George Will Leaving the Republican Party

[SGOS]

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2016/06/25/george-will-donald-trump-republican-party/

Besides the fact that I really don't care what George Will thinks or does, I don't understand the drastic reaction to Trump from some party insiders.  Yeah, Trump is basically just a boob running for office, but so were George Bush Junior and his father's VP, Dan Quayle.  There is no shortage of unqualified low-lifes roaming the halls of Washington; People you wouldn't trust to water your plants when you take a vacation.

So as a Republican, what's really so wrong with Donald Trump?  Yes, he lacks the correct political stage presence and creates an impression that he's running a bizarre carnival attraction.  But candidates running against him, while they do appear more "political", probably aren't that different ideologically.  Is there some serious ideological difference between Trump and the rest of them?  At an ideological level, it seems like he would make a great Republican.  He would no doubt be anti-worker, pro big business, and all in favor of the redistribution of wealth upward.

Sure he says some silly things, but we all know at some basic level of our understanding that politicians always tell lies and make promises they never intend to keep.  They all try to speak to the lowest common denominator of their following.  But what makes him a bad Republican?  For that matter, why is he different from any other Republican, other than in his blowhard approach to political showmanship?

[GSOgymrat]

Because no one really knows what Trump will do as President. He has no solid philosophy of government. He switches positions based on the audience in front of him. He is alienating minorities, which the Republicans desperately need for the future. He doesn't care about the Republican party and is obviously just using it for his own benefit. If I was a Republican I would be very worried.

I share Dave Rubin's thoughts on Trump.

https://youtu.be/awnrdye9zTg

[Nonsensei]

He challenges the established power structure of the Republican party. Until him, every single Republican candidate that has made it into office has done so with an overwhelming burden of "obligations" for lack of a better term. In order to raise the funding they need to run a campaign they have made promises to organizations, businesses and individuals. Unlike the promises that they make us, these promises must be kept or their presidency will be a miserable failure and there won't be a second term. In this way. the president has been made into, essentially, an indentured servant to his party.

Donald Trump, by virtue of both alienating the entire republican establishment AND being rich enough to fund his whole campaign out of his own pocket has few if any such obligations. If he gets into office he may well be the first president in the last half century to not owe so many favors to various people and organizations. Like him or hate him, that's remarkably attractive to his voter base. And its also why the Republican establishment fear and despise him. He doesn't owe them anything. As a matter of fact, due to the actions of the RNC during the primary, he has a justifiably adversarial relationship with them which means if they want something from him as president they're going to have to crawl to him on their knees.

Rich powerful old white men don't like having to beg.

[marom1963]

I don't know why, but George Will has always gotten on my nerves. I suppose it's because he looks like the type who wakes up w/o a need to comb his hair ...

[Mike Cl]

I know why I don't like George Will.  He is a baseball fanatic and loves the game as I do.  Yet he is on the political opposite of my views.  That such a twit loves baseball means I hate the man. :)

[stromboli]

will is hit and miss all the way down the line. He has multiple degrees from Princeton, very smart guy. Supports legalization of drugs, against minimum wage, against social security. Was against Roe vs, Wade. Has won a Pulitzer prize. Wanted to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan, opposed Bush on a few issues. Supported Obama on a few issues. He is an issue focused individual versus a broad belief in a political base.

He has been called one of the most influential people in politics and the media. Him not supporting the Republican Party is a big deal. Like him or love him, good for him.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Trump has no idea how the government works, and is likely to break it.

[Hydra009]

So as a Republican, what's really so wrong with Donald Trump?  Yes, he lacks the correct political stage presence and creates an impression that he's running a bizarre carnival attraction.  But candidates running against him, while they do appear more "political", probably aren't that different ideologically.  Is there some serious ideological difference between Trump and the rest of them?  At an ideological level, it seems like he would make a great Republican.  He would no doubt be anti-worker, pro big business, and all in favor of the redistribution of wealth upward.

There actually is something of an ideological difference between Trump and the rest.

In some ways, Trump is to the left of most Republicans.  He isn't a theocrat and didn't even pretend to be super religious until well into the primary.  He also didn't demonize Planned Parenthood enough.  He's pledged support for LGBT anti-discrimination laws and criticized North Carolina's bathroom law stating that he'd be okay with Caitlyn Jenner using whichever bathroom she wants at Trump Tower.

In other ways, Trump is to the right of most Republicans.  The infamous "we'll take out their families" in regards to ISIS and calling for a "temporary" cessation of all Muslim immigration.  And while former Republican candidates have called for "strengthening the borders" while at the same time trying to appeal to America's hispanic voters, Trump is more hardline than most when it comes to Mexico.

He's also made some pretty enormous faux pas, like criticizing McCain's military service and his adversarial stance with Fox News.  Combine that with Nonsensi's point that he's not beholden to the party establishment and GSOgymrat's point that he he's unpredictable and doesn't have a solid philosophy of government, I don't blame the Republicans one bit for being wary of Trump.

[marom1963]

If Trump didn't feel he needed a party, he wouldn't have bothered w/the Republicans. But he knows that ours is a two party system, and the Republicans are a wee bit closer to him than the Democrats. Otherwise, Trump is an autocrat w/no plans on sharing power if elected. He'll expect the Congress to behave the way that Henry VIII expected Parliament to behave - as an "elected" rubber stamp to whatever he wishes to enact. Make no mistake: Trump intends to be an uncrowned king.

[Baruch]

Trump has no idea how the government works, and is likely to break it.

Been broken since 1775 ... just ask King George.

Hillary is the uncrowned Queen, but over Barbara Bush's dead body. who was the uncrowned Queen first.