At the heart of this is the acknowledgement that conservatism functions as a pressure relief valve. There are periodic revolts against the establishment, and that's all well and good, so long as they conclude and with hobgoblins like Bill Kristol on top 1/
Trumpism frightened people because it looked like it had the ability to go beyond a kind of Tea Party thing, to reach beyond the occasional revolt and instead mark the beginning of something new and lasting 2/
But it's yet unclear what will become of Trumpism, if it will merely become another iteration of the Tea Party, or be refined into something else to be wielded by the next "Trump" against the establishment. People like Kristol understand the latter is a threat to themselves 3/
I think the left and neoconservative "right" understands this better than most Trump supporters and it fuels their hysteria. David Brooks warned Trump was merely phase one of things to come in 2017 4/ nytimes.com/2017/09/22/opi…
On November 6, 2020, Zeynep Tufekci echoed Brooks' 2017 warning in The Atlantic 5/ theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…
Also in November, Jacobin published a similar article about how Trump is, or could be, just the beginning of something serious and threatening to the existing order 6/ jacobinmag.com/2020/11/donald…
People like Kristol are probably hoping and praying what started with Trump in 2016 does not develop into a more serious movement with a doctrine and disciplined leadership. They can LARP about Trump being a boogeyman because Trump is too nice 7/

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More from @emeriticus

7 Dec
These people should be sterilized tbqh Image
Twitter is the fast lane to misanthropy Image
If you think everyone with whom you have disagreements is a George Soros shill or "controlled oppo," you are literally too stupid to participate in society
Read 5 tweets
6 Dec
To understand the problems with Trump and Trumpism, read this essay by Sam Francis on the Pat Buchanan movement. Rush Limbaugh read the first half on air to explain the appeal of Trump in 2016. But now the second half is the more relevant now than ever /1 chroniclesmagazine.org/from-household…
"Yet, if Buchanan has one major flaw as a spokesman for and an architect of the new Middle American political identity that transcends and synthesizes both left and right, it is that he exhibits a proclivity to draw back from the implications of his own radicalism." 2/
"Buchanan's loyalty to the GOP is touching, especially since almost no Republican leader or conservative pundit has much good to say about him, and the loudest mouths for the 'Big Tent' are always the first to try to push him out of it." 3/
Read 6 tweets
6 Dec
Trump:

✅"I like Tucker lately"
✅Encourages people to vote for Perdue and Loffler

The weird thing about this is that Trump is contradicting his base, which has been attacking Tucker, among others, and insisting on not turning out for P and L. Trump is... moderating his base?
You can do 4D chess with this or you can acknowledge that the movement has gotten out of control lately, attacking literally anyone at the drop of the hat
I'm seeing a wide variety of copes and denialism
Read 4 tweets
3 Dec
There are good people, not shills, making the case that Loeffler and Purdue must win. The biggest problem they face, however, is that the strongest case against the GOP is being made by the GOP 1/
Republicans have and continue to discuss amnesty. Republicans just unanimously consented to yet another immigration giveaway that will undermine the job security and wages of Americans. Republicans responded to rioting with police reform and criminal justice reform 2/
Republicans, led by Mitch McConnell, shot down talk of a stimulus package, though 70%+ Americans, including most Republicans, and especially lower-income Republican voters, said they approved of the proposed relief bill 3/
Read 8 tweets
3 Dec
Both parties are beholden to lobbies. But Democrats at least lie about it and attempt to bribe their voters with stuff like debt relief and other gibs. Dems use power more effectively 1/
The GOP 1) attempts to brainwash people to support policies that hurt them (corporate tax cuts, more immigration, cuts to social programs) 2) praises managerial capitalism 3) refuses to use government to help their voters but uses it to do the bidding of their donors 2/
There is no greater obstacle toward a better country than the GOP. The only reason Dems get what they want and always win at the end of the day is because the GOP offers the illusion of opposition 3/
Read 5 tweets
2 Dec
You heard here, folks Image
Holy cow Image
Read 4 tweets

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