses, ALL workers got behind him and threatened collective action.
White folks need this kind of unity based on their own racial identity and cultural values.
In a globalized world where corporations are whoreporations of globalist oligarchs, we need to rely more on race and culture. In the past, economics used to be national and even racial.
American companies were about white American power.
But whites can no longer rely on economics as a source of national power because the globalist corporations no longer have national allegiances.
That being the case, we need Racial and Cultural Unions.
Take the ‘gay marriage’ stuff. When the globalists were shoving it down our throats and up our arses, we remained divided. We didn’t unite and call for a national strike against the globalists.
The new union must be race-ist. Union based on economics is meaningless in a world where the globalists can hire and fire people all over the globe. The entire world economy has been scab-ized. And immigrants serve as an endless source of scab labor for the globalists. It’s a Scab in the Back.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Movement
Stop inserting your Muslims centric nonsense to where it’s not relevant. Do you lot need to invade every single space?
D Trump is a “carry a big stick but don’t use it kind of guy.” He is the Teddy Roosevelt of our century.
He is a throwback to a can do America. In his formative years, America went to the moon.
He has known defeat and he has overcome it. America needs someone who can – someone with piss and vinegar and bravado.
Prevail – elect him.
In retrospect, Reagan’s only lasting achievement was being much better than his next four successors.
The problem with this is that the timing is all wrong. Western civilization turned into a pozzed out mess at the time it ceased being Christian (and thus ceased to be the West). Blaming it all on the Jews works out well, timing-wise. The poz spread from the places where Jews were emancipated and at the time the Jews were emancipated.
Reagan certainly set an example for his successors:
http://www.businessinsider.com/reagan-freedom-fighters-taliban-foreign-policy-2013-2
“This photograph is from 1983, when Reagan and the CIA were dancing around the idea of arming Mujahadin fighters in order to fight back against Soviet incursion in Afghanistan. The result was a well-armed, well-trained group of jihadis who resisted (some say defeated) the onslaught of superior Soviet weaponry. Once the Soviets retreated, the U.S. lost interest and pulled the funding. Osama bin Laden took interest, and filled the vacuum, later fathering the Taliban.”
For the current affairs, one only needs to replace “Taliban” with “ISIS.”
Evangelicals in Iowa could determine the winner of the primary. Big win for Cruz in Iowa, disregard NH, evangelicals in SC influenced by the caucus results in Iowa deliver for Cruz. Evangelicals in the SEC influenced by Iowa and SC seal the deal.
It would be great if Unz would publish everything you write even if he didn’t drop some of the more pitiful whack-a-doodles.
He won’t be happy till they return his slaves.
Viki Knox was wronged, but the NJEA didn’t lift a finger for her. They let the school board walk all over her. Do a search on her.
Given a choice between Social Security and the survival of your grandchildren’s country, you will choose Social Security every time. Same with Medicare. I learned that in 1964, while still in kneepants.
The enemies of your people will always offer more than your friends. That’s why you vote for the enemies.
That’s why the welfare state is fatal to civilization.
Well, he does have one point: Trump is entirely friendly to Israel. He may not need their money, but he’s entwined with them by blood.
How do the Trumpeters ignore so many of his positions, in favor of his nationalistic noises?
The US could do much worse than getting Trumped. As if he were a politician, Trump is hedging his bets, which one he would chose if he wins, would you know?
I don’t give a flying truck about the Palestinians. If the Palestinians are so trucking great, then why does Israel exist? Which do you think would be better for property values and crime rates on your street: a bunch of Palestinians moving in, or Israelis?
We are right now at a crossroads in America (and Europe) where it may be the last chance we ever get to preserve our civilization. It is possible that chance has already passed. When we’ve fixed all the trucked-up stuff in our own country, then we can start worrying about the Palestinians.
(Apologies to any truckers offended by the association with coarse language).
good post there… our union has/had the thing: ”An injury to one is an injury to all”!
What a joke it is/was… about the ”threat of global ‘communism’…” what a complete joke… take a look at this ”Free market”shit now… morons can see that the worst of communist concepts has been surpassed by monopolist capitalist/kleptopcracy/cronyists….
Every Muslim in the world seems desperate to vet American Presidents based how many favours they’ll do the Palestinians and how many Muslims they’ll let into the country.
I understand why they think that way. It is their interest. I just wish they’d have a bit more shame about pushing for it so obviously. I also wish we were not so naive as to take them as honest brokers.
figures….the most insightful post on unz that I have ever seen, and it only gets 29 comments…both the liberal and conservative grassroots base is debased and ignorant
great article, thank you.
Is it really fair to use the term Soviet incursion? I was under the impression that the Soviets were there initially providing aid to modernise Afghanistan with the support of the Government. They were building roads, schools and hospitals etc and the Soviet military campaign only began (again invited by the government) after Zbig had his big idea, supported by Reagan, and began arming the Mujahadeen. Do I have that wrong?
Nothing wrong with your language, intellectuals commonly use that sort of terminology to add nuance and gravitas to their discourse.
You are right of course, those Palestinians have infiltrated every department of the US Government, they spy on the US more than any other nation and that includes Russia and China.
They even joke among themselves that America is their friend but they are not America’s friend.
Those Palestinians have set things up so that they can come and go as they please, steal whatever they want then pop back home and thumb their noses at the very notion of being held to account.
Let’s be honest here, those Palestinians bribe, blackmail and bully US politicians to obtain vast “loans” that are never repaid, they receive exorbitant aid and they always want more, always.
A lot of Americans like yourself will never forgive those Palestinians for attacking the USS Liberty and killing those US Navy personnel and then pulled strings to have it covered up. You seem like a person who really does their research so I probably don’t have to tell you that those Palestinians were deeply involved in the attack on the WTC on 9/11. Those Palestinians certainly have a lot to answer for. Sorry I couldn’t articulate this as well as you might have but I had to speak out.
“Well, he does have one point: Trump is entirely friendly to Israel. “
When push comes to shove and the big important choice is between American and Israel – Trump will chose America – it is in his DNA.
Prevail good America – elect him.
I tend to agree. He is a big German who has said we should get out of the ME wars. He goes thru the motions so far on the jews, but I think he will, if the pentagon does not already have attack dogs following jew submarines, definitely put them there.
Israel could be cut down in less than one hour. Trump can say he supports Israel, any idiot can see that as obligatory, and his family relations in that regard mean next to nothing.
Stopping the ME wars means stopping the jews. It is that simple.
Shucks , I support Israel, moved to the center of Australia and disarmed.
And I too am a zionist. Joe Webb
Do you really believe that the US could bring down (disarm) Israel if there was a will to do it? What about all the moles in Pentagon? Israeli will know about it before anybody could dream such a thing.
Is “national conservatism” just a way for you people to say nationalism? It’s nothing to be ashamed of, you know.
The Holy Spirit did not have sexual relations with Mary.
One day you will be richly rewarded for your blasphemy.
Enjoy!
You’re right, it was an uncircumcised Hindu king.
How things change, how they stay the same.
Now go to BBC & quote the ‘low avg size of Indian men’
When the 5 3 avg height is pointed out ie a 6 2 Hindu will be packing, run away but leave your women. 🙂
Minimum to get into army is 5 10 really 6 ft now 😀
—
I hope to be rewarded for my ‘blasphemy’ with the opportunity to destroy all 4 abrahamisms.
Ie force those who wish to live to convert, rest send them scattered into the wind as ash. 🙂
Bharat Mata Ki Jai
So this is how politics is done on the right: speculate about a candidate’s genetic dispositions.
When Trump defends taking contradictory positions, he replies that as a businessman he did what he needed to succeed. Why would anyone think he is doing anything different today, for the sake of competing in a different career? Why wouldn’t he give exactly the same answer when he repudiates today’s positions?
Heroic levels of trolling, I wish I knew some Hindus like your character. He is hilarious, and would make a great supporting part in a less PC Hollywood adventure film.
1. No one could have predicted that he’d be so successful.
2. He is losing a lot of money and opportunity by running against the entire Western establishment.
Anyone who tries to argue that Trump’s positions are easy to take is exceptionally disingenuous.
If you have something to say to me, try doing so using a coherent form of English.
I wasn’t old enough to vote for Reagan, but I guess being a union tradesman that opposes liberal immigration policy and supports the 2nd Amendment, the family, traditional values, law and order, respect for authority, Medicare and Social Security makes me a “Reagan Democrat”. I wouldn’t vote for that slimy worm Ted Cruz under any circumstances. He reminds me of no one so much as a well-spoken Dick Cheney with political skills. Everything about his smarmy smirk says “I know you know I’m using the old Reaganite shibboleths to win the day for business as usual, but I’m getting away with it aren’t I?”
Trump is my first choice for President.
Jerry Falwell Jr just endorsed Trump. Lots of evangelicals will be getting behind Trump in the next week, watch. I think NH is the critical state though, Iowa is just a warm up.
Trump was a businessmen and who deals to succeed – yes. He donated to politicians of all stripes – yes. He said publicly he was in favour or pro-choice but since had a personal experience which led him to become strongly pro-life around ’08. I, for one, welcome such converts to pro-life philopsophy, it’s a good thing to have someone of his profile endorsing my Christian worldview that life is sacred. As for when he’s President, yes he will do deals, but not for personal or monetary gain (because he gets none) but for the interests of the country that made him rich, made him famous, and turned him into the man he is. There is absolutely no way Trump would kowtow to Bibi or Likud. That I can tell you, right now.