This blogger supports Ted Cruz for president until further notice. With that stated, I would probably support a Trump presidential bid should he win the nomination. I have grown to respect and to like the man and even though I have staunch disagreements with the Donald he has provided a voice for the silent majority, a group that deserves to be treated more like citizens and less like cattle.
Maybe because Trump personalizes opposition he generates equal and opposite reactions. Or something like that. I dare say that if Bush or Christie had grabbed the lead and thumbed his nose at the field, "National Review Online" would not assemble a special "Against Jeb" edition.
How can I be so sure of that proposition? Because "National Review" did nothing of the sort when Romney, McCain, Bush II, Dole or Bush I lead the pack. With the usual disclaimers about Conservatism being more of a political coalition than an undeviating philosophy, we should ask ourselves "who is more truly conservative?"
Is Trump less conservative than the aforementioned Jeb or Christie? Is he less conservative than the GOP's last five presidential candidates? We know the answers. Surely there is something else that is generating all this animus.
Many of us realized decades ago that the primary political struggle was not Left v. Right nor Lib v. Con. It was Insider v. Outsider. Angelo Codevilla nailed it in his infamous "American Spectator" piece (I am not linking it because you should have already read it).
Codevilla is of the opinion that the Outsiders--which he defines as the Country Class--would eventually say "enough is enough." A leader would emerge who spoke for them. I for one thought it would be someone more cowboy than yankee and I did not expect a celebrity to lead the charge. I too, am a failed Jeremiah.
Incidentally, Codevilla takes the position that someone like Trunp, but not Trump himself, will lead the outsiders. In a Powerline tour de force Codevilla seems to make the case for the Donald but abruptly concludes that Trump is no statesman (to which most readers respond, "So what?")
Maybe Jonah Goldberg dislikes Trump because Donald said Jonah couldn't even buy a pair of pants. Trump is given to reflexive insult as well as insult overkill. That might explain some of the hostility but who does not believe that something deeper is at play? Perhaps the Ericksons and Levins are not as relevant as they thought they were and are not the kingmakers they would like to be. Getting gruffly reminded of one's true status, is that not the origin of Trump Derangement Syndrome?
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