Charlie Sykes, a well-regarded conservative radio talk show
host in Milwaukee, has used an op-ed piece in the New York Times to take to task fellow members of the right for supporting
Donald Trump’s candidacy in the general election.
Leave aside that the leftist Times is an odd podium from which to lecture fellow conservatives;
Sykes’ main complaint is that they abandoned principles by supporting the GOP
nominee.
It is accurate to say that most Republican conservatives in
2016 were not fans of the New York billionaire, notorious for his reality show
and prior support for liberals, including Hillary Clinton, among many other
ideological “sins”.
Yet there was a choice to be made. Of course, the conservative voter or leader
was not restricted to a binary selection between the leading party
nominees. One could have voted third
party or refused to cast a ballot. Hillary and Donald were such morally
deficient candidates, it’s hard to criticize those who, in effect, chose to
abstain.
But criticism of Mr. Sykes for choosing to stand aside does
have merit.
A thoughtful conservative who wanted his vote to count very
well could justify supporting Hillary Clinton based upon her apparent
steadiness in foreign affairs in contrast to Donald Trump’s demonstrated lack
thereof. That voter would, indeed, put
country over party in the face of Mrs. Clinton’s myriad failings and promises
to extend President Obama’s disastrous legacy.
Likewise, a similarly motivated person could reasonably
conclude that the course of both domestic and foreign policy under the current
administration has been so wrong-headed and left-wing that change is
paramount. Ironically, Trump was the
candidate this year who offered “hope and change”.
A banker friend of mine, moderate in both politics and
manner, told me post-election that, although he strongly disapproved of Trump’s
conduct as a candidate, “America needs change and he was the only change agent
we had”.
Charlie Sykes ignores these not too subtle factors in
castigating conservative Trump supporters for backing “their side”. He believed they abandoned principles of “free
trade, balanced budgets, character and respect for constitutional rights”. The talk show host, who played a significant
role in defeating Trump’s Wisconsin primary bid, told readers that the
conservative abandonment, as he saw it, of such ideas was the result of polarization
which caused “essential loyalties to shift from ideas to parties, to tribes, to
individuals. Nothing else ultimately matters”.
That analysis is both over-wrought and largely wrong.
Trump’s supporters constituted a disparate “tribe”. According to exit polls, eight percent of
blacks were in his column as were twenty-eight percent of Hispanics and fifty-eight
percent of whites. Voters for change
chose different ideas than those offered by Hillary Clinton; they were not
guided by group or tribal loyalty.
It’s unfortunate that Sykes’ castigation of fellow
conservatives seems rooted in personal pique.
His article made clear that his feelings were hurt, and he
was angered by the reaction of many of his show’s listeners to his Trump
apostasy. After all, his had been a
popular voice on the right for many years.
Come on.
One doesn’t have to be an intellectual snob to note that
the typical talk show listener is hardly sophisticated when it comes to policy
and politics. The audience wants confirmation
of its views, not challenges. Sykes is
certainly correct when he reports that the hostility on the right to Hillary
Clinton cannot be overstated as a factor in the election. That such strong feelings generated uncivil
conduct toward Sykes in Milwaukee is hardly shocking (plainly, socially coarse
mores have invaded the “polite” Midwest as well).
One wishes Charlie Sykes well. He will leave the airways at year’s end. Fellow conservatives hope, also, that his
fears do not come to pass. President
Trump is owed not loyalty, but vigilance.
Our task is not to show loyalty to Trump but to guide and encourage him
to follow conservative principles. Most
importantly, we must insist that President Donald Trump serve and protect
America.
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