The only thing worse than Republicans selling us out, bastardizing our values, breaking promises and lying about it, and downright making our views unpopular with the public, is for us to become content with and even excuse this behavior. Thanks to the soft bigotry of low expectations, much of our movement is now pacified by merely finding a few random roses Republicans throw at us amidst the endless acts of political adultery on the legacy issues that matter. The binary idolatry of “well, the Democrats would be worse” is destroying our own movement and permanently ceding ground that might never be recovered.
In this action-packed episode, Daniel goes through the litany of betrayals and perfidy from this week on almost every major issue that counts. The question is: are conservatives going to accept this as the soft bigotry of low expectations or will we finally take our destiny into our own hands? If conservatives don’t demand action, we will forever cede ground on important issues. Worse, the terrible body of the GOP that is trapping and bastardizing our views is rapidly making our views unpopular on issues that were once easy winners.
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Lighting up America: Judge Roy Moore running for Senate
Rogue judge sides with sanctuary cities. Will Congress respond?
Promise not kept: Trump’s illegal executive amnesty
This is the week when we will see the dichotomy between the parties play out: whereas Democrats seek power even when they don’t have it; Republicans seek office even when they have power. In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel breaks down the week ahead of budget fights, taxes, and health care. After accomplishing almost nothing in this Congress, the budget is the only opportunity for Republicans to actually fulfill their promises. This is the week for Trump to either rise to the occasion or allow Chuck Schumer to control government from a minority position in the Senate.
The other big issue this week is the emerging deal on a health care bill. The Freedom Caucus leadership is stuck between a rock and a hard place with the reality of a party that doesn’t share their values. Many of them are trying to cut the best deal possible, but as we explore, it will likely fall far short of any meaningful repeal of Obamacare.
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What’s worse than watching Democrat policies – both on the domestic and foreign policy fronts – being implemented? Watching them being implemented by a Republican president.
In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel talks about the results of the special election in GA-6 and demonstrates why Republicans are headed towards a nightmare scenario if they don’t change course. On the one hand, they are perceived to have full control of government, a perception which has energized the Democrat base. On the other hand, we have gotten nothing done and the conservative base is no longer energized. This is a recipe for losing even red-leaning districts.
Using the latest news about the Iran deal, foreign policy, Obamacare, and the budget, Daniel shows how we are incurring all the political liabilities of Republicans controlling government but enjoying none of the policy benefits.
Key quotes:
My warning from last year: “Anyone looking to this man for a nominee with a morsel of conservatism or authentic anti-establishment direction has sadly landed on a charlatan who embodies the epitome of what is wrong with tepid republicanism. Strip away the gratuitous boorishness and when it comes to real issues there is nothing but political correctness, uncertainty, and vacillation. Thus we are left with all of the vices of a non-politically correct candidate and none of the virtues.”
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My warning just one year ago predicting this day
Trump embracing illegal Obamacare subsidies
Tired of the myopic focus on Syria and the platitudes over whether to intervene or not? In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel is joined by Patrick Poole, the senior national security correspondent for PJ Media and one of the foremost experts on the Middle East. (whose views are unfortunately never represented among the smart set in DC). Patrick discusses the folly of focusing on any one player in a vacuum and the need to a take a holistic approach putting our interests first.
Through a deep and far reaching discussion of the Middle East and Africa, we explore the observations that are missed by the failed foreign policy “wonks” in both parties, who are now dragging this president into the same sinkhole of the past. Many policymakers are missing the fact that Christian parts of Africa are falling to Islamists every week and the media ignores the mass genocide in the region just because the victims are not Muslims engaged in civil wars.
Patrick calls for a complete operational pause and audit of all our engagements in the Middle East – from direct combat, to arming and training dubious and even dangerous entities – so that we can devise a holistic policy that addresses both the Iranian and Sunni Islamist threats from a position of strength with consistency that will serve our interests.
Patrick observes that right now, as it relates to conservatives in this administration, we are like the first wave at Omaha Beach getting mowed down by the swamp creatures. We need a successful second, third, and fourth wave to establish a beachhead or this administration will be lost on critical national security policies.
Are we going to have our foreign policy dictated by prudence and the facts on the ground as they relate to our interests or are we going to be goaded into more mistakes by yellow journalism? Patrick Poole navigates the toughest waters of the Middle East swamp.
Key quotes:
"Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none.” Thomas Jefferson
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Jared Kushner now trying to take over national security
Drug use on the rise among Navy SEALs who are being stretched thin in a meat grinder
We need to bring back Congress’ power over declaring war
No more ground troops: Trump must be careful that Syria doesn’t become his Iraq
In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, we explore a number of important issues – from the engagement in Syria to the judicial filibuster, the prospect of Justice Neil Gorsuch, and the need for judicial reform.
The images emanating from Syria are horrible, but there are a lot of important questions that must be answered before we jump in and act on emotion. Without answering these critical questions, we risk repeating the mistakes of Iraq, destroying our military and political capital, and not even solving the humanitarian problem.
As for the courts, we explore why Gorsuch’s ascendance to the high court will not change the course of the judiciary and why we need bold thinkers to move beyond the existing failed paradigm. We must remember that the capacity of a good judge to do good does not counteract the capacity of a bad judge to destroy our society. That is why we will never fix the courts merely by attempting to appoint better judges.
Trump picks an Obama holdover to head the Border Patrol
A partial list of liberals in the Trump administration
A recent court case that demonstrates why the courts are irremediably broken
No more ground troops: Trump must be careful that Syria doesn’t become his Iraq
How is it possible to get hit by a parked car? It’s not possible, of course, unless you do it on purpose. The same applies to Trump and Republicans losing the upcoming budget battle.
In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, we explore the mechanics of the budget battle and how the perfidy and betrayal demonstrates that Republicans don’t share our values. It is impossible to lose a government shutdown fight when you control all three branches unless you don’t want to win or unless your definition of winning is different from your campaign promises.
Republicans are set to cave on the border wall, refugee resettlement, protecting Trump’s executive order, and Planned Parenthood, as well as the spending levels. When juxtaposed to what Democrats got in 2009 when they controlled all three branches, it should become evident to anyone willing to listen that Republicans don’t share the values of their base the way Democrats represent their voters.
Finally, Daniel discusses the mechanics of the filibuster and how several recent factors have changed the importance of this tool or at least the way it is practiced.
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So much for the ‘Art of the Deal’: Trump and GOP leaders are about to cave on the budget
While Trump attacks conservatives, his immigration agenda burns
New budget report: America will be Greece unless health care is fixed