Personality vs. Party

[Valin]

National Review/The Corner

Personality vs. Party

Jonah Goldberg

July 18, 2017

 

Pretty much every day, I hear or see people arguing, shouting, screaming, or even threatening that all Republicans must give Donald Trump more or less unqualified support. Some very smart people even suggest that “sniping” at Donald Trump is out of bounds. I’m not going to revisit all those arguments.

But one thing I find interesting is how so many people couch these arguments in terms of party loyalty. Wade through the replies in my Twitter feed some day and you will find literally hundreds of people shouting, “It’s us or them! If you don’t like Trump, become a Democrat or a liberal!” And, of course, a thousand varieties of “RINO!”

So, actually, that’s not the interesting part. That’s old news. What does intrigue me is how most of these same people feel no reluctance whatsoever to heap scorn and ridicule on the Republican House and Senate — and the GOP leadership, in particular — whenever it helps Trump.

Do you see the disconnect? If the anger from Trump defenders was really about defending the party, you wouldn’t expect this much vitriol against elected Republican leaders — a great many of whom outperformed Donald Trump in 2016 and outpoll him among Republicans.

 

(Snip)