George Will - Trump is no longer the worst person in government

Politics
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-is-no-longer-the-worst-person-in-government/2018/05/09/10e59eba-52f1-11e8-a551-5b648abe29ef_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.70721ba46030

George Will, who is a fervent #NeverTrump conservative columnist wrote a blistering piece about Mike Pence. Some of the highlights of the op-ed…

Donald Trump, with his feral cunning, knew. The oleaginous Mike Pence, with his talent for toadyism and appetite for obsequiousness, could, Trump knew, become America’s most repulsive public figure. And Pence, who has reached this pinnacle by dethroning his benefactor, is augmenting the public stock of useful knowledge. Because his is the authentic voice of today’s lickspittle Republican Party, he clarifies this year’s elections: Vote Republican to ratify groveling as governing.

Noting that Arpaio was in his Tempe audience, Pence, oozing unctuousness from every pore, called Arpaio “another favorite,” professed himself “honored” by Arpaio’s presence, and praised him as “a tireless champion of . . . the rule of law.” Arpaio, a grandstanding, camera-chasing bully and darling of the thuggish right, is also a criminal, convicted of contempt of court for ignoring a federal judge’s order to desist from certain illegal law enforcement practices. Pence’s performance occurred eight miles from the home of Sen. John McCain, who could teach Pence — or perhaps not — something about honor.

There will be negligible legislating by the next Congress, so ballots cast this November will be most important as validations or repudiations of the harmonizing voices of Trump, Pence, Arpaio and the like. Trump is what he is, a floundering, inarticulate jumble of gnawing insecurities and not-at-all compensating vanities, which is pathetic. Pence is what he has chosen to be, which is horrifying.

Will touches on some interesting concepts here. Not least of which being that Pence has become something entirely different from what he was once heralded as. Coupled with the notion that the Republican-led Congress will achieve nothing of consequence in 2018, we are left with the reality that the party is becoming not a conservative or principled party who can govern in a conservative vein. Rather, they are merely becoming a party that must get down on its knees at all times, and grovel at the feet of its dear leader.

What a shame to see how far the GOP has fallen.

So, what is your take on Will’s piece here?

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RINO. Fake news.

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I am as interested in the opinion of a Washington Post selected official conservative as liberals would be interested in the opinion of a National Review selected official liberal.

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You don’t believe Will is a conservative? What positions does he hold that leads you to such conclusions?

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IMO, Pence is equally as horrid as Trump, just for different reasons.

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Because he didn’t grovel, as the OP states.

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Which positions of his leads you to believe he is a conservative? I would like to see those credentials before refuting them.

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“Trump is what he is, a floundering, inarticulate jumble of gnawing insecurities and not-at-all compensating vanities…:”

Well, that’s just a perfect description.

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To the degree that George Will does not support or enable Donald Trump, he is not “conservative.” That’s probably how it works, approximately.

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I stated in 2016 that the Republican party lost it’s soul the moment Trump became the nominee. I see this as a natural result. The Republican party can no longer claim to be a conservative party in any sense of the word. If anything, it’s an odd mixture of populism and the personality of cult (with that aspect being centered on the personage of Donald Trump).

I was one of the early ones to leave the party. Others that were involved in local leadership with me have also formally left the party, as it is no longer a party of principle. Some have gone to the Libertarian party, some to the Constitution party. As for myself, I’ve decided to remain independent. I cannot, with my conservative convictions, be allied with a party such as the Republican party.

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George Will was more conservative on the day he was born than Donald Trump has been in his entire lifetime.

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George Will, liberal.

Thats a hot one…

Allan

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The rule of law and contempt of a federal judges order.

LOL.

George Will has Pence pegged to a tee…

Allan

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Are you sincerely unfamiliar with Will? You have never read any of his columns before? Or are you trolling me here?

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Agreed. Truer words have likely not been spoken. And then using that as the precursor to lambaste Pence. :flushed:

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Judging by the number of times people like myself, @Joanne , @wonderingrover , @Konssurvative1 , and a host of others around here have been called libs for our lack of support of all things Trump, I would assume you’re on to something here my friend.

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The really ironic thing is that in 2014, anyone recommending Obamacare repeal / replace and universal coverage for everyone (as Trump did), then signed off on huge deficit spending would have been labeled a flaming liberal.

Trump does that and a lot more - and he’s the Trumpkins definition of “conservative” now. It would almost be funny - if it wasn’t so pathetic.

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As a practical matter, Trump is governing like a movement Rightwinger (in most of the worst ways), without any of the lofty principles or . . . ahem . . . Burkean modesty that conservatives haven’t actually had in decades (or maybe, ever). It’s just sort of a hodgepodge of aggrieved wingnut Christian and ethnic nationalism, fake populism, and fake libertarianism. You know, deregulation, liberal-punching, regressive tax cuts, and now we can all say “Merry Christmas!” again, after years of persecution. :slight_smile:

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Completely unmoored from any worthwhile principle, same as it ever was. When I arrived here in 2004, the “conservatism” was defined almost entirely by one thing: unflinching support for the war in Iraq and absolute certainty about its virtues.

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old school con

gasping for breath of relevance