John Hinderaker put up an interesting post at Powerline last night, based on his encounter with Tulsi Gabbard at a speaking engagement. He’s extremely complimentary towards Tulsi (she asked to be called Tulsi), as you can tell from the title of the post:
Over and over I say I keep a wry eye on her, she's not stupid by anymeans but has supported far Left initiatives. I do see her as loyal opposition once the Nation is back on course.
I take great exception to the reference to the coming of age during the Vietnam War and proclaiming Democrats Doves. In Truth Eisenhower and Nixon were arming and training the South Vietnamese to stand against the Soviet backed and pushed NVA. It was JFK & LBJ, both Democrats if one hasn't noticed. In 68 the Democrats still had Hawks, by 72 the New Left took the reigns and has headed LEFT ever since. I pulled my first and only Draft Lottery Number that Year as well. Nixon brought into existence an enforceable peace. Had the Watergate cover-up not occurred Saigon my not have fallen in 75.
You conclude by saying Trump isn't beholden to the Establishment. Unfortunately, it's the exact opposite. In 2016 he defeated the Estab. but he turned around and along with Jared merged with them and they're thrilled about it. Trump was elected to scale back US foreign aggression, to normalize relations with Russia, and stop being a Big Stupid Bully. (And of course to build the Wall). Once inaugurated he began sending more US tanks to Russian borders "to reassure NATO allies." He immediately bombed Syria and Afghanistan--nullifying his election. In April 2017 he learned the Pentagon ignored him, so he pretended it was his idea and announced he was turning over all military decisions to "his generals," further nullifying his election. Of course in August 2017, the House and Senate voted to remove all Russia foreign policy from Trump and assign it to the Senate. Later he authorized lethal weapons to Ukraine to kill Russians, which even Obama wouldn't do. Trump could've saved the country by resigning to draw attention to the fact that US is now a military dictatorship, the evidence being that his election had been nullified in only a few months. But he didn't do that, he stayed and became a worse neocon than McCain. That's why Trump is still allowed to be in headlines. If he steps out of line, the GOP will pop up and say, well Trump didn't clear that with us and we're paying his legal bills (as it did a few months ago). Trump and Jared brought WinRed to RNC in 2019, a for profit fundraising program. Jared and others make money from every WinRed donation. MAGA and Am. First have long ago been totally co-opted. Am First is loaded with Jared's open borders globalist cronies cashing in now and ready to cash in on an unlikely future Trump/Kushner admin. Trump won in 2016 because he won the Rust Belt, specifically white, former Obama voters. Trump will never win again because he'll never win the Rust Belt again. Jared cancelled tv ad buys in Rust Belt states in Oct. 2020. Jared of course accepted a $250 million credit line from Soros in 2015. Every day as a 2016 candidate Trump promised a wall without a single condition. Never once did he say he'd have to ask congress for permission. If he'd said that even once, I'd never have voted for him in 2016. Everyone knows congress would never approve one inch of a wall.
If Trump runs he'll need a lot of money and some will come from rich guys who like his policies better than his opponent's policies. But he'll be less beholden to the *Establishment* than any candidate in modern history. The Establishment still fears and despises him. What do you think the Jan 6 Circus is all about?
Yes, Trump did some things to 'reassure NATO allies', as well as to reassure neocons and McCainites, etc. He even (naively) tried to build some Dem support. He's a dealmaker.
He had very few friends in DC and he did what he had to do...what he was able to do. But over four full years he avoided any major war or commitment of troops or loss of life. He managed to keep Putin and Xi and Kim at bay. There was no Khe Sanh, no Bay of Pigs, no Benghazi. No Korean Stalemate, no embarrassment in Fallujah. No catastrophic evacuation of Saigon or Kabul.
He may have sent weapons to Ukraine but he didn't provoke a war with a nuclear-armed Russia.
Look at what his opponent has done...
And lastly, and most importantly, who will be the strongest candidate in 2024? If its Trump by all objective measures, I'll support Trump.
"You conclude by saying Trump *isn't beholden* to the Establishment."
Not exactly. I conclude by saying:
"if Trump runs he *won’t be beholden* to the GOP establishment."
That's different. I'm saying that the second time around things will be different. Trump has experience behind him. He knows his enemies, he's been outspokenly attacking many of them. Maybe I'll be wrong, but I prefer that my actual views be attacked rather than views that aren't my own.
I took a class with one of the Powerline bloggers in undergrad, circa 2005. Brilliant guy, but a neocon. (Not Hinderaker). If these guys are celebrating a prominent socially liberal democrat for de facto defecting over to the right due to her rejection of the bipartisan DC interventionist consensus, you know that neoconservatism has truly outlived its welcome on the right. Powerline’s condemnations of Bill Kristol and Steve Hayes, from former contributors to The Weekly Standard no less, is another data point.
Tulsi is obviously an excellent communicator and skilled politician. It remains to be seen what her core principles are. I'm from the old school of watch what they do not what the say.
The PowerLine bros are not really GOPe, but I'd call them GOPm (for "milquetoast"), so I'm unsurprised that Hinderaker would make a (patently ridiculous) statement that "I would vote for her for any office." WTF? Really? Tulsi read his organization's website before the meeting, but did Hinderaker research Tulsi's actual record (not her warm smile, winning personality, and attractiveness? PowerLine is hard to characterize (Hayward is still snidely anti-Trump and they still link to the ISW for Ukraine war updates), but they are usually smart guys. Seems like Hinderaker got thunderstruck by Gabbard and maybe needs to take a cold shower.
Maybe he did and liked what he found there. She voted for Trump’s first impeachment, for example. I think she “bravely” abstained in the second one. Other than that eleventh-hour, half-hearted show of sanity, she had a pretty standard Demonrat congressional voting record.
While I very much like her stance regarding the warmongering. I wouldn’t want her anywhere near the Presidency.
LOL! Remember how he used to be constantly posting about beauty contests? Cold shower could be called for. If Tulsi did her research, she'd know how to push that guy's, er, buttons. Hayward is usually smart, but the other day he made a real dumb remark about Donbass voting to be separate from the USSR in Ukraine--like 30 years or more ago. The world changes, and post USSR Soviet lands are complicated. But somehow Hayward didn't mention that Crimea has been voting to be separate from Ukraine since the mid 90s.
Hinderaker's tribe was once called the Country Club Republicans. Ted Knight might have played him in Caddyshack while Rodney Dangerfield played the Trump-like character.
I noticed PLB finally tossed Paul Mirengoff to the curb several months back after a big internal dust-up.
"Corporate litigator" doesn't exactly suggest close contact with the common man. What seems naive can simply be, out of touch with the world outside the universe that pays him.
I believe she’s a snake and not to be trusted. Curiously, she’s assigned to an Army PsyOps command. I will never trust this fair weather friend. She’s all about advancing herself like Nikki Haley and Nancy Mace.
Thanks for that. I get so tired of simplistic narratives that are detached from the reality. It's a classic recruitment operation and they cast a broad net.
Another interesting thing that Hinderaker said was this. He expected her to simply regurgitate her 30 minute Why I'm Quitting The Dems spiel. She didnt'. She touched some of the same bases, but it was a new presentation.
"Even during the inter-war years, Americans withdrew from foreign adventures and turned their gaze inward, just as before."
I'm not sure this is entirely true. Wasn't Wall Street (or some elements of Wall Street) deeply involved in rebuilding and financing Germany after the Weimar debacle? Including up to and into Hitler's takeover?
You don't need to convince me that Wall Street and Main Street are often not on the same page.
And, you may be right that Americans are returning to their traditional views on foreign adventurism, but they will vote on November 8 for many Congressional candidates (a majority, I'll wager) who are all in for moar war in Ukraine.
Tulsi could move to the mainland and be ready for 2024
Over and over I say I keep a wry eye on her, she's not stupid by anymeans but has supported far Left initiatives. I do see her as loyal opposition once the Nation is back on course.
I take great exception to the reference to the coming of age during the Vietnam War and proclaiming Democrats Doves. In Truth Eisenhower and Nixon were arming and training the South Vietnamese to stand against the Soviet backed and pushed NVA. It was JFK & LBJ, both Democrats if one hasn't noticed. In 68 the Democrats still had Hawks, by 72 the New Left took the reigns and has headed LEFT ever since. I pulled my first and only Draft Lottery Number that Year as well. Nixon brought into existence an enforceable peace. Had the Watergate cover-up not occurred Saigon my not have fallen in 75.
Thanks Surviving - very helpful
You conclude by saying Trump isn't beholden to the Establishment. Unfortunately, it's the exact opposite. In 2016 he defeated the Estab. but he turned around and along with Jared merged with them and they're thrilled about it. Trump was elected to scale back US foreign aggression, to normalize relations with Russia, and stop being a Big Stupid Bully. (And of course to build the Wall). Once inaugurated he began sending more US tanks to Russian borders "to reassure NATO allies." He immediately bombed Syria and Afghanistan--nullifying his election. In April 2017 he learned the Pentagon ignored him, so he pretended it was his idea and announced he was turning over all military decisions to "his generals," further nullifying his election. Of course in August 2017, the House and Senate voted to remove all Russia foreign policy from Trump and assign it to the Senate. Later he authorized lethal weapons to Ukraine to kill Russians, which even Obama wouldn't do. Trump could've saved the country by resigning to draw attention to the fact that US is now a military dictatorship, the evidence being that his election had been nullified in only a few months. But he didn't do that, he stayed and became a worse neocon than McCain. That's why Trump is still allowed to be in headlines. If he steps out of line, the GOP will pop up and say, well Trump didn't clear that with us and we're paying his legal bills (as it did a few months ago). Trump and Jared brought WinRed to RNC in 2019, a for profit fundraising program. Jared and others make money from every WinRed donation. MAGA and Am. First have long ago been totally co-opted. Am First is loaded with Jared's open borders globalist cronies cashing in now and ready to cash in on an unlikely future Trump/Kushner admin. Trump won in 2016 because he won the Rust Belt, specifically white, former Obama voters. Trump will never win again because he'll never win the Rust Belt again. Jared cancelled tv ad buys in Rust Belt states in Oct. 2020. Jared of course accepted a $250 million credit line from Soros in 2015. Every day as a 2016 candidate Trump promised a wall without a single condition. Never once did he say he'd have to ask congress for permission. If he'd said that even once, I'd never have voted for him in 2016. Everyone knows congress would never approve one inch of a wall.
I agree with Mark.
If Trump runs he'll need a lot of money and some will come from rich guys who like his policies better than his opponent's policies. But he'll be less beholden to the *Establishment* than any candidate in modern history. The Establishment still fears and despises him. What do you think the Jan 6 Circus is all about?
Yes, Trump did some things to 'reassure NATO allies', as well as to reassure neocons and McCainites, etc. He even (naively) tried to build some Dem support. He's a dealmaker.
He had very few friends in DC and he did what he had to do...what he was able to do. But over four full years he avoided any major war or commitment of troops or loss of life. He managed to keep Putin and Xi and Kim at bay. There was no Khe Sanh, no Bay of Pigs, no Benghazi. No Korean Stalemate, no embarrassment in Fallujah. No catastrophic evacuation of Saigon or Kabul.
He may have sent weapons to Ukraine but he didn't provoke a war with a nuclear-armed Russia.
Look at what his opponent has done...
And lastly, and most importantly, who will be the strongest candidate in 2024? If its Trump by all objective measures, I'll support Trump.
"You conclude by saying Trump *isn't beholden* to the Establishment."
Not exactly. I conclude by saying:
"if Trump runs he *won’t be beholden* to the GOP establishment."
That's different. I'm saying that the second time around things will be different. Trump has experience behind him. He knows his enemies, he's been outspokenly attacking many of them. Maybe I'll be wrong, but I prefer that my actual views be attacked rather than views that aren't my own.
It's quite funny seeing all these middle aged, conservative white guys going all puppy love about a pretty face.
I took a class with one of the Powerline bloggers in undergrad, circa 2005. Brilliant guy, but a neocon. (Not Hinderaker). If these guys are celebrating a prominent socially liberal democrat for de facto defecting over to the right due to her rejection of the bipartisan DC interventionist consensus, you know that neoconservatism has truly outlived its welcome on the right. Powerline’s condemnations of Bill Kristol and Steve Hayes, from former contributors to The Weekly Standard no less, is another data point.
Tulsi is obviously an excellent communicator and skilled politician. It remains to be seen what her core principles are. I'm from the old school of watch what they do not what the say.
The PowerLine bros are not really GOPe, but I'd call them GOPm (for "milquetoast"), so I'm unsurprised that Hinderaker would make a (patently ridiculous) statement that "I would vote for her for any office." WTF? Really? Tulsi read his organization's website before the meeting, but did Hinderaker research Tulsi's actual record (not her warm smile, winning personality, and attractiveness? PowerLine is hard to characterize (Hayward is still snidely anti-Trump and they still link to the ISW for Ukraine war updates), but they are usually smart guys. Seems like Hinderaker got thunderstruck by Gabbard and maybe needs to take a cold shower.
“…did Hinderaker research Tulsi's actual record…”
Maybe he did and liked what he found there. She voted for Trump’s first impeachment, for example. I think she “bravely” abstained in the second one. Other than that eleventh-hour, half-hearted show of sanity, she had a pretty standard Demonrat congressional voting record.
While I very much like her stance regarding the warmongering. I wouldn’t want her anywhere near the Presidency.
LOL! Remember how he used to be constantly posting about beauty contests? Cold shower could be called for. If Tulsi did her research, she'd know how to push that guy's, er, buttons. Hayward is usually smart, but the other day he made a real dumb remark about Donbass voting to be separate from the USSR in Ukraine--like 30 years or more ago. The world changes, and post USSR Soviet lands are complicated. But somehow Hayward didn't mention that Crimea has been voting to be separate from Ukraine since the mid 90s.
Hinderaker's tribe was once called the Country Club Republicans. Ted Knight might have played him in Caddyshack while Rodney Dangerfield played the Trump-like character.
I noticed PLB finally tossed Paul Mirengoff to the curb several months back after a big internal dust-up.
"Corporate litigator" doesn't exactly suggest close contact with the common man. What seems naive can simply be, out of touch with the world outside the universe that pays him.
I believe she’s a snake and not to be trusted. Curiously, she’s assigned to an Army PsyOps command. I will never trust this fair weather friend. She’s all about advancing herself like Nikki Haley and Nancy Mace.
Nikki Haley is a bought and paid for Neocon. So Tulsi ain't like Nikki.
My Tulsi jury is still deadlocked waiting on more evidence. Until then, the enemy of my enemy……..
What about her WEF attendance in the past. She has spoken out against The Great Reset recently, but I’d like to know more about her history with them.
There's more to learn. Right now she's a challenge to the GOPe, and that's a good thing.
Thanks for that. I get so tired of simplistic narratives that are detached from the reality. It's a classic recruitment operation and they cast a broad net.
Thanks for this info. Answers a lot of my questions.
Another interesting thing that Hinderaker said was this. He expected her to simply regurgitate her 30 minute Why I'm Quitting The Dems spiel. She didnt'. She touched some of the same bases, but it was a new presentation.
@Steve
"Even during the inter-war years, Americans withdrew from foreign adventures and turned their gaze inward, just as before."
I'm not sure this is entirely true. Wasn't Wall Street (or some elements of Wall Street) deeply involved in rebuilding and financing Germany after the Weimar debacle? Including up to and into Hitler's takeover?
@Steve
You don't need to convince me that Wall Street and Main Street are often not on the same page.
And, you may be right that Americans are returning to their traditional views on foreign adventurism, but they will vote on November 8 for many Congressional candidates (a majority, I'll wager) who are all in for moar war in Ukraine.