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2024 and the New Coalition of the Sane

Posted on Sunday, September 8, 2024
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by David P. Deavel
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The cliché about politics making for strange bedfellows may seem too tired to trot out, but The Babylon Bee reenergized it this week with their headline, “‘Maybe We Took A Wrong Turn Somewhere,’ Thinks Party Whose Candidate Just Got Endorsed By Dick Cheney And Vladimir Putin.” It’s almost as strange and funny as the fact that Republicans now have Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., in their corner.

But as funny as all this is for those who have been around for a while, what these seemingly odd endorsements give us is a knowledge about how things are shaking out in this political realignment. For those in the GOP, some of the changes will not be welcomed. In the main, however, these are salutary for the party and for the nation as a whole.

Dick Cheney’s endorsement of Harris, along with his daughter Liz’s and that of other notorious Never Trumper writers and activists such as Bill Kristol and David French, is the logical endpoint of a movement that may have made sense at one point but failed to deal with the reality in front of it.

The Never Trump movement, which began almost a decade ago when Donald Trump rode down that escalator and into the national political spotlight, had its logic to many conservatives at the time. Plenty of people on the right (including this writer) had a hard time imagining how a Trump presidency was possible, much less how it could produce anything of a conservative nature. He was, after all, a New York Democrat! He had been friends with the Clintons! And yet, when he won so narrowly, a wave of relief washed over even those of us who doubted his bona fides. We avoided a Hillary presidency!

Despite the predictions of a liberal Trump presidency, Trump’s time in office was a golden era. Victor Davis Hanson, writing in National Review, which had famously dedicated an entire issue to opposing his candidacy, told the story of how Trump’s first year of presidency had brought about a remarkable economy in which “the stock market and small-business confidence are at record highs, and consumer confidence has not been higher in 17 years.” With regard to the border, “illegal immigration has declined according to some metrics by over 60 percent. It is now at the lowest levels in the 21st century — even before the ending of chain migration and enacting of new border-security initiatives.” And on foreign policy, Trump’s handling of Iran, North Korea, and Russia had been successful in a “Variously called ‘principled realism’ or a new ‘Jacksonianism,’ the Trump doctrine has now replaced the ‘strategic patience’ and ‘lead from behind’ recessionals of the prior administration and not emulated the neoconservative nation-building of the George W. Bush administration.”

That was just his first year. At the end of 2018, Steve Cortes could write at Real Clear Politics of many more achievements, including the movement of the U. S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem (which had been promised for decades by U. S. presidents), the destruction of the ISIS Caliphate, the ending of Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran, a renegotiation of NAFTA as the USMCA (U.S.-Mexico-Canada) trade deal, record-low minority unemployment, and wages rising for the middle and lower classes. “Incomes in general soared in 2018,” Cortes wrote, “with average hourly earnings finally eclipsing 3 percent growth for the first time since before the Great Recession. The news is even better for blue-collar workers, who now realize wage growth above that of white-collar workers for the first time in nearly a decade.”

Though hampered by opposition within the deep state and from Democrat and even Republican lawmakers, Trump’s record in that first term, even with the missteps that are inevitable in even the best administrations, was remarkable. Dan O’Donnell, writing at the conservative MacIver Institute website, declared after Trump left office in 2021 that, “on policy, Donald Trump was perhaps the most consequential conservative in recent history.” On traditional measures of deregulation, O’Donnell observed, while Obama had added 16,000 pages to the Federal Register, Trump had removed 25,000 pages. With regard to our greatest challenge, “Trump emerged victorious over China and forced the Chinese to agree to major concessions in a Phase One Trade Agreement that forced Beijing to better police the theft of American intellectual property and purchase an additional $200 billion of American exports.” Trump’s “rejection of military adventurism in the region was rewarded with almost unprecedented peace,” which allowed the U. S. to focus on that porous southern border. And we haven’t even mentioned the conservative judges (which some Never Trumpers tried to pretend were his only accomplishment): three on the Supreme Court and hundreds more in lower federal courts.

And yet, no matter how much Trump had done, many establishment Republicans and members of the Never Trump faction never came around to supporting the man O’Donnell labels “the most effective and consequential conservative since Ronald Reagan,” whose “long list of accomplishments” proves such a claim’s truth.

What O’Donnell understood was what figures such as the Cheneys, Kristol, French, and other “Republicans for Harris” such as Adam Kinzinger never got. Or, more likely, they got it and could never forgive Trump for it.

Namely: Trump, though not a movement conservative, made good on conservative policy promises that establishment Republicans had not managed to achieve. He also corrected the tragic and destructive mistakes they had made in advocating and acting for our nation to spend blood, toil, and treasure in wars that weakened America and put the Republican Party in bad odor.

In short, Trump showed them up, and they never forgave him. Because of this, they are willing to keep up the charade that Trump is a greater danger to the country than Harris despite the Democrats’ refusal to enforce our immigration laws, their weaponization of the justice system, their pressure on social media and other companies to censor speech that doesn’t benefit their party, their toleration of dangerous pro-Hamas radicals on campuses, their dangerous embrace of Iran, their radical gender ideology, and their economic mismanagement—among other things.

This is why, just as in the 1980s when many Democrats became Reagan Democrats, we are now seeing RFK, Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, Alan Dershowitz, and many other Democrats switching over to Trump’s side. They understand that the Democratic Party is now the party that favors military adventurism and the military industrial complex. They understand that it’s now the party that opposes free speech and has for some time. After all, the White House announced last year that it was working with the socialist government in Brazil on censorship. They understand that, however much they were not pleased and found Trump easy to criticize on Covid, the Democrats were much worse. They understand that the chaos coming in from the border is avoidable—because it was avoided. They understand that our economy is hamstrung. They understand that Kamala Harris’s policies are, at best, imitations of Trump’s and, at worst, insane. They will tax unrealized investment gains? What fresh economic hell is this?

These Democrats coming in to replace Dick, Liz, Bill, and the rest understand that though they may not have liked Trump’s tweets or his sometimes abrasive personality when he was in office, things were much better for Americans. And they are willing to support him even though he has been reviled for over a decade. That’s because they, unlike those Never Trumpers, are actually looking at the world as it is and not their own sore egos.

Ironically in this realignment, those Democrats crossing over are in perfect agreement with one figure who is supporting Harris. Though his own adventurism had advanced unchecked under George W. Bush and Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin did stop it when Donald Trump was president…before getting rolling again under Joe Biden. That Putin was smirking when he endorsed Kamala Harris this week was not a sign that he really wanted Donald Trump to win. It was a sign that he understood the joke. Though the Democrats have claimed he loves Trump, he really does prefer the weakness he faced under the Biden Administration, which would doubtless be continued and even increased under a Harris Administration.

The Republican base is largely solid. A 2023 Pew poll showed that nearly as many Republicans think Trump has been the best president of the last forty years (37%) as think Reagan was (41%). Interestingly, Hispanic Republicans are more likely (41%) than white Republicans (37%) to cite Trump. The decisive question for November is how to motivate voters beyond this core.

Republicans are going to need those Trump Democrats if they are going to win decisively this year. The loss of the Cheneys isn’t much of a loss. Their influence has been baleful in foreign policy matters. The gain of RFK, Tulsi Gabbard, and Alan Dershowitz is a perfectly fair trade. People on the right don’t have to agree with them on everything to see that they have something to offer in terms of challenges to big pharma, our foreign policy establishment, and the increasingly weaponized justice system. Hopefully, these figures will inspire others to consider seriously the consequences for the country of continuing with Biden-Harris policies or rejecting them in favor of Trump’s. We should welcome these new arrivals to a coalition of the sane.

We are in a time of realignment. It is not going to be completely comfortable. But it offers Americans new opportunities to see how some of the people on our side have not been so good for us—and how some of the people on crossing over from other side might well be very good for us.  

David P. Deavel teaches at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. A past Lincoln Fellow at the Claremont Institute, he is a Senior Contributor at The Imaginative Conservative. Follow him on X @davidpdeavel.  

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Rob citizenship--
Rob citizenship--
2 months ago

Very good title for this article Mr. Deavel. — ” 2024 And The New Coalition Of The Sane ” – I believe it is a very good title because it is accurate, If people like Robert F.Kennedy, Tulsi Gabbard and Alan Dershowitz are not interested in being around the insanity that is an accepted part of the Democrat outlook these days — well, that is something encouraging that they are going to do what they believe is sane and morally right. The. so-called Woke stuff , the diversity,equity,inclusion programs — it is just Nuts ! Using that word and thinking it is appropriate just as General Mc Auliffe , U.S. Army responded to the Nazi call for him to surrender in 1944 when the American army forces were outnumbered and surrounded General Mc Auliffe replied with a one word answer – ” Nuts ! ” And the Battle of the Bulge turned out in favor of the American forces. So , to describe the leftist , communist sympathizers in the Democrat party and the Woke, Diversity, equity ,inclusion programs by saying. ” It’s Nuts ! ” is acceptable., in fact it is accurate as can be. This is an important topic David ,and. it should be appreciated by people who are interested in the sane side of politics these days.Everyting and everyone changes from time to time, depending on the circumstances, possibly the change is a relatively minor adjustment, or it could be of major significance .Loyalty is a very important quality for sure , there is loyalty to political party and loyalty yo principles. Let Truth and love of Liberty be respected — for the benefit of this Constitutional Republic,this United States of America. In the spirit of.Faith , Family and Freedom..

Kim
Kim
2 months ago

Those public figures crossing sides and lining up with President Trump have experienced a kind of catharsis–cleaning out the old political ideologies after taking an objective look at the advances made by Trump’s first administration. Continually attempting to defend the stupid democrat platform was going to end up over the cliff. How long can one support those policies that simply haven’t worked? How long would it take for them to discover they were losing their credibility? Of course, it’s all over for the Cheneys. And, yet, the Trump Train chugs along, picking up passengers across the country.

Declaring that they could no longer follow the progressives has to be a relief–no more excusing, lying for, or misrepresenting what those…pardon, me…lunatics stand for. Changing lanes defused the apprehensions they had for a party that always seemed to fail its constituents. We’re seeing more switchers every day.

MAGA!

John Pokryfki
John Pokryfki
2 months ago

I have to say that AMAC writes some of the most concise, insightful, and intellectual articles on important topics. I am especially impressed by the focused enumeration of Donald Trump‘s successes that are usually ignored by the legacy media. The Biden Harris administration, but frankly all the new Democrat party leaders, gutted the successes of the trump administration and have left this country in deep peril. If only the majority of the population could take the time to compare, item for item, the Trump successes versus the Biden Harris debacle, this election would not be a close one.

Troy Savage
Troy Savage
2 months ago

It is hilarious that lefties, who openly hated Cheney for years will now tout his endorsement as a reason to vote for Kamala. They are not smart enough to see the reasons they didn’t like Dick are the same reasons he has been jettisoned from the party

M. Murcek
M. Murcek
2 months ago

I don’t think nearly enough people recognize that the reason the progressive left has become so gung ho for military adventure abroad is that they need the military in their corner for the adventure they plan for right here at home.

Reacher
Reacher
2 months ago

Most RINOs are envious of Trump. The simple answer is Trump is not an ass licking politician that describes 90% of the former republican never Trumpers. Trump has FU money as a self made man and does not hold favor anyone.

Oakley
Oakley
2 months ago

Excellent opinion piece. Best explanation of the inability of the never Trumpers to accept what his policies did to help America and Americans.
Chaney and Daughter are the past, stuck there as if in cement.

Mike Langlinais
Mike Langlinais
2 months ago

I’ve been saying for a while that a significant change in the party coalitions was taking place:
1 – the former “Country Club Republicans” are now “Country Club Democrats” – this group has always been a problem WRT control of the border, as when they were Republicans, they forced a slow walk on controlling illegal immigration – they LOVED it. When Trump cut off their access to cheap labor, they moved to the Dems. Good riddance.
2 – Highly skilled Blue Collar workers are almost all Republicans now.
The GOP is now the party of “strivers”, while the Dems are party of the very rich and the very needy. Makers vs Takers.
The coalitions now make a lot more sense.

lothar baier
lothar baier
2 months ago

Cheney and his daughter , romney , mc cain and many others never were republicans to begin with , they took up the republican party affiliation simply because they were hailed from states where democrats never stood a chance of getting elected and so they became republican end of story . Then in 2010 when the base decided to stick up the thumb for the first time and the TEA party movement came along they all of the sudden became “conservative” republicans just because it was hip .
All the years they talked up a good game but always found a excuse not to deliver , they carefully crafted the story that the party – in order to win the hispanic vote – had to get n board with “immigration reform ” , they even threw in some sweeteners to convince holdouts and they almost got it done – then came trump and once again just as in 2010 the base pissed off about the tea party movement fizzling out saw yet another chance to stick up the finger to the romneys cheney and mc cains of the party and trump won .
The base was excited and expected action especially since republicans controlled senate and house but once again got nothing but this time their eyes were opened as they saw that the inaction wasnt due to democrats but their own party sabotaging and slow walking trumps agenda .

Robert Zuccaro
Robert Zuccaro
2 months ago

Liz who? Oh… the daughter of the man Democrats used to hate as much as Trump!

Rhonda
Rhonda
2 months ago

good article, Mr. Deavel.

Rob citizenship--
Rob citizenship--
2 months ago

Attention AMAC editor. – there is a Comment Invader loose on this site – this whoever or whatever it is eliminated a vote I had on the comment I wrote . Your assistance with this matter will be appreciated. These comment invaders are a nuisance

David Millikan
David Millikan
2 months ago

We go from Energy Independence under President Trump to under Dictator Beijing biden is currently cutting another 15 percent of our Oil Production. NO BS.
We all know what that means.

Thinking
Thinking
2 months ago

The dems didn’t think much of Trump when he won in 2016. And dang he put an economy together we hadn’t seen in decades. There was unity. The press even wrote glowingly about him. Then H with P and S and don’t forget O got busy to bring Trump down. They couldn’t have a president in office that was 100% better than O or Clinton before him. Why are they blaming Trump for everything?. I think they went back decades to blame everything on Trump. All because they have no notion how to run America because they are listening to the elite globalists in Davos. O has hatred for this country. The rest I don’t understand. They have been bought?. Money is still the largest evil in the world. With all the indictments and sham trials and kangaroo courts run by Soros bought judges and juries. They haven’t found him guilty of nothing. All the cases were thought up by the White House elitists. Ole Joe did the same thing with confidential papers, much worse than Trump, Trump at least had them locked in a safe with SS agents in the house. Ole Joe had them all over his house and offices in different cities even in an unlocked garage where access by many was possible every day. But ole Joe got away with it because he was too dement to stand trial. Being president was okay. How much did he sell America out. Nobody knows because we are not allowed to ask him. A ruler who is hiding in the basement. The world is upside down and the puppets in ole Joe’s government are all being pulled by the deep state to perform what they tell them to do. And now we have to vote for Kameltoe??? No thanks. We know what Trump can do the vision he has for America. He is his own man. Not beholden to anyone. Kameltoe is pushed in the position that has to practice everything from how to walk and shake hands. Now if they could make her stop her cackle laugh. Putin wouldn’t vote for her. Because he knows she is weaker and dumber than ole Joe. He will walk all over her. He won’t listen to her word salad. Are we having a good laugh through our tears? What is happening to America is a disaster and a shame that we, the people, have allowed to have a candidate for president like Kamala Harris. God save us.

Chuck
Chuck
2 months ago

attention AMAC–my comments several minutes ago were deleted by you or someone??

jim beam
jim beam
2 months ago

ugh! the lack of attention to detail is one thing in the gloss over; the lack of factual basis on all the MAGA talking points is just a sad disservice to conservatives and other readers of the piece. There is no striving for a more perfect reality; there just simply is no reality. Objectively, the US’s allies and partners were bemused by unpredictable almost mercurial foreign policy- that is, when they actually called it “policy”. Trump’s border activity was a mess, inhumane, did not address the causes of migration and- accomplished nothing positive to tell the American people. The current stock market and its integrity dwarfs the mediocre ascension during Trump’s time in office. Trump’s judiciary upped its nose on long established precedent, accepted as such by generations of lawyers and the courts. And this was, he says, proudly by design. Trump accomplished nothing with North Korea or Russia. He signed a hastily-conceived exit deal with the Afghani Taliban. He spoke like old men spoke before the second world war about countries in Africa and their (perceived lack of) importance. He added $7 trillion to the national debt with no discernable benefit for everyman. As John Bolton has said- he had no policy focus and the hostile foreign dictators like Putin saw Trump as an easy mark. So with these ground rules, what were his accomplishments again? I definitely missed. And oh by the way, RFK, Jr., wanted something for his unclean endorsement. The Democrats did not bite on his reach-out. Trump did. Please give all of us some credit that the so-called healthy life-style now promoted by RFK is not the opposite of the Biden administration’s policy. It is NOT an exclusive for Trump.

Lars Jones
Lars Jones
2 months ago

You have written, without irony, of the New Coalition of the Sane, and its members are Trump, Tulsi Gabbard, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Alan Dershowitz. The idiocy of this should speak for itself, but apparently doesn’t,

Xanthippe
Xanthippe
2 months ago

It’s astonishing to me that anyone would vote for a person incapable of respecting and acquiescing to the peaceful transfer of power, the cornerstone of our Republican. Luckily, I don’t think any sane people will vote for a person like that – most of us love America too much.

President Donald J. Trump walks along the completed 200th mile of new border wall Tuesday, June 23, 2020, along the U.S.-Mexico border near Yuma, Ariz. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)
Brandon Simosa — a Venezuelan migrant who has racked up numerous arrests in his short time in New York City
The United States Capitol Building with Gender Symbols
Biden provokes Russia Ukraine war. Political tension.

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