A friend sent me this e-mailing, which I think is quite interesting, even if I did fail to click on the link to see all of Coulter’s article. (I will admit that I translate “POWERFUL CONSERVATIVE VOICES” to “WE YELL LOUDER FRIGHT-STORIES THAN OTHER SNAKE-OIL SALESMEN”.) It’s an attack on the idea of restoring DACA legislatively.
But it’ll depend on how Trump ultimately ends up playing this. Last I heard, Trump was leaning towards an agreement with the Democrats which would seriously leave the GOP looking bad. If this happens, then it appears that Coulter’s is one of the lead blows in the savage criticism to descend upon Trump from the extremist right. For example, Jeremy Carl on National Review sees this happening:
The short-term politics of a DACA amnesty would likely be devastating for Trump — for his most committed voters and supporters, immigration was his key issue of differentiation. For these voters, DACA amnesty is a knife in the heart. It’s no coincidence that some of the president’s staunchest defenders (Sean Hannity, Breitbart, Ann Coulter) are attacking the possibility of a DACA amnesty, and at times even Trump himself, in an unprecedented fashion. Helping to pass a DACA amnesty would likely be a strategic blunder of historic proportions for the president and his team.
But there’s an implicit assumption in this assessment – that Trump voters are issue-motivated voters.
I wonder.
I think it’s quite possible that a substantial number of them – over 50%, maybe 75% – are voting for the man, not for his positions on the issues.
This is not actually an exotic position. After all, from an ideal point of view, we do not elect our leaders in order to implement our viewpoints on specific issues in most cases. We elect leaders to assess situations and choose the best alternative. That’s why we pay them. If Trump stands up and says that he’s assessed the situation and believes visiting injustice upon these children of illegal immigrants is unacceptable, it’s not only possible but even appropriate that his supporters will accept his judgment and remain in his corner.
And the right wing extremists who function more on ideology than the strength of character of their leaders (of which Trump has none, but never mind that) will be outraged and attack him – and possibly alienate the Trump supporters until they no longer wish to vote for GOP candidates in general, only those who are Trump adherents.
It’s sort of RINO in reverse. And it may be what frightens independents and liberals the most, paradoxically, because it renders nearly impossible the effort to strip supporters away from the incompetent and frighteningly dangerous President Trump. Until those voters learn that simply blindly following Trump is not good enough, that his actions must be judged, not on ideological grounds, but on competency grounds, they will cling to Trump because of a certain charisma that some think he has.
And that means more and more damage to the United States, within and without.
