# National Review devotes an entire issue to "Against Trump" **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 22, 2016, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868 "2016-01-22T07:16:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868/21 "2016-01-22T17:45:50Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > .(also, is that cover meant to be a spoof or take-off of something?) I’m thinking it’s meant to look like a shiny plaque you’d see by the door of one of his hotels. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868/22 "2016-01-22T17:54:46Z")
[Following anti-Trump manifesto, RNC boots National Review from its GOP debate partnership.](http://www.salon.com/2016/01/22/following_anti_trump_manifesto_rnc_boots_national_review_from_its_gop_debate_partnership/) They already booted NBC last fall. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868/23 "2016-01-22T17:58:13Z")
I’m surprised Trump lasted this long but he has earned my respect for having such a keen awareness of the situation he is in and knowing how to use it to his benefit. The guy is a talented politician. If the gop wants to drive him away, having establishment Republicans criticize him will only make things worse. This is an anti establishment cycle where both parties want to eschew the ‘inevitable’ moderate candidate in favor of the anti establishment, more ideologically pure candidate. Have the gop start encouraging establishment rinos to promote trump. If Olympic snowe, Lindsay graham, Richard lugar, etc come out in favor of trump then that will slow him down. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868/24 "2016-01-22T18:14:09Z")
The Left has been trying to tell the GOP base for years that their party was taking them for a ride, but they wouldn’t listen. Now they may have figured out what rubes they’ve been, and they’re lashing out. I have a low regard for the narrow-minded, aggrieved blustering of your average Trump supporter, but when it comes to their conflict with the GOP elite, I think those voters have a valid grievance, and they deserve a party that doesn’t speak out of both sides of its mouth. It would also appear that the base isn’t nearly as economically conservative as your average National Review writer may have assumed. Maybe constantly threatening to axe Social Security because a handful of obscenely rich old cranks have made it their life’s mission isn’t very smart politics. Maybe policies which allow small numbers of citizens to amass a dragon’s hoard of wealth and foster a hereditary aristocracy, even at the expense of middle class Americans, isn’t the sort of “liberty” we need to be defending. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868/25 "2016-01-22T18:24:23Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I’m surprised Trump lasted this long but he has earned my respect for having such a keen awareness of the situation he is in and knowing how to use it to his benefit. The guy is a talented politician. > > If the gop wants to drive him away, having establishment Republicans criticize him will only make things worse. This is an anti establishment cycle where both parties want to eschew the ‘inevitable’ moderate candidate in favor of the anti establishment, more ideologically pure candidate. > > Have the gop start encouraging establishment rinos to promote trump. If Olympic snowe, Lindsay graham, Richard lugar, etc come out in favor of trump then that will slow him down. Wait a tick, do you consider Glenn Beck as an “establishment Republican”?!? ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868/26 "2016-01-22T18:46:50Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I’m surprised Trump lasted this long but he has earned my respect for having such a keen awareness of the situation he is in and knowing how to use it to his benefit. The guy is a talented politician. > > If the gop wants to drive him away, having establishment Republicans criticize him will only make things worse. This is an anti establishment cycle where both parties want to eschew the ‘inevitable’ moderate candidate in favor of the anti establishment, more ideologically pure candidate. > > Have the gop start encouraging establishment rinos to promote trump. If Olympic snowe, Lindsay graham, Richard lugar, etc come out in favor of trump then that will slow him down. I don’t think Trump is a talented politician, so much as a howling imbecile, hooting to a party whose base is howling imbeciles. Trump is a powerful manifestation of Dunning-Kreuger. He’s so inept that he doesn’t know how inept he is. And to the inept core of the GOP, his swagger attracts them because in their cartoonish view of reality, the goon with the puffed up chest must be the alpha. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868/27 "2016-01-22T18:53:56Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > They already booted NBC last fall. They actually only took away the final debate away from NBC this week. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868/28 "2016-01-22T18:54:21Z")
I still don’t think Trump will take the nomination. We just haven’t seen the mass exodus of weak establishment candidates yet. He’s not taking any of their votes as they drop out; those will go to Rubio or maybe Cruz. And no matter how many non-base-primary voters Trump can draw, he won’t have enough to outweigh the establishment candidate votes once they are consolidated. > [@GIGObuster](#): > > Wait a tick, do you consider Glenn Beck as an “establishment Republican”?!? Isn’t he? He doesn’t say anything more outlandish than, say, Michele Bachmann. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868/29 "2016-01-22T18:59:13Z")
So you think Cruz will pick up “establishment” voters? Why? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868/30 "2016-01-22T19:04:39Z")
“Establishment Republicans” used to have some meaning, being more genteel and respectful than “running dog jackals of the ruling class”. That’s when they were in marginal control of things, and surviving by sucking up to the knuckle-walking Trogs. These days, it just means a bunch of guys who are watching their party get torn apart by hyperactive baboons. Who they invited. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868/31 "2016-01-22T19:04:58Z")
> [@](#): > > So you think Cruz will pick up “establishment” voters? Why? Because he has a legislative record to run on. I don’t think he’ll get _many_. I just think he has a better chance of getting _any_ than Trump. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868/32 "2016-01-22T19:08:50Z")
But he is a Tea Party candidate. At least it’s easy to believe Trump is just full of crap when he says stuff, with Cruz you can believe he’ll DO that stuff. Eta: Dole prefers Trump for God’s sake though he’s afraid Cruz might have fooled people that he’s more “establishment” than Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868/33 "2016-01-22T19:13:54Z")
Lest there be any confusion, _I_ think anyone who votes for either is stupid or insane. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868/34 "2016-01-22T19:15:59Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Lest there be any confusion, _I_ think anyone who votes for either is stupid or insane. You think throwing away your vote on Bush is more sane than making sure Cruz doesn’t get win? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868/35 "2016-01-22T19:18:32Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > I don’t think Trump is a talented politician, so much as a howling imbecile, hooting to a party whose base is howling imbeciles. > > Trump is a powerful manifestation of Dunning-Kreuger. He’s so inept that he doesn’t know how inept he is. And to the inept core of the GOP, his swagger attracts them because in their cartoonish view of reality, the goon with the puffed up chest must be the alpha. Nonsense IMO. Trump is a salesman. And a darn good one. The essence of salesmanship is discerning what problem the customer has (or can be convinced he/she has), then promising to solve it, then pocketing the commission. Actually delivering the solution is somebody else’s problem. As is collecting the revenue to pay the commission from. As \*\*Wesley Clark \*\*says Trump is demonstrating being a very skilful politician = election winner. Where I think he will fail miserably is in being a statesman = governing leader. He has demonstrated pretty much every anti-aptitude and anti-skill needed for that job. The error many of are making is in thinking we’re electing a leader. Nope. We’re by and large picking a winner on a reality elimination show on an island. All the news media and all the candidates’ blah-blah are all about the horse race itself, and their rank in it. Nothing at all is about actual policies, goals, governing platforms, plans, agendas, etc. Other than the very stale “Left = D = handouts & minorities and high taxes. Right = R = Police & military and low taxes” that everybody has already internalized so there’s not much point in harping on about it. And IMO Trump is very well placed to come in first on the RNC reality elimination show. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868/36 "2016-01-22T19:26:05Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > You think throwing away your vote on Bush is more sane than making sure Cruz doesn’t get win? Could well be. We know Cruz will be awful from our perspective, and it’s nice to think that as president Trump would be the liberal he’s been his entire life (Developer Trump, if you will) rather than the character he’s playing now (Candidate Trump). But what if Candidate Trump is the one who becomes president? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868/37 "2016-01-22T19:30:46Z")
So you think Candidate Trump is worse than Cruz? Seems at least as bad, so hoping Developer Trump turns up is the rational bet if it’s between those two. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868/38 "2016-01-22T19:37:00Z")
I think Candidate Trump is _far_ worse than Cruz. I find the latter personally odious but he isn’t calling all Mexican immigrants rapists or proposing to expel all Muslims. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868/39 "2016-01-22T19:44:55Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I agree with this snippet from Michael Medved: > [@](#): > > Worst of all, Trump’s brawling, blustery, mean-spirited public persona serves to associate conservatives with all the negative stereotypes that liberals have for decades attached to their opponents on the right. According to conventional caricature, conservatives are selfish, greedy, materialistic, bullying, misogynistic, angry, and intolerant. They are, we’re told, privileged and pampered elitists who revel in the advantages of inherited wealth while displaying only cruel contempt for the less fortunate and the less powerful. The Left tried to smear Ronald Reagan in such terms but failed miserably because he displayed none of the stereotypical traits. In contrast, Trump is the living, breathing, bellowing personification of all the nasty characteristics Democrats routinely ascribe to Republicans. I guess it has never occurred to Mr. Medved that a significant minority of the GOP is currently pretty much exactly “selfish, greedy, materialistic, bullying, misogynistic, angry, and intolerant.” There are enough of them in the GOP - this is why Trump enjoys the support he does. Perhaps Mr. Medved needs to acknowledge that “the left” was actually right, and predicted accurately the direction his party is headed. ---
**Author:** ![ElderSign](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eldersign/32/8263_2.png) [@ElderSign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElderSign)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868/40 "2016-01-22T19:51:31Z")
[Rolling Stone hates him too](http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-year-the-trump-laughter-died-20151229). What does it say if the left and right hate someone running? That person is truly an outsider. Not sure why Trump makes so many people nervous, yet Clinton does not. As far as Trump being a stereotypical right winger…no. He’s a New Yorker at heart, which means he is a conservative Democrat, for the lack of a better label. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-review-devotes-an-entire-issue-to-against-trump/743868.md?page=3)