Pirate's Cove

Breitbart’s Scott Pinsker takes a swing at attempting to woo those Conservatives who do not support Trump in one form or fashion, starting out with

What’s more important: Conservative beliefs or conservative outcomes?

The two are not the same.

In American politics, the relationship between beliefs and outcomes isn’t necessarily causal, and for generations, this distinction has been the fatal flaw in the conservative movement – the poison arrow to our Myrmidonian heel.

He spends a long time explaining how previous “conservative” presidents and a Congress controlled by the GOP has failed to enact conservative legislation in order to push Trump as The Guy Who Can Get Conservative Policies Enacted. A long time. A long time. The problem here is that this attempts to blame Conservative voters, rather than elected officials who go squishy, and also forgets that many Republicans claim to be Conservatives, but, are really just Republicans. There’s a difference.

Anyhow, on to Trump

Because conservative beliefs do not necessarily lead to conservative outcomes – and this is why the Trump candidacy represents a generational opportunity for conservative voters to finally achieve conservative results.

Beliefs matter, but tactics, leadership, media strategy and executive-level oversight matter as well, and that’s the strongest conservative argument for Donald Trump.

This is, of course, followed by slurring Ted Cruz, not the best way to bring the Cruz voters to your side. But, you know, Trump is totally the guy to get it done in a Conservative manner!

But Trump also fights like hell for what he believes in.  He understands how to market and sell a vast array of goods, concepts and services, and he’s demonstrated an uncanny knack for transforming our 24/7 media culture into his personal Ottoman cushion.  He’s staked his most precious commodity – his reputation – on stopping illegal immigration, crushing ISIS, rebuilding the economy, streamlining the federal government, reining-in waste, promoting a conservative judiciary, diminishing the power of liberals, negotiating better agreements, and achieving conservative outcomes.

Question: If you’re an ideological conservative, would you prefer a chief executive who goes Medieval on his political opponents to achieve 75 percent of what you believe, or an unaccomplished philosopher-king who agrees with you 100 percent of the time, but lacks the skill-set to implement any of it?

Another slap at Cruz, but, I have to ask, what actual experience does Trump have in getting things done in government? He may or may not be able to deal with a board of directors numbering 535.

And to be fair, Trump’s philosophy isn’t exactly left-leaning: He’s pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, supports state’s rights, vows to slash government growth, backs a revamped military, and holds Antonin Scalia as his judicial model.

By any subjective standard, that’s a fairly conservative worldview.

Except, not that long ago he was pro-abortion, anti-gun, voting Democrat, and was for the use of government to take private property for the use of other private entities. That ain’t American Conservative, people. Trump cannot even really define American Conservatism.

Trump is not a philosopher-king conservative.  He’s not a purist.  Instead, he’s a mercurial, Machiavellian executive who sidesteps obstacles, cuts corners, manipulates loopholes, gouges eyeballs and leverages positional assets to achieve what he wants.  His focus is on outcomes – on winning – not on ideology. (snip)

For conservatives – and for our country, which is rapidly approaching a tipping-point – it could make all the difference in the world.

It’s time for conservatives to consolidate for Trump.

The problem here is that I, as someone who is #NeverHillary but concerned about Trump being a stealth candidate, am not offered any actual hard reasons to vote Trump. I’m not #NeverTrump, but, if I check the box for Trump, it will be as a vote against Hillary, not one for Trump.

I. Don’t. Trust. Him.

Where’s the evidence that Trump will get things done in an American Conservative manner? Where’s the evidence that he legitimately evolved on issues? Being an American Conservative, also known as Classical Liberalism, is a philosophy. Why must we abandon our principles for someone we do not trust? The same people squeeing over Trump were telling us how bad McCain and Romney were. Both had much stronger conservative cred than Trump. Neither were perfect.

What if Trump’s “outcomes” lean Democrat? Lean Big Government? Lean authoritarian, much like with Obama? I’ll give him props for being anti-illegal immigration for a long time. Also, against ‘climate change’.

Will he actually appoint conservative judges? Will he reign in government spending? Will he do all things he says? Who know? We don’t.

But, let’s consider: we know what Hillary will do. We know the kinds of judges she will appoint, from the Supreme Court down. Would you prefer to roll the dice with Trump, or flip a 2 headed coin with Hillary? We know she’ll grow government, appoint leftist extremists to lead executive branch offices. We know she’ll attempt to implement more socialist medicine, all the way up to single payer. We know she’ll attempt to hamstring business. She’ll attempt to implement restrictive gun control on law abiding citizens. She’ll continue the open borders policies. She’ll continue the march towards a bigger and more powerful centralized government. She’ll allow implementation of economy killing freedom-removing ‘climate change’ policies. The list goes on.

The question comes down to “can you hold your nose and take a chance that Trump isn’t full of mule fritters, that he’ll actually be the guy he says he now is, that he will attempt to do what he says, and check the box for Trump in  vote against Hillary?”

Do know know what would help? If he and his surrogates, along with his ardent supporters, would attempt to woo those not on the Trump train, rather than being nasty and insulting us.

Crossed at Right Wing News.