I Was A Never Trumper Until Democrats Went Gonzo On Kavanaugh. Now, Hand Me That Red Hat

Via The Federalist

Is it too late to get one of those red hats?

I didn’t support Donald Trump during the 2016 election — not that it mattered. I wasn’t in a swing state and I wasn’t publicly opining about the general election. Had my vote mattered, I might have brought myself to vote for him, but it didn’t, so I didn’t.

On election night, I had a few drinks and enjoyed Hillary Clinton losing. It was a spectacle at which, to borrow a line, it would have taken a heart of stone not to laugh. I did text a friend or two that I hoped I was wrong about Trump.

In some ways, I was. He has kept his promises on judges, for instance. In other ways I think my low opinion of him has been thoroughly vindicated. Thus, in writing for The Federalist, I have defended President Trump and criticized him, sometimes in the same column.

I have also criticized the die-hard Never-Trumpers who are willing to jettison conservatism to pursue their vendetta against Trump. Like many Trump-skeptical conservatives I tried to call things as I saw them. Sometimes I was pleased with Trump’s policy, and sometimes I was appalled by him. I do not disavow any of what I wrote. Nonetheless, I now support Trump’s reelection.

To use the word du jour: I have been radicalized. The enormity of the efforts by the Democrats and their media allies to destroy Brett Kavanaugh forced me to reconsider my views. The concerns I have about Trump’s character, temperament, and propensity to damage America’s cultural and political institutions are still there, but I am supporting him anyway.

It is not just that the Democrats have vitiated any claim to possess superior character or temperament (though they have), or that Trump’s policies have been better than I expected. I now support Trump because the Democratic Party and its media allies are controlled by people who view conservatives not as political opponents to be voted down, but as enemies to be personally destroyed.

Trump will say anything, but Democrats will do anything. They and their media allies smeared a universally respected judge with an impeccable record as a serial sexual predator on evidence that would not have justified an indictment. They repeatedly lied and hid evidence in order to create delay (e.g., Christine Blasey Ford’s supposed fear of flying).

In the end, the evidence against Kavanaugh consisted only of the dubious testimony of a woman who could not recall basic details like a time or a place, whose story changed repeatedly, and whose witnesses remembered nothing of what she claimed. But Democrats did their best to forever brand him as a sexual predator anyway. They did not want a serious, confidential investigation; they wanted to publicly grind him into the dirt while the mob howled for his head.

They wanted the circus, the smears, the insane rumors and allegations from cranks. They wanted the tabloid journalism from formerly respectable outlets like The New Yorker. If Kavanaugh refused to withdraw, then they wanted Ford on national television. They even wanted the lunatic claims from a nutcase dredged up by a creepy porn lawyer, alleging that Kavanaugh ran a gang-rape ring as a teen. Even as the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh collapsed, they switched to smears about his high school yearbook and college drinking.

With rare exceptions, the national media repeated every smear and Democratic talking point. They spent weeks trying to destroy Kavanaugh’s life and reputation with lies, then had the effrontery to sneer at his anger when he took umbrage at being labeled a gang-rape mastermind. Lushes from the soused D.C. media lectured Kavanaugh about his teenage drinking. They earned every bit of Trump’s “enemy of the people” and “fake news” epithets.

Kavanaugh was a normal establishment Republican pick. Destroying him had nothing to do with opposing Trump’s particular flaws. This was about annihilating anyone who gets in the Democrats’ way, especially anyone who threatens their illegitimate Supreme Court policy wins. It was a declaration of war on every conservative, no matter how respected, reasonable, and mainstream.

There is no refuge from this sort of totalizing, destructive politics. The Republican rejection of Merrick Garland was political hardball; the sliming of Kavanaugh was categorically different and much worse. The Democrats crossed the line from policy disagreement to personal destruction, and in doing so they nuked any middle ground between themselves and conservative Trump skeptics. And they put every conservative on notice: You could be next.

If the Democrats will do this to a man as respected and mainstream as Kavanaugh, they will do it to anyone who gets in their way. The left has embraced mob justice that disdains our culture of due process and the presumption of innocence, and merely disagreeing with the mob provokes its wrath. At Facebook, the mob is after an executive who stood by his friend. At my alma mater, a dean was punished for tweeting skeptically about the woman accusing Kavanaugh of running a gang-rape ring in high school. Ordinary people are being targeted for having opinions the mob hates.

Capitulation to the outrage mob is contemptible, but it has become the norm, with lives ruined professionally and personally. The worst aspects of the online mob, the campus tribunal, and the gutter press have been embraced by the leaders of the Democratic Party, and they think any and everyone on the right is fair game. Those determined to believe the worst about the accused also believe the worst about those standing up for the rights of the accused, and want to destroy them as well. Dissent will not be tolerated—those who dare speak out against the witch-hunt will be burned as witches themselves.

I wish this was not so. I would rather be arguing about the Enlightenment than jumping on the Trump train. As a writer and scholar I want to persuade, not to destroy. I do not want American politics to be like this.

But as a voter who recognizes the unfortunate realities of our politics, I believe supporting Trump has become the responsible choice. Things may change, but right now Trump’s policies are better than I expected, he is not the authoritarian some feared, and he does not want to destroy me and mine. It isn’t much, but since Trump stands between me and those who would ruin me, he will have to do.

This is about self-defense. And that is why I’ve gone from “Meh” to “MAGA!”

Nathanael Blake is a Senior Contributor at The Federalist. He has a PhD in political theory. He lives in Missouri.

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Mary Christine

#Backfire. The opposition has shown that they underestimated the ability of the rest of us to still be able to think critically. They do not have enough antifa zombies to overcome the huge mistake they have made.

They are better at organizing than we are, though. We should learn some lessons from that. It takes away from our free time but what choice do we have?

prusmc

I differ with Dr Blake, if he lives in Missouri his vote would have counted. Up to the election, Missouri was a swing state. Let’s hope that he is energized enough to vote against McCaskel in the Senatorial race.

Mary Christine
Mary Christine

The only good thing about McCaskill’s opponent is that he is not McCaskill. He will go to the swamp and be just as good a swamp creature as she is.

pyrrhus
pyrrhus

A Republican cuck gets slightly un-cucked, while the odious neocon Nimrata Randhawa is out the door…Thanks Christina! Never interrupt your enemy when she is making a mistake.

Mary Christine

” Never interrupt your enemy when she is making a mistake.”

They will double down and make even worse mistakes, just wait, Pyrr. Sometimes you have to un-cuck in steps. Be patient. Maybe we are watching the death of the Democrat party and even if we are not the Republicans better take notice or they will be done for, too. We shall see.

PlatoPlubius

We talk about republican and democratic parties as though, fundamentally at their core they are any different and arent manipulayed and coalesced by same power centers!

It’s amazing how quickly smart people can be sucked back into the false left/right red team blue team bullshit after one kabuki theater event to the next.

Mary Christine

“It’s amazing how quickly smart people can be sucked back into the false left/right red team blue team bullshit after one kabuki theater event to the next.”

So true. See my remark below. It is easy, for me anyway. I have to remind myself of what is really going on all the time. But feel free to kick me in the ass now and than. I might need it.

grace country pastor

Never again Plato! Fool me once… dang I got fooled too many times.

Won’t get fooled again.

PlatoPlubius

Many more will jump on the MAGA bandwagon up to and through the “blue” wave in November….

Like I’ve said before,
There will be no living with the Q fanatics after they are proven partially correct…

See the recent resignation of UN Ambassador Nikki Haley…
You think the Qunatics are fanatical now! Just wait for a couple more manufactured victories…
The cards are being played and so are YOU!

Mary Christine

I can’t speak for anyone but myself but you know how I feel about “the letter that shall remain nameless”.

Whatever it takes for people to wake up. We just have to remind them that this is not about parties but about paying attention and clawing back the freedoms we have lost, or at least for the time being, keeping what freedom we have left.

Grizzly Bare
Grizzly Bare

Conservatives got played big time with the Kavanaugh confirmation. This guy is a swamp creature and the left played their part perfectly in getting the knee jerk reaction from the right to support him.

Anonymous
Anonymous

Good article to print out and distribute to moderates or RINOs in our spheres of influence.

Agnes in Chains
Agnes in Chains

Kanye was right. Damn, I never believed that moran until Kavanaugh. Kanye in 2024, I say!

BL
BL

Chains- Is that the same Kanye that had brilliantly blown up the Dems/Liberals with his love for Trump? Well, must not be true if the kabuki BS was to be believed in the Kavanaugh hearing.
This is starting to have the same felz as Starfcker stumping for Musk/Tesla. When will it end?

Agnes in Chains
Agnes in Chains

Does this red hat make me look too Kanye?

BL
BL

MAGA ……Still stands for MAKING AMERICA GOLDMANER AGAIN . Joo bankers and the .001% have made out like bandits since DT was sworn in. Kanye is still a idiot. Nothing has changed.

Agnes in Chains
Agnes in Chains

That’s my point, Bea. If anybody missed my dismissal of the Kavanaugh affair, I said it’s like an NFL game for the masses; they win, we cheer.

BL
BL

Agnes- No, but it makes your butt look big.

PlatoPlubius

No, but this one from the New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara might…
comment image

tbpyrag
tbpyrag

Probably prefers South Africa

Anonymous
Anonymous

Kavanaugh’s testimony was full of lies to anyone who cares to analyze what was said about his calendar and yearbook. As Blumenthal pointed out if one is motivated to lie about little things they can’t be trusted. K is a deep state tool who’ll further erode our rights which have already been eviscerated by Kavanaugh’s rulings on the Patriot Act, enemy combatants NSA blanket surveillance and suppression of evidence in the Vince Foster murder. The Guy is DIRTY!

Anonymous
Anonymous

Either: Ex, FSF, or MOU.
Same rant, every time the topic hits. Tiresome.
That you spout Blumenthal as a sage speaks volumes.

Anonymous
Anonymous

This MAGA Trump love shows you all are just as crazy as the left, I’ll have none of it, thanks DJT for revealing the hearts of men.

hardscrabble farmer
hardscrabble farmer

Clue us in. What lies did he tell about his calendar and yearbook?

Anonymous
Anonymous

You’re a faggot.

Cleveland Rocks
Cleveland Rocks

” I now support Trump because the Democratic Party and its media allies are controlled by people who view conservatives not as political opponents to be voted down, but as enemies to be personally destroyed.” This genius just figure this out. It has been going on my whole life; and that is over 60 years.

22winmag - Unreconstructedsouthernerbygraceofgod
22winmag - Unreconstructedsouthernerbygraceofgod

Fuck those red hats.

That’s what you’d say too if you were in East Ukraine watching your women and children get blown up by the lethal weapons Trump is selling to the clowns in Kiev.

Even Obama didn’t go that far!

A. R. Wasem
A. R. Wasem

It would now appear that, whatever Trump’s faults, there is no choice. The democrats are possessed and totally deranged by the demons of equality of outcome.

Taras 77
Taras 77

May be a tad OT but in other news, this from Naked Capitalism blog (it would be difficult to top this in nauseating events):

Politics

Please Kill Me Now

“Join President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as they participate in live events with audiences across North America” [An Evening with the Clintons]. “Experience a one-of-a-kind conversation with two individuals who have helped shape our world and had a front seat to some of the most important moments in modern history. From the American presidency to the halls of the Senate and State Department to one of the United States’ most controversial and unpredictable presidential elections, they provide a unique perspective on the past, and remarkable insight into where we go from here.” CNN: “While the events were billed as a chance for an “intimate conversation” with the former first lady, Live Nation booked arenas — including the United Center in Chicago — for the tour… Ticket prices run the gamut based on each location, but top tickets at the couple’s events in Texas cost $699. The least expensive tickets at some of the events were around $70.” • Grifters gotta grift.

https://www.aneveningwiththeclintons.com/

Ken
Ken

“Join President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as they participate in live events with audiences across North America” [An Evening with the Clintons].

Hmmm, things I would rather do than attend this shit-fest:

– Research the consequences of sticking my hand in a wood chipper.
– Assess the after effects of shoving a piece of rebar in my eye.
– Read “War and Peace” aloud for children’s story hour.
– Drag my nether regions over a mile of ground glass.
– Chug a gallon of bleach.

Any other entries?

PlatoPlubius

The speaking tour is All part of the political circus….

Just wait until alt righters and Qunatics start shouting over them and using the same tactics the social justice snow flake warriors have done to Jordan Peterson and at the Kavanaugh hearings…

Full destabilization mode ENGAGE!

BL
BL

Plato- How do you feel about that as a sociologist and why don’t law enforcement lock up these rowdy so-and-so’s?? If I were in a government building acting like a degenerate, I would be locked up. We do still have Po-Po’s…right?

PlatoPlubius

There are videos on YouTube where law enforcement does do this at city council meetings and other places…

I believe, in certain cases, law enforcement has been told to stand down….

Gotta create the outrage for the public to be fed, thus my mention of manufactured in my comment above.

BL
BL

Well yeah Plato, when paid demonstrators/rioting morans are not hauled away by LE, YOU KNOW it is nothing more than orchestrated BS theater. How completely dumb do they think we are? Low intels may believe it is organic and nothing is done to keep the peace but Good Lord this is truly theater for the dimwits.

What does this say about our society that we tolerate this orchestrated crap on a daily basis? Are we just too ridiculous to deserve space on the planet going forward? Your thoughts as one who studies the behavior of societies?

PlatoPlubius

I read somewhere that most genuine, “natural” (i say loosely because of my understanding of cause and effect) uprisings occur when people become desperate to feed themselves and their families…

Until this happens in earnest via supply disruptions, EMP blast, natural disaster, currency hyperinflation a la Venezuela and soon to be Argentina, or the like… people Will continue to focus on “business as usual”…
Worrying about paying the bills, accumulating more shit and protecting what they and theirs have left. The power of gradualism cannot be understated.

No one is gonna leap first without knowing that their sacrifice will amount to anything…i mentioned this on one of Stucky’s recent thread.

The power of the Eye of Sauron and the media to frame and dictate the narrative is VERY coercive and could and more than likely would make your lone wolf actions out to be an act of nuttery or religious extremism.

BL
BL

Could not agree more Plato, that is what it would take for REAL unrest. If TPTB are determined to bring about untold misery for this population, they will foment the cause from your list to get the anticipated effect. Seriously doubt the history books will admit the massive manipulation by the cabal in order to insure the reduction of population and confiscation of wealth and property.

But hey,what difference does it make if 20 or 30 million die unless it’s your family and we KNOW the .001% never have to worry about such things.
One hundred years ago Russia starved to death 31 million Russian peasants, the world did nothing to save them. The US sent help after most of them were dead but at least we saved a very few.

PM
PM

Where’s the hag that bragged about almost serving the country… claiming to be in the USAF. She take her. dirt nap yet?

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