The conservative movement is in the midst of needless estrangement because Trump has flipped Reagan’s ‘special compact’ between the people and their leaders upside down.
This article is from The Editor’s Corner, with insights, short-posts, links, and general ramblings from Editor/Owner Justin Stapley.
I recently received a message on Twitter from a Trump supporter asking why I followed his profile since I’m “Never Trump.” I thought my reply to him was worth sharing with a broader audience:
So, here’s some food for thought. I can pretty much guarantee you that you and I agree generally on most of the issues and on policy. When I say “Never Trump” it means now what it meant to me in 2016, that I will not vote for him. Outside of that, I have labored to call balls and strikes as I see them.
The reason why I generally stand against Trump is exactly because of conversations such as this. I have always considered it a major plank of conservatism to zealously hold leaders and representatives feet to the fire.
As Reagan famously said, “‘Trust me’ government asks that we concentrate our hopes and dreams on one man; that we trust him to do what’s best for us. But my view of government places trust not in one person or one party, but in those values that transcend persons and parties. The trust is where it belongs, in the people. The responsibility to live up to that trust is where it belongs, in their elected leaders. That kind of relationship, between the people and their elected leaders, is a special kind of compact.”
“I ask you not simply to ‘trust me,’ but to trust your values – our values – and to hold me responsible for living up to them.”
So, for me I oppose Trump, I’m “Never Trump”, because I feel he has turned the relationship between conservatives and their leaders upside down. The compact that Trump has with the Republican Party is exactly opposite the one that Reagan had.
Under Trump, the responsibility is on the rank-and-file to fall in line with him, and anyone, such as myself, who speaks out in a principled manner is vilified and ran out of the party.
Isn’t it a tragedy that a needless wedge has been driven between similarly minded people such as you and I? Your message is asking me why I followed you when we have a disagreement over a man, even though the reality is our agreement on many issues and policies should have us be fast allies.
However, I am happy you reached out to me and gave me an opportunity to speak to you in an open and respectful dialogue. You are not my enemy. Nobody who voted for Trump is my enemy. Supporting him and giving cover for him was simply a bridge too far for me.
If you are a bread and butter conservative, as I assume you are, then we are still brothers and it greatly saddens me to see just how estranged I often am from my brothers and sisters just because we don’t see eye to eye on a single man.
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