Share this page!

Enter URL or ID to Unroll

You can paste full URL like: https://x.com/threadreaderapp/status/1644127596119195649
or just the ID like: 1644127596119195649

How to get URL link on X (Twitter) App

  1. On the Twitter thread, click on or icon on the bottom
  2. Click again on or Share Via icon
  3. Click on Copy Link to Tweet
  4. Paste it above and click "Unroll Thread"!
  5. More info at Twitter Help
Tom Nichols Profile picture
@RadioFreeTom
Nov 30, 2017 • 7 tweets • 2 min read • Read on X
There is a debate brewing among #NeverTrump conservatives (the few of us there are) and others: do we seek to persuade pro-Trump (or pro-Moore) voters, and understand them, or scold and mock them? /1
I am firmly in the “scold and mock” camp. The “We must understand and reason with them” approach rests on an assumption that theirs views are merely misinformed, or a reasonable expression of political frustration. To which I say: bullshit. /2

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
　

Keep Current with Tom Nichols

Tom Nichols Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @RadioFreeTom

Tom Nichols Profile picture
Aug 27
Okay, think about this "fact-checking" mania so many of you have for the debates: That's not how the public scores debates.
Look, when Reagan said "there you go again," he wasn't fact-checking Carter. He was emphasizing to the public: Aren't we tired of this guy?

/1
When Bentsen skewered Quayle with "You're no JFK," was it a fact-check, or was it: Get a load of this guy, thinking he's JFK.
When Clinton stood up between Perot and Bush in 1992, he wasn't fact checking. He was saying: I am the only guy here who gets you.

/2
All Harris and Walz have to do is go out there and talk to Americans like normal people. That's the debate. NO ONE CARES ABOUT FACT-CHECKS.

/3
Read 4 tweets
Tom Nichols Profile picture
Aug 25
I like to think @stephenfhayes and @JonahDispatch and @SarahLongwell25 and I all come from the same church but different pews. But I admit that I am over on Sarah's side of the aisle about what it means to be Never Trump: It means not only criticizing him, but stopping him. /1
I get Steve and Jonah's frustration that some conservatives seem born-again liberals. I don't think that's me (or Sarah), but until Trump is gone, many Never Trumpers (including me!) think policy differences just don't matter. That drives other conservatives nuts. I get that. /2
And in joining a coalition, many of us have also found new common ground with Democrats. (Example: The GOP has horrifically abandoned American national security. The Dems have not. If that's "fluffing" for Harris or the Dems, fine, but it's true.) We can be happy about that. /3
Read 6 tweets
Tom Nichols Profile picture
Aug 10
Here's a little Cold War nostalgia for you that relates to today. Back in 1983, Sam Huntington published an article in which he argued that one way to deter the Soviets from invading Western Europe was to threaten counter-invasions of Eastern Europe.


/1jstor.org/stable/2538699
The idea was they invade West Germany, we do airdrops into the GDR and CZ. A lot of folks thought he was nuts, and it was a pretty off-the-wall idea, especially NATO didn't have a lot of ability to pull that off. Here's an article about it:


/2nytimes.com/1984/02/05/wor…
I was studying with Huntington at the time, and I think he was aiming at NATO guys whose only answer to a Soviet invasion was Armageddon. I also think he was trying to rattle the Soviets and piss them off. (It worked: They noticed.) /3
Read 5 tweets
Tom Nichols Profile picture
Jul 24
I'm gonna say that I am surprised (and gladly so) by how fast the Democrats coalesced around Harris. First time in a while I've really gotten the sense that they know what the stakes are that maybe disbanding the circular firing squad is a good idea. VP was the obvious choice. /1
Many of you asked me WELL WHO DO YOU WANT, TOM in that "we dare you to name a name" way. I didn't say Harris or anyone else. All of them had risks, and I didn't want a pile-on, especially on a candidate who becomes "the one you Never Trumpers" want, and esp before Biden quit. /2
But duh, if the President decides not to run the VP is the obvious choice unless someone in the party can make the strong case that she isn't. No one has. Instead, the Dems seem to be rallying around a pick as good as any they have. QED /3
Read 4 tweets
Tom Nichols Profile picture
Jul 10
Before I head downstairs for some late-night TV, I am going to do something I’ve never done:
To see if I can get through to some of you, I AM GOING TO USE A SPORTSBALL ANALOGY!

/1
Bottom of the 9th, Team Democracy tied with Team Autocrat. Biden’s been pitching a great game, but he’s getting tired. Facing their top hitter, he goes for his fastball.
He unloads a wild pitch into the stands, hitting a fan in the head. Crowd hushes. Opposing team grins.
/2
The Coach – concerned Dems – comes out to the mound.

"You okay?"
"Fine. Insulted you’d ask. Watch this next pitch."

Biden puts one in the dirt.

The Coach watches the catcher scrambling and then at the guy in the stands rubbing his sore noggin.

"I'm fine," Joe says.

/3
Read 8 tweets
Tom Nichols Profile picture
Jul 8
I agree that there is a double-standard in covering Trump. I have complained about it a lot. (The way I complain about everything: At length.) But maybe many of you should consider what you were saying about Trump coverage back at the start.
"Stop covering him!"
/1
I was one of the people arguing for saturating the airwaves with him so people could see his emotional instability. "Shut up," many of you yelled. "You're giving him oxygen!" When he was POTUS, I opposed kicking him off Twitter, which made some of you go nuts.
/2
And this isn't because it was good coverage; you wanted him cast into silence, which I opposed. This got so intense that I wrote this piece in USA Today to pushback on the calls to stop tweeting his press conferences:

/3usatoday.com/story/opinion/…
Read 8 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

Send Email!

Become Premium to read this thread!

Read all the old archives from Twitter by becoming our Premium member for only $3/month! Read more »

Become Premium

Already a Premium member? Login to access this thread

:(