Just thinking out loud here, read at your own risk, don't blame me.
First, my guess is that historians will look back at the election of Barack Obama as a primary turning point in the history of this county, just as Reagan's was - only probably more long-lasting. The point at which we clearly moved away from the America-centric conservatism of the last 30 years and towards a more Euro-social Democratic stance; the point at which America chose to no longer being the dominant economic, military and cultural force on the planet - all for better or worse. Obama will see his "fundamental transformation" begin to come to fruition. Punch #1.
Second, it seems to me the best argument the Republicans have to vote for Trump is the Supreme Court. If Hillary wins, as Jeffrey Toobin describes here - The Supreme Court After Scalia, "...for the first time in decades, there is now a realistic chance that the Supreme Court will become an engine of progressive change rather than an obstacle to it". It seems pretty clear to me that he's right, the SC will be the foundation on which the change started by Obama will be clearly and significantly accelerated. Punch #2.
And finally, if Hillary wins and this all plays out, I wonder if conservatives will (at least privately) take any degree of responsibility for it. To me, conservatism's slow decline ironically began at the moment it began its 30-year reign: Reagan's "government is not the answer to our problems, government IS the problem". It's a great speech line, to be sure, but many conservatives took it literally and it fed on itself to the point where it became gospel across the board.
And at the center of it? Conservative media (particularly Rush and talk radio early on), which taught its fans to think in absolutes, to never give an inch, to take contrary thought and deflect/pivot/attack 100% of the time, until we now - oh so ironically - have seen Reagan's 80% Rule absolutely ignored and gutted. And the final nail in the coffin? Whichever of the talk show hosts (and I think it was either Rush or Levin) who coined the term "RINO", which led to this violent division within Reagan's beloved party.
Well, there's a few minutes of your life you'll never get back. As I said, don't blame me.
.
First, my guess is that historians will look back at the election of Barack Obama as a primary turning point in the history of this county, just as Reagan's was - only probably more long-lasting. The point at which we clearly moved away from the America-centric conservatism of the last 30 years and towards a more Euro-social Democratic stance; the point at which America chose to no longer being the dominant economic, military and cultural force on the planet - all for better or worse. Obama will see his "fundamental transformation" begin to come to fruition. Punch #1.
Second, it seems to me the best argument the Republicans have to vote for Trump is the Supreme Court. If Hillary wins, as Jeffrey Toobin describes here - The Supreme Court After Scalia, "...for the first time in decades, there is now a realistic chance that the Supreme Court will become an engine of progressive change rather than an obstacle to it". It seems pretty clear to me that he's right, the SC will be the foundation on which the change started by Obama will be clearly and significantly accelerated. Punch #2.
And finally, if Hillary wins and this all plays out, I wonder if conservatives will (at least privately) take any degree of responsibility for it. To me, conservatism's slow decline ironically began at the moment it began its 30-year reign: Reagan's "government is not the answer to our problems, government IS the problem". It's a great speech line, to be sure, but many conservatives took it literally and it fed on itself to the point where it became gospel across the board.
And at the center of it? Conservative media (particularly Rush and talk radio early on), which taught its fans to think in absolutes, to never give an inch, to take contrary thought and deflect/pivot/attack 100% of the time, until we now - oh so ironically - have seen Reagan's 80% Rule absolutely ignored and gutted. And the final nail in the coffin? Whichever of the talk show hosts (and I think it was either Rush or Levin) who coined the term "RINO", which led to this violent division within Reagan's beloved party.
Well, there's a few minutes of your life you'll never get back. As I said, don't blame me.
.
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