If Victor Davis Hanson is concerned about something, I take notice. Here he explains what he thinks is behind the rise of Trump and the importance of respecting, not dismissing, Trump's supporters.
My take? Cause and effect. Donald Trump is the direct result of Barack Obama's presidency. For nearly eight years Obama has shown nothing but disdain for his critics, has mocked and caricatured his political opponents, has broken faith with those he promised to bring "hope" to, has circumvented procedure, violated protocol, wreaked havoc on the political process, exceeded his executive power and dared Congress to stop him, and, in my view, has been the mitigating factor behind the balkanization of our country. Nearly everything Obama touches has turned to ash, the opposite of the Midas touch. The man is a divider, not a uniter, yet he had the gall yesterday, in yet another pompous scolding, to call for "healing the nation's partisan discord" and "poisonous political climate."
Classic. He decries the poisonous political climate that he not only nurtured but masterfully exploited.
No surprise, then, as Professor Hanson concludes, the inevitable rise of a Donald Trump, who has charged in like a warrior on his steed, talking smack and promising to rout the bullies. "It's a jungle," he sneers. "But I'm from the jungle . . . I know the jungle. I'm your guy."
Classic. He decries the poisonous political climate that he not only nurtured but masterfully exploited.
No surprise, then, as Professor Hanson concludes, the inevitable rise of a Donald Trump, who has charged in like a warrior on his steed, talking smack and promising to rout the bullies. "It's a jungle," he sneers. "But I'm from the jungle . . . I know the jungle. I'm your guy."
And so the GOP implodes.
These candidates need to stop the circular firing squad and focus on their real political adversaries, which is actually what Marco Rubio was trying to do, albeit clumsily, that evening at the New Hampshire debate: keep the focus outward, onto Obama. Instead, he crumpled under Christie's withering belittling and ended up looking foolish.
As for Rubio, who thanks to the giddy media suffered serious damage at the New Hampshire primary, it's possible he can recover. After the debate mishap and then his clumsy post-debate handling of it afterwards (sticking to his guns, by golly), he seems to have gotten the memo. He spoke to his supporters after the NH vote and apologized, said he messed up ("it's on me"), and promised it wouldn't happen again.
Good for him, not blaming Christie.
These candidates need to stop the circular firing squad and focus on their real political adversaries, which is actually what Marco Rubio was trying to do, albeit clumsily, that evening at the New Hampshire debate: keep the focus outward, onto Obama. Instead, he crumpled under Christie's withering belittling and ended up looking foolish.
As for Rubio, who thanks to the giddy media suffered serious damage at the New Hampshire primary, it's possible he can recover. After the debate mishap and then his clumsy post-debate handling of it afterwards (sticking to his guns, by golly), he seems to have gotten the memo. He spoke to his supporters after the NH vote and apologized, said he messed up ("it's on me"), and promised it wouldn't happen again.
Good for him, not blaming Christie.
But . . . I'm pretty disgusted with Christie. I've liked him for so long, but his behavior the night of the debate was petty and inexcusable, especially coming from a man who had no chance of becoming president. Now I wish him good riddance (he pulled out of the race). Some analysts are saying it was a Kamikaze attack, murder-suicide. Not a good way for him to end his run.
If Rubio does somehow survive--if he fares better at the next debate, has a strong showing in South Carolina and subsequent states, and manages to eclipse the bad storyline with a new, even better one (down but not out, that sort of thing)--maybe this will have been just a hiccup.
"Get up, lad, and finish the race."
"Get up, lad, and finish the race."
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