In particular, Trump has accomplished what no politician, ever, has accomplished. He owns the media

National Review--a Titanic Failure

It is discouraging to find the National Review, home to a profundity of prominent pundits, attacking the frontrunner, Donald Trump, on the very eve of the first primary contest. “Conservatives against Trump?” Really? Even granting the authors good intentions, they accomplish nothing more than ‘rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.’ “Conservatives against Trump” misses the point entirely. None of us regular guy and gal Conservatives out here in flyover-land, many well read (well, at least having read The Liberty Amendments) are encumbered by the ridiculous ages-old insistence upon purity in Conservative candidates.

Most people in the real world understand life is composed of incessant demands we make “trade-off” decisions. Traditionally, the only political class denying the reality of trade-offs has been the Left. It is certainly no longer helpful, if ever it was, for our Conservative literati to parse candidates’ strict allegiance to Conservative doctrine (and I write this as a life-long staunch Conservative). How can National Review be so wrong? How can so many Conservative luminaries be so wrong? It is easy. They can adopt the timeworn requirement that a Republican candidate, especially one who self-identifies as a Conservative, be a purist Conservative. In the current circumstance, however, the literati actually do possess the option of a purist Conservative, Ted Cruz. For the first time in history (well, aside from Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan), Conservative purists can realistically expect to run a purist Conservative candidate. And it is true Ted Cruz is a proven Constitutional Conservative, his dedication to the cause attested to by his education, training, practice, office, and nearly every single word he’s ever uttered. But now (or at least since June 16, 2015), a quasi-Conservative has entered stage left, pirouetting far beyond every other diva on the stage and stealing the limelight every single damned day since. How can this be? How has Trump been able to polarize the debate so deliciously—among Conservatives? Easy answer: The self-immolating wing of the Conservative Movement, including the bright lights at National Review, again, insist upon purity.

Is this prudent? In particular, does Ted Cruz’ Conservative purity predict he will/would be superior to Trump as President? Reflexively, we Conservatives would answer, “of course.” Life doesn’t always work that way, however. We are constrained by trade-offs not of our own choosing. For example, Cruz will endeavor to reinstate Constitutional principles. But, striving against the hydra of the Administrative State and the Crony-Capitalist Establishment, Cruz will likely make no more headway than even Ronald Reagan when merely trying to close the infant Department of Education. Furthermore, Cruz’ legal/Constitutional expertise just simply is no match for Trump’s likely success in his emblematic asymmetric approach to diplomatic, economic, cultural, and military endeavors. Moreover, Trump’s personal history of success in most every endeavor, cannot be underestimated as a boon to the Presidency. There is one more spectacular element which makes Trump likely to be a natural-born comprehensively successful President—and for Constitutionalists as well. He has declared himself, and then doubled down, on his intention to destroy radical Islam—declaring the need for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country—how incendiary! And he declared, day one of his candidacy, to “build a wall,” and shut down illegal immigration. Whoa! And he not only survived the media conflagration following both pronouncements, he destroyed the media in the process. These two issues, illegal immigration and radical Islam, are the two pivotal issues of our time, the “existential” issues that are truly existential. If we do not prevail in these two arenas, we will prevail in none. But wait, behind Door #2, the citizen can also win a guy who, from Day 1, emphasized the necessity of a “huge” military (and huge support of Vets). But there’s more. Behind Door #3, the citizen can also win draconian tax cuts, slashed regulations, with the jobs and prosperity inevitably to follow (Ex. Presidents Harding, JFK, and Reagan). And Trump offers so many other things to the citizen in the Bonus Round. In particular, Trump has accomplished what no politician, ever, has accomplished. He owns the media. He defeats the media and gets his message out no matter the forum and in every forum. In fact, some would argue the media and its sibling Political Correctness Movement are the true “existential” threats facing this country. Both facilitate nearly all dangerous things we contend with. Trump’s conquest of these malign forces, as President, may be the most pivotal accomplishment of any President in history. Imagine four more years of this tour de force! Fabulous! Trump can bring us successes on the political battlefield—and for Conservatives—unmatched even by Ronald Reagan. And it will be fun! National Review and its peerless contributors should be ashamed of their lackluster vision. Instead of rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, perhaps they should help Trump steer the ship directly into the iceberg, bisecting it, and saving the day.

Dr. Brad Lyles -- Bio and Archives Dr. Brad Lyles is an independent writer for the Tea Party.

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