Sunday, July 26, 2015

A Memo From Conservatives to the GOP Establishment

Well, another post I made got disappeared. I don't quite understand why, but I'm republishing it here for posterity.

Last week GOP Establishment SuperSquish™ Rick Wilson took to the pages of Politico to excoriate those people who are supporting Donald Trump for President. You can find the article here, if you haven't read it yet I encourage you to do so now before you read on.

Let me start off by saying that I am not a Donald Trump fan. Never have been, doubt I ever will be and I have been watching the Trump surge with amusement. They call this the political “silly season” for a reason. A seasoned political operative uses this time to gauge public mood and attitudes so that they can get out in front of it for the real election season. If your party is in power in one or more branches of government, it's a good time to craft some legislation in synch with the prevailing trends. Candidates should start to sharpen their rhetoric to match the emotions of the moment. Right now, the only people interested in the political process are the hard core folks on either side, the so-called “base”. These people may or may not form a majority within the party, they certainly aren't a majority of the country, but they are the one who will be doing the scut work so necessary for victory next year, door knocking, donating, manning phone banks and the like. Right now the GOP base is sending a strong message to the GOPe that they are not happy.

Rick Wilson demonstrates the typical response from the GOPe to this message that's coming loud and clear from the base: He shits on them.

Nice move, Rick. You're the embodiment of the innovative and dynamic thinking that gave us New Coke. Heckofajob, Clowney.

See, here's the thing Rick Wilson: The message being sent is not that we <3 Trump. It's not even that immigration is the most important issue of our times, or that huge swaths of America suddenly woke up racist against Mexiacans. No, the message here that you're missing is that we hate and despise YOU. That's right, you personally, and the Republican Party specifically.

And still you don't get it. The Republican response to this groundswell of opprobrium is this pathetic Muppet flail of an article. The Senate response is to break all of it's precedents and rules by inverting the treaty oversight requirement from 2/3 to 1/3, handing Obama the ability to enter into this disastrous agreement with a country that has been at war with the US since 1979. You think we don't notice that Obama is paying Iran $140 billion to a regime that is responsible for killing or maiming tens of thousands of our sons and daughters who served honorably in the sandbox this past decade? Just this week the House decided that the proper response was a liberal bill with a rider attached that refunds the Ex/Im Bank so that you can pour more of our money into the pockets of your cronies. We're the politically active class, we notice these things, even though you think we don't. We. Are. Mad. As. FUCK. Mr. Wilson. And. We're. Not. Going. To. Take. It. Any. More. Those are almost all one syllable words Mr. Wilson, are you beginning to understand?

Now, as to your article itself, Rick. You wrote it in the best Power Point style, undoubtedly to the approving mutters of the DC consultant class. “Quite right. Very proper. Look, bullet points ad everything. Well done old chap!”

Let's take them in order:

You’re angry as Hell, and by God, you’re going to teach the GOP a lesson. See? You do get it. Dimly, because you then go on: Even if it means (and it well may) that Hillary Clinton sits in the White House, names 3 or 4 Supreme Court justices and lets Bill run around the East Wing molesting the help, you’re going to teach the hated Establishment a lesson Ahh yes, the old SCOTUS boogeyman. If we keep our little temper tantrum going, why, we'll miss out on stalwart Republican Justices like Anthony “Watch as I repeatedly cite my own opinions to invent case law” Kennedy and John “Tax 'em if you got 'em” Roberts. This isn't about “teaching a lesson” Rick, This is this close -----[ ]----- to being a divorce. We're not looking for a hot young thing to screw around with, we want someone to settle down with.

You’ve decided to become one-issue voters, and immigration is the be-all, end-all issue. Immigration is not the issue, Rick. Illegal immigration that threatens to change the national character and culture while at the same time impoverishing the working class is. There is a big difference. This is an important issue, but you're missing the big picture. The important this here is that the Republican Party has repeatedly rolled over on amnesty after running promising to oppose it. Again, and again and again. You've been lying to us Rick, pissing in our faces and telling us it's raining outside. We elected you to oppose amnesty. Specifically. You haven't. You've supported it. The long hair we just pulled off your collar, this time we're supposed to believe that “she's just a friend”? Yeah right, and if you pull this leg it plays Jingle Bells.

You think we’re dismissing the message, but we’re dismissing the messenger No, as a point of fact, you are dismissing the message, not by your words, but by your actions. The GOPe's emergency backup RINO in case Jeb keeps going over like a lead balloon is Marco Rubio, whose first action upon being elected was to join the Gang of 8 and attempt to shove amnesty down our throat. You have no credibility on this issue. WE DON'T BELIEVE YOU YOU LYING LIAR WHO LIES.

You don’t care about his record You'll have to ask some of his supporters about this one, but for myself, I really don't, for two reasons. #1 I don't believe he has legs, in six months he'll be a memory, but #2 This isn't about Trump, it's about you.

You hate candidates not named Donald Trump Sure Rick. This is the first primary in history where polls have swung back and forth between different candidates. Why, Presidents Giuliani and Cain were just commenting on that last week.

You don’t know and don’t care why the professionals want Trump in the rear-view mirror Why, by all means. We should stand back and let the “professionals” handle it. Professionals like who Rick? Like you? Like Steve Schmidt? Like the Barbour boys down in Mississippi, appealing to Democrats to get establishment butt boy Thad Cochran elected by hook or by crook? Is that who we should show deference to?

You hate political consultants Ehh, even a blind pig finds an acorn sometimes.

You think we’re only about Jeb I don't think you're only about Jeb. I know that you are expressly against any candidate that believes in conservative principles, which is more important.

You think Donald Trump is the character he plays on television Again, don't care. If you haven't figured out that this isn't about The Donald, you're hopeless. Actually, you're probably hopeless anyway, but make that extra hopeless.

Every minute wasted on Trump hurts the eventual nominee in the general election No it doesn't. This is the sideshow, the freak tent. It's an amusing distraction before moving on to the Big Top for the real show. The only people watching are the real circus aficionados, people who love the smell of greasepaint and the crunch straw underfoot as they walk down the midway. It could become a disruption, very, very easily. If you don't pay the freaks well and treat them with respect, the time will come when they march on the center ring as the show starts. Well, this is that time. We're gathered outside the Big Top Mr. Wilson. Our torches are lit, and we're about to march inside and demand the recognition that is our due as members of this Republican circus. If you and yours continues to mistreat us, and lie to us, and take us for granted, we WILL march forward and burn down the Big Top, and no screeching and wailing about how doing so will just cause people to go over to Hillary's show will stop us. WE are the ones doing all the work here, WE can always start our own circus. You'll be stuck running around like an idiot in the old tent as it burns to the ground. Good luck getting out before the fire consumes you too.