Poll: Are Trump and his supporters really conservatives? Why and why not?

Is Trump and trump supporters true conservatives


  • Total voters
    16

81usaf92

TideFans Legend
Apr 26, 2008
35,375
31,745
187
South Alabama
Since the republican/conservative thread “went to hell” because of a disagreement over the word “ conservative” and the feeling of it being a liberal echo chamber I thought we might try this a different way.

First: I promise I won’t pit bull anyone’s opinion unless you personally attack me, and promise to give everyone a chance to defend your opinion before responding ( let’s say until after the Tennessee game) unless you break the attack rule. Also I won’t like or dislike anything either. This only extends to me, so if you want any other poster to adhere to this then you will have to take it up with them. But this your floor to express your opinion without one less pit bull knocking your opinion.

My opinion: I think he and his are not conservative because he has implemented actions that threaten the constitutional liberties of the United States and has sought actions to break the wheel instead of mending it. I feel he is far more authoritarian and an agent of chaos than a true conservative. I also think he is too wishy washy to fit the conservative ideology.

I see him more of the “flavor of the month” and more aligned with what best soots him at the time than a conservative. More or less an opportunist

As for his supporters I think they are more in line with Russian big man worshipers than conservatives. Basically all for “traditional values of the 50’s” and no opinion of economic and legal consequences of his actions. They more or less claim they are conservatives because he is a Republican more than actually being conservative. So I think they are just cult of personality admirers than really having a well founded traditional political ideology.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

MobtownK

All-American
Nov 20, 2004
3,497
7,584
187
44
Mobile, Alabama, United States
Re: Is Trump and his supporters really conservatives? Why and why not?

There was a good article on this very topic this morning in National Review. I disagree with a couple of his points, but the overall point is right.

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/what-unites-the-right/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Full disclosure- I consider myself conservative. However, I didn't vote for Trump. Not because of any single issue, but because I didn't (& don't) see him as a conservative. I thought he was a populist.

Conservatives can argue about specific policies all day long (& do) but to me, the main prongs of the platform were fiscal responsibility, and adherence to the constitution, and the 2nd amendment.
IMHO - we have given up 2 of these.

We differ on intervention v isolation, personal freedom vs morality laws, how to conduct our trade, immigration and how to handle it, even abortion, and many more issues - but the main 3 have always been the same.

There are Democrats who are conservative (remember Jim Web a few years ago) & Republicans who are not. There are conservative Libertarians.

Going forward, I think many classical conservatives will end up as either swing voters, or that mystical chuck of "independent" voters. And vote for country over party. Especially those under 45.

I have tried to keep my personal thoughts on our current Republicans out of this for the most part, because it lends itself to emotions rather than rational discussion.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 

selmaborntidefan

TideFans Legend
Mar 31, 2000
36,432
29,736
287
54
Re: Is Trump and his supporters really conservatives? Why and why not?

Trump is not a conservative in any way, shape, form, or fashion.

Now let me reiterate - I make a distinction (well, at least in the form of the election) between a Trump SUPPORTER and a Trump VOTER (someone whose basic approach was, "It's binary, and I don't want Hillary").

The latter might reasonably in some cases be called "conservative."


But a vote for Trump with his known record of business bankruptcies, wrecking the USFL, and his well-established reputation of not paying for stuff...that was a compromise too many of us could never make.

Of course, I also think that the words "conservative" and "liberal" have no real functional usage in modern American politics. At one time - not so long ago - we understood that you could (for example) be pro-choice on abortion and STILL be considered a conservative.....OR you could be pro-death penalty and still be a liberal (Matthew McConaughey gave a pretty good speech about that in "A Time To Kill").

Now? If a person deviates in ANY way from the activist bloc in the primaries, that person is "not a real (fill in the blank)."

I know St Ronald is the one they nuzzle up to and appeal to in every single Republican debate since 1988. And GHW Bush, you see, he lost because "he wasn't a real conservative."

But if you go look at what they ACTUALLY did in office......Bush 41 was more conservative in his actions than was Reagan.

Try that at the next GOP local meeting and see who even knows what the words mean. Bush was more a "victim" of circumstances because:
a) he wasn't a former actor who could fake it
b) Reagan had a GOP Senate for six years, Bush faced hard opposition in both houses so he had no choice but to compromise
c) Bush came second and was thus a bit of a clean-up crew for Reagan, who came first


Trump is no more committed to conservatism or the GOP than George Wallace was to the Democratic national party in the 1960s and 1970s.
 

Bamaro

TideFans Legend
Oct 19, 2001
26,626
10,722
287
Jacksonville, Md USA
Re: Is Trump and his supporters really conservatives? Why and why not?

My answer doesn't fit any of the choices:
Trump no
His supporters yes but they are either blinded by "R" label or not paying attention
 

MobtownK

All-American
Nov 20, 2004
3,497
7,584
187
44
Mobile, Alabama, United States
And I went off on a tangent instead of answering the question.

No - Trump isn't conservative. And never has been.

As someone else said, his voters - maybe, probably. His supporters - no, either that or they are being intellectually dishonest with themselves. It's easy to ignore a lot when one only watches the punditry on the news.

To be fair, many of them may not even know all that's going on in the world. Especially the older folks - if Fox reports on Hunter Biden again, but fails to mention Trump's family business dealings with the Saudis and Turks, then they have no clue that it's happening.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 

Bama 8Ball

1st Team
Oct 10, 2018
410
164
62
Too Far North
Well I think you hit it on the head in the other thread. People try to pigeonhole into neat little boxes that don't always work. For example, my father in law despises PDJT the man, but loves the Supreme Court picks, says that conservative Justices for the next 30 years are far more important than the President. So while not a Trump supporter per say, he is conservative.

Likewise, a good friend at Church can't stand PDJT, but he will not ever vote for a Pro- Choice candidate. Period. According to him it is a personal conviction by the Holy Spirit. That one issue supersedes every other economic or domestic issue. So again not a Trump supporter, but considers himself conservative.
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
84,626
39,856
437
Huntsville, AL,USA
Well I think you hit it on the head in the other thread. People try to pigeonhole into neat little boxes that don't always work. For example, my father in law despises PDJT the man, but loves the Supreme Court picks, says that conservative Justices for the next 30 years are far more important than the President. So while not a Trump supporter per say, he is conservative.

Likewise, a good friend at Church can't stand PDJT, but he will not ever vote for a Pro- Choice candidate. Period. According to him it is a personal conviction by the Holy Spirit. That one issue supersedes every other economic or domestic issue. So again not a Trump supporter, but considers himself conservative.
And there you have it. I departed the Republican Party when fiscal responsibility and smaller government stopped being the important issues and it got taken over by religious ones...
 

Jon

Hall of Fame
Feb 22, 2002
15,650
12,579
282
Atlanta 'Burbs
And there you have it. I departed the Republican Party when fiscal responsibility and smaller government stopped being the important issues and it got taken over by religious ones...
they love America so much they want to turn it into a theocracy
 

Bama 8Ball

1st Team
Oct 10, 2018
410
164
62
Too Far North
And there you have it. I departed the Republican Party when fiscal responsibility and smaller government stopped being the important issues and it got taken over by religious ones...
It is much easier to zone in on and make it about one issue rather than spend the time and energy learning economics, diplomacy, and the constitution. But everyone gets to vote how they see fit, and who am I to say what someone's personal spiritual convictions are.
 

MobtownK

All-American
Nov 20, 2004
3,497
7,584
187
44
Mobile, Alabama, United States
And there you have it. I departed the Republican Party when fiscal responsibility and smaller government stopped being the important issues and it got taken over by religious ones...
When is tapatalk getting the [emoji173] button. Bc "like" just doesn't describe how much I agree with this.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 

GrayTide

Hall of Fame
Nov 15, 2005
18,832
6,314
187
Greenbow, Alabama
First, Trump is not a conservative. I do not believe any of his so called cabinet heads and appointees are conservatives either. His children are not conservatives. I would describe all of them as egotistical, opportunistic, charlatans.

As for his followers, some still subscribe to the Republican Party platform and do not necessarily completely support him, I suppose those would be classified as RINOS. His cult followers may claim to be Republicans, but I contend they are likely a highbred, Republican/Independent who are supportive of a non-establishment dictatorial type candidate and relish their roles as sycophantic followers. These are the same type people who would have followed Jim Jones.

We have friends and family who support Trump, while they are religious, they are not big time Evangelicals (a few are). They honestly believe that Liberals/Socialists are anti-religion. They also believe that the financial crisis in 2008 and the growing financial crisis looming is the result of the Democrats's social welfare and reform legislation. They have allowed the Trump type character to meld into their conservative beliefs. As long as their financial situation remains stable and they suffer no setbacks then they will continue to support Trump.
 

92tide

TideFans Legend
May 9, 2000
58,315
45,175
287
54
East Point, Ga, USA
First, Trump is not a conservative. I do not believe any of his so called cabinet heads and appointees are conservatives either. His children are not conservatives. I would describe all of them as egotistical, opportunistic, charlatans.

As for his followers, some still subscribe to the Republican Party platform and do not necessarily completely support him, I suppose those would be classified as RINOS. His cult followers may claim to be Republicans, but I contend they are likely a highbred, Republican/Independent who are supportive of a non-establishment dictatorial type candidate and relish their roles as sycophantic followers. These are the same type people who would have followed Jim Jones.

We have friends and family who support Trump, while they are religious, they are not big time Evangelicals (a few are). They honestly believe that Liberals/Socialists are anti-religion. They also believe that the financial crisis in 2008 and the growing financial crisis looming is the result of the Democrats's social welfare and reform legislation. They have allowed the Trump type character to meld into their conservative beliefs. As long as their financial situation remains stable and they suffer no setbacks then they will continue to support Trump.
based on recent republican party platforms, there is not a lot of daylight between trump and the gop.
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
84,626
39,856
437
Huntsville, AL,USA
It is much easier to zone in on and make it about one issue rather than spend the time and energy learning economics, diplomacy, and the constitution. But everyone gets to vote how they see fit, and who am I to say what someone's personal spiritual convictions are.
Actually, that is the absolute last thing I would want to do. Quite the contrary. I just said that I decided to leave the Republican Party when the important issues were abortion, prayer in schools, ten commandment monuments, etc., etc., etc. Particularly when fiscal restraint, restraint on government, etc. totally went out the window. I am not interested in being a member of a religious party, which is what it is now. The America they want is not the America I want and it's not the America which was envisioned by our founders...
 

Ledsteplin

Hall of Fame
Nov 20, 2013
5,665
5,520
187
71
Florence, Alabama
I've been voting Republican since Tricky Dick was president. I see myself as a conservative, but not a far right loon. I support President Trump on just about all the issues of the day, and think he's done a great job for all Americans. Not sure what Y'all are trying to twist "conservative" into. The vast majority of conservatives are like me. We don't subscribe to the far left ideology. The problem is they make a lot of noise, and many think all conservatives are like that. I actually lean a bit left on social issues, and so does Trump. He always has, regardless of what the Fake News wants you to believe. My only complaint with Trump are a few of his quirky tweets. As far as I can tell, conservatives are not much different today, than we were 50 years ago. The only big difference is we've softened up on social issues.

Maybe we need a thread about "What is a liberal"!
 

MattinBama

Hall of Fame
Jul 31, 2007
11,144
5,453
187
Criminal actions & unbridled corruption = fine
Quirky tweets = only complaint

I remember back when conservatives actually cared about law & order.
 

uafanataum

All-American
Oct 18, 2014
2,917
1,366
182
I've been voting Republican since Tricky Dick was president. I see myself as a conservative, but not a far right loon. I support President Trump on just about all the issues of the day, and think he's done a great job for all Americans. Not sure what Y'all are trying to twist "conservative" into. The vast majority of conservatives are like me. We don't subscribe to the far left ideology. The problem is they make a lot of noise, and many think all conservatives are like that. I actually lean a bit left on social issues, and so does Trump. He always has, regardless of what the Fake News wants you to believe. My only complaint with Trump are a few of his quirky tweets. As far as I can tell, conservatives are not much different today, than we were 50 years ago. The only big difference is we've softened up on social issues.

Maybe we need a thread about "What is a liberal"!
I'm wandering how a Trump supporter can call any past president Tricky Dick.
 

New Posts

Latest threads

TideFans.shop - NEW Stuff!

TideFans.shop - Get YOUR Bama Gear HERE!”></a>
<br />

<!--/ END TideFans.shop & item link \-->
<p style= Purchases made through our TideFans.shop and Amazon.com links may result in a commission being paid to TideFans.