This really explains why the left hates Trump on such a deep, visceral level. He's the only real opponent that they haven't been able to beat because he operates out of their own playbook. Not that that's a good thing, obviously. But it does explain the unhinged TDS.
One problem that traditionalists will face is that they aren't very good at smash mouth politics.
For example, when the FCC head wanted Jimmy Kimmel off the air for outright misrepresentation of the Charlie Kirk murder, conservatives mostly opposed the FCC butting in.* So much for rightwing authoritarianism!
In a similar situation, progressives would be all for Cancel. Their tradition does not include freedom of speech as an actual - as opposed to feigned - value.
The fact that the conservatives' tradition does really include that makes the conservative tradition more costly both to defend and to live by.
Smash mouth politics is a desperate gamble on the progressive's part - to raise the stakes in precisely the area where they think their opponents are weak. Jury's still out on whether they are right: Can traditional methods still be successfully used to defend the tradition?
*In context, Kimmel's rant was not popular with the network's affiliates and Big Gov should have left well enough alone. Also, anyone clued in enough to BE FCC commissioner should know that Kimmel's late talk show format is a dying genre. Younger folk are going elsewhere. If conservatives hope to prevail, they really need smarter representatives, in the United States and elsewhere in the West.
This is all true, Denyse. To the extent they remained principled, conservatives find smash mouth distasteful at best and a downright betrayal of those principles at worst. Smash mouth fits uneasily in the conservative tradition. But what happens when a critical mass of conservatives believe they must choose between betraying their principles or else live on their knees in a progressive "boot in the face forever" authoritarian dystopia? Your get their response to Trump's most outrageous shenanigans. Yes, he is a jerk, but he's our jerk.
Barry, you picked the right word, "shenanigans." My guess is the "autopen for Joe Biden" portrait, for example, won't last long. Even people who hate the guy want an actual picture. But then Trump isn't trying to jail Biden on trumped-up charges, is he?
Trump is, after all, the guy who campaigned driving a garbage truck, dressed as a trash man. So, if he won, you could expect more shenanigans.
Past that, Trump strikes me as the sort of jerk who jacks Mr. Girl out of the women's change room, with scant regard for his feeeeeeeeeeeelings. I don't mind. I wish we had someone like him in Canada actually, just to get the point across that we are all deadly sick of dangerous progressive insanity.
This really explains why the left hates Trump on such a deep, visceral level. He's the only real opponent that they haven't been able to beat because he operates out of their own playbook. Not that that's a good thing, obviously. But it does explain the unhinged TDS.
Barry, perfectly said. Everything logically follows from your fundamental premise. I’m passing it on. Thank you.
One problem that traditionalists will face is that they aren't very good at smash mouth politics.
For example, when the FCC head wanted Jimmy Kimmel off the air for outright misrepresentation of the Charlie Kirk murder, conservatives mostly opposed the FCC butting in.* So much for rightwing authoritarianism!
In a similar situation, progressives would be all for Cancel. Their tradition does not include freedom of speech as an actual - as opposed to feigned - value.
The fact that the conservatives' tradition does really include that makes the conservative tradition more costly both to defend and to live by.
Smash mouth politics is a desperate gamble on the progressive's part - to raise the stakes in precisely the area where they think their opponents are weak. Jury's still out on whether they are right: Can traditional methods still be successfully used to defend the tradition?
*In context, Kimmel's rant was not popular with the network's affiliates and Big Gov should have left well enough alone. Also, anyone clued in enough to BE FCC commissioner should know that Kimmel's late talk show format is a dying genre. Younger folk are going elsewhere. If conservatives hope to prevail, they really need smarter representatives, in the United States and elsewhere in the West.
This is all true, Denyse. To the extent they remained principled, conservatives find smash mouth distasteful at best and a downright betrayal of those principles at worst. Smash mouth fits uneasily in the conservative tradition. But what happens when a critical mass of conservatives believe they must choose between betraying their principles or else live on their knees in a progressive "boot in the face forever" authoritarian dystopia? Your get their response to Trump's most outrageous shenanigans. Yes, he is a jerk, but he's our jerk.
Barry, you picked the right word, "shenanigans." My guess is the "autopen for Joe Biden" portrait, for example, won't last long. Even people who hate the guy want an actual picture. But then Trump isn't trying to jail Biden on trumped-up charges, is he?
Trump is, after all, the guy who campaigned driving a garbage truck, dressed as a trash man. So, if he won, you could expect more shenanigans.
Past that, Trump strikes me as the sort of jerk who jacks Mr. Girl out of the women's change room, with scant regard for his feeeeeeeeeeeelings. I don't mind. I wish we had someone like him in Canada actually, just to get the point across that we are all deadly sick of dangerous progressive insanity.