I voted for Trump. At the end, I did. I justified it on the ground that my "Pence in the Senate" scenario demanded not only a McMullin victory in Utah, but also a Trump victory in Texas.
But I felt from the very beginning that Hillary Clinton could never do as much damage to the fundamental idea of conservatism as Trump could do. She is a liberal, and her policies and flaws, no matter how painful in the near term, would leave ideological conservatism un-diminished and poised for a renaissance.
But Trump as President could kill conservatism dead for all time if he makes a mess of the job. He is, in many ways, conservatism's last stand. And that's great, except I'm not convinced he's a conservative. I think he's a Machiavellian who is willing to play to a kind of nostalgic populism because he sees it as a means of ascent.
We have every reason to suspect that he's a narcissist of the first order, that he's a base human being who will use the power of the State against his personal enemies (just as Clinton would have), and that he will put his own interest ahead of the country's.
Of course I am hoping that I am wrong. For the sake of my country, I hope I'm wrong. But this man has a lot to prove, and if he screws this up, then it will be the end of conservatism as a political philosophy.
But I felt from the very beginning that Hillary Clinton could never do as much damage to the fundamental idea of conservatism as Trump could do. She is a liberal, and her policies and flaws, no matter how painful in the near term, would leave ideological conservatism un-diminished and poised for a renaissance.
But Trump as President could kill conservatism dead for all time if he makes a mess of the job. He is, in many ways, conservatism's last stand. And that's great, except I'm not convinced he's a conservative. I think he's a Machiavellian who is willing to play to a kind of nostalgic populism because he sees it as a means of ascent.
We have every reason to suspect that he's a narcissist of the first order, that he's a base human being who will use the power of the State against his personal enemies (just as Clinton would have), and that he will put his own interest ahead of the country's.
Of course I am hoping that I am wrong. For the sake of my country, I hope I'm wrong. But this man has a lot to prove, and if he screws this up, then it will be the end of conservatism as a political philosophy.
