“You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time,” said Donald Rumsfeld in 2004.
Republicans like House Speaker Paul Ryan, Sen. John McCain, and the rest of those who simply can’t support Donald Trump, or who do so only halfway, don’t seem to get, or don’t seem to want to acknowledge, that this election is a binary choice between Trump and Hillary Clinton.
We will have one or the other as president. Republicans who don’t vote for either and try to keep their consciences pristine are handing half a vote to Hillary. They help her by not doing what they would normally do, voting Republican. So how does that feel on their consciences, helping elect Clinton for four and — most probably — eight years?
Trump is the army you have. The choice is between him and Clinton. There is no escaping. Gary Johnson is not going to win.
Republicans who don’t support Trump should vote for Clinton. Make a choice. One is better for the country, one is worse. If you opt out and write in your grandmother because voting for Trump or Clinton makes you personally uncomfortable, then you are putting yourself above the interests of the country.
Our service members in uniform go risk their lives every day for causes and presidents they do not necessarily support. They don’t choose to fight World War II for Roosevelt, or to not to fight at all, if they are assigned to fight in Iraq for Barack Obama. They go all out and fight to win, even if it hurts their feelings. Or worse.
Is it too much to ask of Republican political and thought leaders that they make a decision about what will benefit the country, instead of what benefits themselves?
Paul Ryan is the worst of these. He now won’t campaign for Trump, even though as the highest ranking Republican official, that’s his job. But he still will vote for him. Ryan wants it both ways.
Well, make a choice. If Trump makes you too queasy, vote for Hillary. And if you can’t fulfill your duties by actively backing the man Republican voters installed as their nominee, then step down as Speaker.
Mr. Ryan, Republican political and thought leaders, or even you, dear reader: I fully understand if you are not comfortable with Trump. But if you think he’s worse than Hillary, by all means, do the honorable thing and vote for her.
If not, get off your high horse and, like our fighting men and women, go to war with the army you have.
64 thoughts on “The Selfishness of Republicans Too Good for Trump”
My USMC dad would love this piece if he was still alive. Thank you Keith. You couldn’t have said it better. Bless your heart!
DITTO !!
Agree.
Paul Ryan is a whiny RINO. The PEOPLE have chosen TRUMP and the rest of the ineffectual Republicans can just disappear from politics. They were never on the side of the people and did nothing to stop the slow slide into socialism.
I think this has been in the works for a long time and it is concerted media, Republican and Democrat effort.
For Ryan, it is the “official” beginning of his campaign to run for President 2012. He is a small, weak man who deserves to be defeated in a scornful and demeaning way. He has no honor.
Yes, and it is slimy the way he tries to walk the fence by voting for Trump but not campaigning for him. Typical politician, having no ethics aside from “me”.
I so agreed. Ryan is a weak,little do nothing of a man. He is a rino and is looking out for himself. He and the other rino’s card nothing about we the people. Add all of the above to John McCain only triple it.
Absolutely right Vicki Mathiesen! Paul Ryan, John McCain, that jerky governor of Ohio (can’t spell his name right now) Evil Bush and Bushes, Romni(spell?)viscious dog that he is, all of these mental midgets who won’t support Trump, traitors, phonies that just want to keep stealing money and power from the people, will breathe a sigh of relief when Crooked Hillary wins, because they don’t give a damn about the American people. We must have a revolution to get rid of these people, the Clintons, Obamas, Harry smelly Reid, wrinkled Pelosi, but most of all, the Republicans should and will lose everything, the House, the Senate, the presidency, everything. Ryan is the worst of the lot, his mood swings are so obvious, he is definitely in need of a psychiatrist and should be banned from holding any office, Ryan acts like a dog that has rabies that turns on people out of the blue. Anyone who would vote for Hillary Clinton who is a liar and a crook who probably stole the 6B missing in the State Department, has to be without any intelligence, who doesn’t care that a pig mafia type woman becomes president of the our fading fast United States of America. We are being punished by God with the Obamas and now again the Clintons. I pray that a miracle will happen with all this rigging of the election for this low down dirty liar and crook hILLARY CLINTON. A MIRACLE THAT WILL LET TRUMP BE PRESIDENT INSTEAD OF THESE OPEN BORDERS COMMIES AND LIARS AND THIEVES.
Huzzah! Keith.
I have no words capable of truly describing what I think of Paul Ryan.
I hear that Lou Dobbs did last night. I am going to try and track down that clip.
I am voting for Trump and whatever forms in opposition to the Republicans should Trump not win. I think he can. But if he doesn’t it is the last vote I will cast as a Republican and for a Republican.
If anybody but Trump should win, there won’t be enough of US to vote against THEM ever again.
If only Ryan and the rest of the republicans in name only were this forceful with Obama.
I am simply speechless they would want to see Hillary in the White House. It just does not add up.
That’s the funny part. Ryan says he is going to spend his time on Congressional races to maintain the majority. He has actually said, while unbelievably denying he is supporting HRC, that if the Republicans lose the Executive it’s ok because they can control her from Congress. Laughable.
Oh yeah, did such a great job with Obama. Heck, the Republicans were Obama’s biggest enablers and share a lot of the responsibility for the spread of the Obama agenda in the United States.
Has anyone DIRECTLY asked & demanded an answer from Ryan and the rest of the punk-ass Congressional “Republicans” why they NEVER, NEVER stood up & challenged the awful regime of ‘Barack Hussein Obama’…???
Afraid of losing all those cool wealthy inside DC perks?
Afraid of being called ‘racist’?
All the phones of all the RATs are full and/or not being answered.
I left a comment on the Speakers’ Blog and informed by Rep. who is an assistant Whip that I would no longer be voting for him. You can only do what you can at this point.
Ryan doesn’t care if Clinton wins because he is for open borders and letting in all the terrorist immigrants. Ryan is truly a traitor and a closet dem to want the open border, what a horror of a person he is. I only wish he would get the hell out of Dodge and/or drop dead after what he has done to Trump.
A timeline of the GOP’s message to voters:
October, 2010: “Vote for us, we’ll stop Obama!”
January, 2011: “We over-promised. We can’t stop Obama without the Senate.”
Primaries, 2012: “We know you don’t like Romney, but he’s a centrist, and he can win.”
November, 2012: “Oops, we screwed up.”
October, 2014: “Give us the Senate! We’ll stop Obama now!”
Most of 2015: “Oops, Obama’s got us dickwhipped. We can’t stop him. Sorry.”
October, 2016: “Dump Trump, but let us keep Congress! We can still stop Hillary if she wins!”
The utter intellectual dishonesty of that bunch is infuriating.
Ryan, McCain and other Never Trump Republicans care only for themselves, not for their country or everyday Americans. I’m sick of hearing what a hero McCain was in Vietnam, he long ago surrendered to Democrats and Progressives to stay in power. He hates Trump so much that he will sell out our country, just to stick it to Trump.
I won’t even watch the Fox show Outnumbered anymore because McCain’s fat Trump-hating daughter is on that show and I can’t stand to look at her or listen to her. I wish they would boot her off the show so I can watch it again.
It adds up in their bank accounts!!!
My feelings for Paul Ryan are not printable..
Great Piece, Keith — Here’s a piece from a few weeks ago.
http://mariaslaby.com/voting-is-not-a-religious-experience-its-a-strategy/
From now on I shall be calling all these hypocrite, weak willed, two face congressional Republicans (House & Senate) = punk ass.
If for no other reason than to prevent a 7-2 Supreme Court majority for the next generation or more.
x2 Apparently Mr. Ryan assumes a walk around on this.
Best you’ve ever written, Keith.
Truth!
X2 !!!
oT Now this is some bold BS. She couldn’t do it if she didn’t have the DOJ and the FBI in one of her large patch pockets. But she does.
http://www.weaselzippers.us/300549-clinton-campaign-fundraises-off-of-trumps-jail-threat/
Like Trump said at the debate, why doesn’t Clinton spend some of her own money. She’s a money crazy liar. She would take money anyone, the Saudis, etc. for her own personal gain. You can say what you want, all the money she raises is for her, Chelsea Clinton’s, Bill Clinton’s personal gain, they really should be locked up for the money they have taken from innocent people to build their fortune. Greedy, all of them, constantly fund-raising, who are they kidding? She’s a pig in pants. Why does Hillary Clinton wear pants all the time? is she crazy or what? or lazy or what? or does she leak or something and can’t wear a skirt or dress once in a while? She looks awful every day. How could anyone vote for such awful taste to be in the White House. She looks like a little freak in those outfits.
Whenever I hear from these traitors, it just makes me sick.
I think it’s way past time for the Martian Ambassador to address a joint session..
Funny.
Bravo !!
Interesting take by Limbaugh — he thinks and I tend to agree that the Republican Party is afraid Trump is going to win and so ,,,, Paul Ryan blindsides him. And I agree. The Republicans are as unsettled at the thought of a Trump win as the Democrats (despite the emails that say they feared Rubio — if so the overestimated Rubio and underestimated Trump).
I think Trump still has a shot. But he had a better shot before Ryan tried to put a bullet in his back.
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2016/10/11/you_d_better_steel_your_spines_folks_because_i_ve_never_seen_it_like_this?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RushLimbaugh-AllContent+%28The+Rush+Limbaugh+Show+-+All+Content%29
I think all these polls for Hillary Clinton are bogus and a fraud. Who the hell would vote for her? The cops won’t vote for her, the firemen won’t vote for her — the military won’t vote for her, any intelligent American won’t vote for her? She’s got some women and minorities, I mean, who would vote for this nut? Who would want open border, only the illegals and some muzzies would want that! Do we want open border to have terrorist attacks every week like they do in the Middle East? Because that will happen if Hillary Clinton gets elected. She doesn’t care, she’s dumb to want open borders like dumb Obama wants. But I have a feeling that Clinton and Obama made a pact that she would do whatever he tells her to do, so that he would help her become President with his posse, his toughs, his creeps, this is a rigged election for her, I fear, America is gone because of the Obamas and Clintons and the Romnies, Bushes, Kasich slob, etc.
“But I have a feeling that Clinton and Obama made a pact that she would do whatever he tells her to do, so that he would help her become President …..”
I read somewhere yesterday that Hillary and Barry talk by phone twice a day. Haven’t got a clue if that’s true, but it certainly wouldn’t be surprising.
There are a lot of unnoticed Trump supporters, far from the corrupt Beltway, the lying MSM and biased “moderators” (known to the rest of us as Hillary cheerleaders.) They go about their daily business and largely ignore today’s biased reportage. They know what they want and they know who. And most emphatically, it is not Hillary Clinton.
They have long memories and when the Paul Ryans et al are up for a re-seat, they will remember their actions today and vote accordingly.
If Ryan et al want to torpedo themselves down the road, they are doing a very, very good job of doing it today.
Bravo! Never in my 56 years have I seen such a group of spineless, worthless Republicans/eunuchs. I’m keeping a list on these people and I’m going to give money to their opponents and campaign against them. They should be ashamed. (And yes, they should take a stand and vote for Clinton. But they can’t even muster that much of a choice.)
Also, I would not at all be surprised that the release of that video late Friday is all part of Ryan’s plan, since he had the rally with Trump scheduled on Saturday. I think that little weasel has been doing all he can to stick the knife in Trump’s back since the very start.
It is said that the leak was made by Dan Senor (Cambell Brown’s husband) and a senior advisor to Ryan.
http://100percentfedup.com/wife-top-paul-ryan-advisor-whos-accused-dumping-trump-tape-former-cnn-hostasked-media-blackout-trump-one-week/
Good one, Keith!
Republican Party should have coalesced around one central principle Limited Government! But we long ago veered off into social issues where we will forever be imprisoned. One standard for us and nothing for the deviants.
A friend told me about this. Lou Dobbs on Ryan and the RATs. It is excellent.
https://youtu.be/AWqGIRWmb5w
And fits perfectly with what Keith has said I think.
What a powerful post. I’ve shared this paragraph as “QOTD” on Facebook and on my blog:
“Our service members in uniform go risk their lives every day for causes and presidents they do not necessarily support. They don’t choose to fight World War II for Roosevelt, or to not to fight at all, if they are assigned to fight in Iraq for Barack Obama. They go all out and fight to win, even if it hurts their feelings. Or worse.
“Is it too much to ask of Republican political and thought leaders that they make a decision about what will benefit the country, instead of what benefits themselves?”
Thank you for standing up.
“Trump is the army you have.”
By the same token, Trump has to understand that the downticket GOP candidates are the army he will need if he’s elected. That is, if he plans to execute a conservative agenda. He sounds like he’d be perfectly happy dealing with Democrats. And that’s the kind of thing that could cost him the votes of conservatives who don’t fully trust him.
Monica Crowley had an excellent suggestion. I can’t remember her exact words, but she suggested that he say something along the lines of…”I welcome your support, but if you choose not to support me, I still wish you luck and urge my supporters to vote for you.”
But of course, that would be the intelligent think to do.
THE SELFISHNESS OF THE REPUBLICANS IS A GREAT ARTICLE. HILLARY WILL DESTROY AMERICA. STEPHEN COUGHLIN,INTELLIGENCE ADVISOR TO THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF SAID SO. SO IF YOU WANT TO KEEP AMERICA, YOU VOTE FOR TRUMP. IF YOU WANT A DICTATOR AND A BANANA REPUBLIC VOTE FOR HER.
Why are you yelling?
Thank you for this Keith. I agree with you..
Great article Keith. In 24yrs I NEVER once believed I was going into battle with my brothers for the CINC. We were going to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and therefore the American people. Once the first bomb dropped, shot fired etc.. it was all about your bros on your left and right. The flag, Mom and apple pie go out the window until the guns fall silent.
Trump is neither a Republican nor a Conservative. He does not represent me or my values.
More importantly, he has no core values himself! There is no ‘there’ there. He has a bad case of ‘arrested development’, and is in no way qualified to be POTUS. After the Primaries, Trump always trailed Hillary in national approval ratings. He was doomed.
Like it or not, we are going to be stuck with the most corrupt crime family in modern history. Hillary was so ‘beatable’, but everyone was so wrapped up in the Primary reality show that Trump ended up with the nomination. Granted, the other 16 candidates were less than stellar, but still….Donald Trump? Puleeze!
At this point, all that matters is keeping the Congress. Even that seems to be in jeopardy.
It’s going to be a sorry world with Hillary, Schumer, and Pelosi! God help us all!
Good morning Girly, I am always interested in your views. So, will you vote for Hillary, then ?
My political favorites are politicians like Ron Paul and Pat Buchanan, good , old grumpy men with humour and an intellectual mind. But they would probably not fare well in the political environment of today.
Good morning, SL. You mentioned Pat Buchanan. I have always enjoyed his curmudgeonly manner and his stance on illegal immigration.
You might enjoy reading his latest assessment of the Donald:
http://buchanan.org/blog/the-donald-lives-125811
As for me, no I will definitely not be voting for Hillary . I should have prefaced my remarks with the fact that I live in the very deep blue State of California and Hillary has it locked.
**As for ‘celebrity’ candidates, Clint Eastwood is more my type. Too bad he isn’t a few decades younger. His ’empty chair’ skit at the 2012 Convention was priceless.
Girly,thanks for the link, great assessment by Pat Buchanan, as usual. And I am so happy that Trump is overruling Pence on Syria. With Hillarys no-fly zone, the situation will be just horrible. For us in Europe too. So, good judgment from the Donald there.I hope he can keep Pence in a tight leash, I don´t think I really trust Pence.
I love Clint Eastwood too, I wish that he had gone into politics earlier.
I so agree with you re Pence, SL. One word comes to mind – slippery.
Two of his rallies, Nebraska and New Jersey, were cancelled this week due to ‘lack of interest’. No surprise here!
Girly1, you wrote “Like it or not, we are going to be stuck with the most corrupt crime family in modern history.”
Yes, you will be, if everyone thinks like you.
When you are given a choice between leprosy or cancer, what do you suggest?
P.S. My vote is worthless here in CA. Hillary has it locked.
If you want to blame someone, blame the establishment for allowing the nomination to proceed and then jumped ship en masse. It was all so predictable.
Great piece, Keith. I have disliked Ryan from day one, there always was something fake, mean and greedy about him. And boy, is there !
Oh, how I wish I could vote. But , there is one point in the article that I disagree on and that is, if you do not support Trump you should vote for Hillary. I don´t agree here. Why hand her those “uncertain” votes ? It could possibly result in a false “landslide”.
Just yesterday my Congressman, ROB PORTMAN, declared publicly that he would not be supporting DONALD TRUMP.
Seriously?? As he is running for re-election for the “umpteenth time”, I am bothered he would even make this announcement!
As I see it, if he will not vote for TRUMP, then I simply cannot vote Rob Portman!
These misbegotten R’s who refuse to do “the right thing” are challenging their own integrity/perhaps speeding up the inevitable outcome: that of not again winning an election. SO BE IT!
I called my Congressman’s office this morning. He will not vote for Trump. I informed his office via phone, and him via email on his office site, that I would not be voting for him or any Republican from now on. I have voted for him every election.
My Senator will stand with Trump and he has secured my vote. However, I will keep one eye open on this one because my Senator is Marco Rubio.
If Republicans cannot support their nominee there is no assurance they will support my interests or the best interests of the United States should something offend them, or some other shiny object fly by their window.
I put this here, because today is Yom Kippur and this is not very forgiving.
Amen.
Insight from Congressman King on Ryan’s call to House Republicans.
http://www.lifezette.com/polizette/rep-king-no-one-defended-ryan-decision-bail-trump/
Your finger-waving lecture and attempt at shaming will not work.
Neither one of these a-holes is worthy of my vote and neither one of them is going to get it.
Deal with it.
All the Republicans should vote for trump or they
will cry about what Clinton will to pull out country
down like Obama has so Ryan get of the pot, I was in a war so you can be Free
Bottom line is all these eGOP people don’t want to lose their greed/money/power! Just like the Clinton’s! So sad to see such insincere people peddling BS on the American people!
This burns me. Why can’t *conservatives* understand our repulsion? That we don’t want to facilitate FILTH? We CAN’T pull the lever. We just CAN’T. It’s a RIGHT OF CONSCIENCE d@mmit. It’s like be asked to choose between having your feet amputated or your hands amputated. I choose NEITHER! I can HONESTLY make an argument EITHER WAY as to which one is worse, which is more dangerous to Liberty. I WON’T facilitate. I just WON’T. STOP with this Alinksy “high horse” ad-hominem. I expect it from them. I don’t expect it from us. In fact, all it does is confirm our opposition to Trump as toxic to everyone who gets near him. God, I hate this election.
Then leave.
One of those two will win. And if you can’t bear the thought of voting for Trump, then get out while you still can.
If Hillary wins, this country will not exist, as we know it, four years hence. And if Trump wins, you won’t accept him anyway.
So either way, you lose; I actually feel sorry for you.
Above hyperlink is to an article about good places for expats; you may consider it a gesture of compassion.
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