Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

ffr

(22,665 posts)
Sun Jan 13, 2019, 12:00 AM Jan 2019

Trump Presidency Reveals The GOP's Craven Opportunism

The Republican Party used to stand for conservative principles, but the election of Donald Trump has revealed a party untethered to convictions, morals, or ideology. They're willing to sell out the country to a foreign entity simply to hold on to power.

Donald Trump is a lying, grifting, ignorant, drug-abusing, cheating, amoral conman with ties to both domestic and international mobsters. That's all in the public record.

And yet to evangelical leaders, he's a great man, a Christian and someone to be followed unquestioningly.

To fiscal conservatives, he's leading the country and improving the economy as his economic agenda pushes the deficit on track to exceed $1 trillion.
<snip>

The bombshell revelation that there is an active counterintelligence investigation on whether Donald Trump is a Russia agent does not mitigate that his treasonous behavior has been enabled at every step by the Republican Party.

We may see an indictment of Donald Trump in the very near future. But we also need to indict the Republican Party as well. - Crooks and Liars

That first paragraph in spades. Now, what do we do with 30% of the RW party complicit with working against the United States at every turn?
1 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Trump Presidency Reveals The GOP's Craven Opportunism (Original Post) ffr Jan 2019 OP
I'll contest that first paragraph. "Conservative principles" were themselves opportunism. JHB Jan 2019 #1

JHB

(37,157 posts)
1. I'll contest that first paragraph. "Conservative principles" were themselves opportunism.
Sun Jan 13, 2019, 12:29 AM
Jan 2019

"Fiscal responsibility", "small government", "original intent" and other buzzwords of "conservative principles" were all cast aside whenever it was convenient.

"Fiscal responsibility" manifests as cutting programs and policies that work for most people, rather than for just the well-off. There's nothing fiscally responsible about the "tax cuts now, tax cuts tomorrow, tax cuts forever" stance that has ruled Republican politics since the 70s.

"Small government" manifests itself as deregulation, cutting anything that hampers a free hand to pollute our communities, air, water, and food, to swindle customers and squeeze employees, to dodge taxes, etc. But when it comes to controlling women and brown people? Or the military-industrial-intelligence complex? Then, of course, screw small -- supersizing is a virtue.

"Original intent" is abandoned whenever convenient. There was nothing "original intent" about the Citizens United or Bush v Gore decisions.

All that untethering to convictions and morals began decades ago. The Conservatives Movement has fostered bigotry, axe-grinding, and contempt for compromise and negotiation in order to gain enough power to enact their pet agenda items. Any Republican who couldn't get with the program was forced out.

Ratchet that up year after year for some 60 yrs, and voila! A party that's nothing but opportunism supported by carefully cultivated resentments and outrage.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Trump Presidency Reveals ...