I sent a link to this interesting editorial in The Washington Post this morning to Bryan:
The rank nihilism driving the GOP’s acceptance of Trump
THE PAST weekend brought yet more evidence of Donald Trump’s contempt for truth and essential political standards. Yet the reality-television star continued to consolidate GOP support, a fact punctuated by Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus’s tour on Sunday morning television, in which he argued that the “sort of traditional review and analysis of individual candidates has not applied to Donald Trump,” because Mr. Trump is a different kind of candidate — “a total outsider that’s going to cause an earthquake in Washington.”
Priebus
In fact, it is all the more important that voters see Mr. Trump’s full business and financial record precisely because he lacks a history of public service on which to judge his suitability. How, then, can Mr. Priebus argue that basic standards, such as honesty and transparency, do not apply? Because, he explained, voters do not seem to care about them — at least not so far. And if voters don’t care, Mr. Priebus doesn’t care: “We want to win in November, and Donald Trump is someone who has been winning.”
This is not the first time that the chairman has exposed the rank nihilism that is driving Republican leaders’ acceptance of Mr. Trump, and Mr. Priebus is far from alone….
In truth, I just sent it to him because it employed the word “nihilism,” which he recently accused me of overusing:
@BradWarthen You gotta start using another word besides “nihilism”. First the Tea Party was, now Trump.
— Bryan Caskey (@BryanCaskey) May 5, 2016
Bryan apparently doesn’t remember when I used it to describe the anti-public education crowd. Hey, when it’s just the right word, it’s just the right word. But that aside, the editorial is a good piece that makes good points.
And Bryan responded to them thusly:
Yeah, the GOP accepting/supporting Trump simply because they want to “win” disgust me. First, they’re not going win. He’s going to get creamed. Second, they’re compromising their principles to do so. It reminds me of a quote from Churchill:
“You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war.”
Trump supporters are choosing dishonor and they’re still going to lose.
Yes, it’s true. One after another, Republicans are turning into undead “walkers,” staggering after Trump on the way to the party’s ultimate doom. There are only a few — Paul Ryan, Ben Sasse, Bill Kristol, Lindsey Graham — with some higher brain function left, fighting a rear-guard action against the Apocalypse like Rick Grimes, Daryl Dixon and the other desperate survivors. (Can you tell that over the weekend I resumed trying to catch up on “The Walking Dead”? I just finished “Claimed,” the 11th episode of the fourth season, last night.)
Where was I? Oh, yes….
You might also want to read Richard Cohen’s column headlined, “Reince Priebus, fool:”
I don’t know Reince Priebus, the head of the Republican Party (such as it is). He may be a very nice guy, what with a wife and kids and probably a car or two. Still, after watching him on the Sunday interview shows, I have concluded that the man has no pride, no shame and, almost certainly, no future. After Donald Trump loses the presidential election, the name Priebus will, like Quisling or even Boycott, take on a separate meaning: fool.
Priebus went from TV studio to TV studio, four in all, on a trudge of abasement, a ride of shame. He was asked about Trump’s womanizing, his attempts in the past to pass himself off as someone else (“John Miller,” “John Barron”), his misogyny and his plan to bar all Muslims from the country (details to follow). The Mexican wall, did that come up? His belittling of John McCain, was that mentioned? His mockery of a physically handicapped reporter, did someone mention that?
There is so much to offend, so much to defend: the king’s ransom of insults and moronic plans, the childish take on torture, the misunderstanding of the Constitution, the veritable conviction of all Mexicans on the charge of rape, the distrust of NATO, the off-the-cuff suggestion that Japan and South Korea get their own nuclear weapons, and, for a moment or two, the notion that women who seek abortions should be somehow punished.
And so poor Priebus bobbed and weaved….
Will the Republican Party survive this election? Oh, I doubt any of it adherents in South Carolina will renounce it soon, but will it remain a national force? Its “leaders” for the most part, lacking courage and imagination (all they can imagine doing is what they’ve always done, lining up slavishly behind any nominee thrust upon them), seem bent on leading it to an ignominious end…
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There are so many reasons not to jump aboard the Trump train, but I really think this line from a piece by Maggie Gallagher captures the essence of one of the biggest ones:
If you join Team Trump, you have to swallow not just what Trump has done and said but the next thing he will say or do.
The Trump Train is going to look like this in November:
I need to make sure my grandson doesn’t see that picture — he might decide that merely crashing his trains into each other is no longer enough…
This is a more kid-friendly version of what the Trump Train will look like in November:
That picture could have been taken this morning at my house, with the sound of a little voice crying, “Derailed! Boom!”…
That reminds me of a scene from Ant Man, which in turn reminds me how cool Captain America: Civil War was.
I know exactly which scene you mean:
How could you insult Thomas like that? I hope Sir Topham Hat doesn’t follow Brad.
Yes! You must also have little kids. I’m sure the Island of Sodor will not be offended.