By Peter Wehner
Thursday, May 05, 2016
Well done Republicans.
Presented with the strongest presidential field in 36
years – filled with accomplished conservatives — you have succeeded in
nominating a man who is enamored with conspiracy theories, from President
Obama’s birth certificate (Obama wasn’t born in America) to vaccinations
causing autism to the Bush administration lying our way into war with Iraq to
Ted Cruz’s father being involved in the assassination of President Kennedy.
You have chosen as the leader of your party a man who has
financially supported Harry Reid and Hillary Clinton and in 2004 praised John
Kerry as a “great guy… a very smart guy,” who has ridiculed Ronald Reagan and
called for the impeachment of George W. Bush. Who has praised President Obama
(“he’s doing a really good job”) and his stimulus package (“this is what we
need”). Who during this campaign has spoken out in praise of Planned Parenthood
and in favor of punishing women who have abortions. Who has advocated
government mandating that individuals purchase health insurance and a
single-payer health care system. Who has supported race-based preferences and
opposes entitlement reform (entitlement programs are the chief driver of our
debt and their reform is the sine qua non
of limited government). Who is “the least conservative Republican presidential
aspirant in living memory.”
The party of Lincoln and Reagan now has as its de facto nominee a fierce protectionist,
an unconcealed nativist, and a man who has run his campaign on “know-nothing
xenophobia.” A man who is enamored with Vladimir Putin and endorses war crimes,
including targeting the families of terrorists. Who promises to be “neutral”
toward Israel and those who want to destroy Israel. Who said of ISIS, “that’s
not our fight.” Who has slandered America in a way the Left usually does. Who
can’t talk coherently about the nuclear triad, the difference between the Quds
Force in Iran and the Kurds, or health care (“get rid of the lines around each
state“). Who said he would eliminate our $19 trillion debt in eight years
without touching entitlement programs while also pushing for a tax plan that
would cut an additional $10 trillion in revenue. Who incites violence and
promises to create a “deportation force” to forcibly remove 11 million
undocumented immigrants from America. Who is a chronic liar. Who mocks former
POWs and people with physical disabilities and compares his opponents to child
molesters. And who has said, “if Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be
dating her.”
Oh, you’ve also chosen a man to lead your party who
happens to be “the most unpopular major party nominee in the modern era, with
nearly two-thirds saying they have an unfavorable opinion of him. More than
half view him ‘very unfavorably’ or say they’re ‘scared’ of his candidacy —
figures with no precedent among modern presidential nominees.”
Republicans, having effectively nominated Mr. Trump, now
get to live with him. And politically they will die with him.
Congratulations.
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