Talk about just desserts! A conservative, one who could actually make frustrated voters in both parties proud, is running as a Democrat against a RINO who loves rubber stamping Democrat policies. Live by the Democrats, die by a Democrat!
Art Halvorson, a career Coast Guard Captain and businessman, was able to get on the ballot as a Democrat to challenge Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA) in Pennsylvania’s 9th District. After coming within 1,000 votes of knocking off the corrupt Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the Republican primary, a number of Democrat voters wrote in Art’s name for the Democrat nomination (no candidate filed to run as a Democrat in this heavily conservative district). Thanks to Pennsylvania law, Halvorson was able to get on the ballot as a Democrat, even though he is challenging Shuster from the right.
In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Art and Daniel discuss the fresh opportunity, unencumbered by party ID, to reach all voters with common sense ideas packaged in a candidate who lives the life of a conservative. Could this set the tone for the next few years and demonstrate how conservatives can forge a new path ahead without the baggage of the comatose Republican Party. You won’t want to miss this episode with a candidate who is not only a true conservative but a refreshing servant of the people. You won’t believe what Art does at the end of the episode – not something you typically hear from a congressional candidate in a general election!
Show links
Immigration lunacy: DOJ seeks to prosecute Sheriff Arpaio for enforcing federal immigration law
This week on the Conservative Conscience, Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore joins Daniel Horowitz to discuss the judiciary, his suspension for defying the Supreme Court’s ruling on marriage, and our Stolen Sovereignty.
The Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision created the right to gay marriage from nothing and now the free conscience objections to gay marriage of religious institutions are being trampled upon by the federal government.
“All across our country, we’re seeing a deprivation of a right given by God because the Supreme Court created a right and is mandating that everyone conform to it,” Justice Moore explained.
The Founding Fathers of the American Republic could never have envisioned a time where forces would try to deprive the people of a God-given right to grant a special class of people a right that hasn’t existed in the history of all humankind. Horowitz and Justice Moore discussed the history, meaning, and role of the judiciary and what can be done to reclaim power from a rouge Supreme Court.
For How Much Longer Will Conservatives Exemplified the Definition of Insanity?
In honor of Columbus Day, Daniel makes the case for charting a new course and creating a new party and a new movement. At this point, the outcome of this election is pretty clear, like it or not. We can spend the next thirty days just sullying our souls defending the indefensible and lose anyway or we can start planning for what we can do and be proud of.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again in anticipation of a different result. Nothing will change if we treat this GOP loss the same way and just keep banging our heads against the wall with this failed party. As miserable as a Hillary victory is, it is the reality that will soon confront us and we must harness the opportunities that it will provide us in charting a new course. The entire debate about Trump has been a big distraction and doesn’t even speak to the foundational problems we are experiencing. We must all unite instead of blaming each other after November 8. The way to unite to break free of this false choice between Trump (who will be gone by then) and the establishment. Hence, it’s time for a Freedom Party.
Are you pessimistic? Daniel explains both the imperative for starting the new party and the unique opportunity we have for success.
This episode’s sponsor:
preparewithcr.com - Build your emergency food supply for only $99.
In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel discusses how the corrosive modus operandi of so many in the conservative movement has allowed them to focus exclusively on nonsense and ignore the most important story of the week. Judge Roy Moore stands alone in his battle for marriage, the Constitution, federalism, and state sovereignty, yet the conservative media couldn’t care less that he was wrongly suspended.
Daniel goes on to explain just how severely the judicial crisis is plaguing our nation and how only a society of beta males would allow it to happen. He further offers insight, using the Alabama case study, as to why state courts are better suited to handle cases dealing with social questions and why the federal judiciary must be denuded of any power over such political questions.
“When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers, "just men who will rule in the fear of God." The preservation of government depends on the faithful discharge of this duty; if the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted; laws will be made, not for the public good so much as for selfish or local purposes; corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute the laws; the public revenues will be sqandered on unworthy men; and the rights of the citizens will be violated or disregarded. If a republican government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws.”
[Noah Webster, History of the United States (New Haven: Durrie & Peck, 1832), pp. 336-337]
“Neither the Founding generation nor their children nor their children's children, right on down to our grandparents' generation, were so passive about their role as republican citizens. They would not have accepted-did not accept-being told that a lawyerly elite had charge of the Constitution, and they would have been incredulous if told (as we are often told today) that the main reason to worry about who becomes president is that the winner will control judicial appointments. Something would have gone terribly wrong, they believed, if an unelected judiciary were being given that kind of importance and deference. Perhaps such a country could still be called democratic, but it would no longer be the kind of democracy Americans had fought and died and struggled to create.” ~ Larry D. Kramer, The People Themselves: Popular Constitutionalism and Judicial Review (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004), 228.
Don’t Miss
Judge Moore falls victim to culture of beta males our founders failed to envision
This episode’s sponsor:
preparewithcr.com - Build your emergency food supply for only $99.
The difference between today’s professional conservative movement and the Democrats is a difference between 100 degrees of post-constitutional Sodom and Gomorrah vs. 95 degrees. In this episode, Daniel discusses how the Republican party at a presidential level, a congressional level, and conservative media level engages in a fake fight with the Left when it really matters and how it debases who we are and moves the contours of political debate inexorably to the Left and into the gutter.
Amidst all of the salacious political fights and personal attacks the “conservative” media likes to focus on, they don’t even realize how they have already agreed to the Left on so many policy issues of substance. Which is why they have nothing left but to discuss whatever the liberal media thinks is important, albeit complain about it.
Much of the conservative media, which is permanently stuck on the culture of the lesser of two evils, downright defends evil so long as they can point to media bias and the Democrats being even worse. Hence, fornication is tolerated, so long as you don’t get an abortion from it; transgenderism is lovely so long as you are part of a “conservative LGBTQFU group”; Marxism is fine as long as it doesn’t go to illegals; cradle to grave socialism is needed but we just disagree with Democrats over the “amounts and numbers.”
Isn’t it time we created a new vehicle we that can actually stand on its own veracity and merit?
Important Links
Judge forces Ohio School to Treat Boy like a Girl
Fake food fight: A debate that reflects our political system
The stupid party: This is the GOP's hill to die on?!
This episode’s sponsor:
preparewithcr.com - Build your emergency food supply for only $99.
Patriot Mobile – your conservative mobile service provider.
Every constitutional conservative is caught up in the emotion over Cruz’s late decision to endorse Donald Trump. In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, as always, Daniel moves beyond the convention wisdom, false choices, and binary narratives placed on our plate by the general media. In Daniel’s opinion, this was a very bad political decision on the part of Cruz, but at the same time he breaks down why he understands the decision and the pressure that was brought the bear on the Texas champion. It was bad strategy, but does it erase everything he’s done until now?
We go deep into politics to show how this is much bigger than Cruz, Trump, or any one individual. The ancillary lessons of what led up to this decision are more powerful than the decision itself. And it all leads to the same conclusion: rather than praising Cruz (if you are pro-Trump) or disowning him (if you are anti-Trump), this must serve as a lesson for why the entire two party oligarchy is irremediably broken.
Daniel explains why it’s not worth it for like-minded individuals to tear each other down over disagreements in strategy, especially when we are all confronted with such an existential crisis. This goes beyond Trump and Hillary, it is a reflection of the entire system. We must pray and work together to address the sources of these ills rather than argue about the strategy of how to deal with insufferable symptoms with no good options and from a position of weakness.
Important links
Last month’s podcast on why it’s not worth breaking relationships over disagreements on strategy
Watch Daniel’s video summing up the key lesson from Cruz being pressured into endorsement
This episode’s sponsor:
preparewithcr.com - Build your emergency food supply for only $99
In this episode, Daniel and Joe explore how moral relativism and the lack of a true party with moral conviction shifts the political landscape dramatically to the left over a short period of time. With no sense of measure, balance, proportion, and context liberals use moral relativism to focus national attention on emotional narratives that are completely divorced from the important macro-narrative that drives a given policy.
Nonetheless, once liberals successfully use their false narratives to legitimize the most radical policies, Republicans accept much of their premise and stake out the right goal post of an issue only a few levels away. This in turn permanently shifts the contours of the debate to the far left and delegitimizes anything beyond those contours, even if it was a view held even by Democrats just one generation ago.
Harry Reid’s blockbuster immigration speech in 1993
This episode’s sponsor:
preparewithcr.com - Build your emergency food supply for only $99.
The voters are demanding that the political class protect our sovereignty and security. Yet, both parties are out to lunch. While Democrats are refusing to even acknowledge the problem of Islamic jihad, their opponents are unwilling to expose their willful blindness. All Republicans care about is jailbreak and other harmful or vacuous policy ideas. They continue to refuse to use the budget bill to defund Obama’s refugee program.
In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel explores the recent terror attacks through the prism of a real principled Republican Party. What would a party that is truly committed to our nation’s security do in response to this week’s jihad?
Daniel outlines a number of ideas that will protect our homeland, address the threat doctrine of the enemy, and respect the constitutional constraints. These are all common sense ideas that are not only good policy but reflect good politics as well. Many people think it will take a massive terror attack, God forbid, for the people to wake up and vote against the cultural Marxists and apologists for Islamism. The problem is even if such an event occurs and the majority of the country undergoes a catharsis, there is no political party that can capitalize on that sentiment.
“Republicans could win a landslide election if they made it a referendum on this issue alone!” Daniel declared on this week’s episode of the Conservative Conscience podcast. “Democrats are on the hook for this issue,” he continued. The people want security but neither party will give it to them.
So what would a sane Republican Party do? Well, here are some common sense ideas:
1) Ban the Muslim Brotherhood
2) Pause Refugee Resettlement
3) Allow states to block refugees
4) Strip jihadist fighters of citizenship
5) Exit-entry visa tracking
6) Build the fence (or wall, if that strikes your fancy)
7) National reciprocity for concealed carry
8) Force DHS to deport the million or so with outstanding deportation orders
9) Place restrictions and extra monitoring of travel to dangerous countries
Don’t Miss
15 years of willful blindness after 9/11
Stolen Sovereignty: almost 1,000 criminal aliens issued citizenship
Just 14 years ago, Democrats supported cutting off visas from dangerous countries
The Intellectual Dishonesty of the 2 Party System
Happy Constitution Day!
Sadly, our Constitution has been shredded to pieces, and in this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel uses current events to demonstrate why the inherent intellectual dishonesty of our party system is the culprit for the constitutional crisis.
George Washington’s final warning to America was that political parties would sow the dissolution of the republic, encouraging people to take refuge in a faction, irrespective of whether it worked harmoniously with the founding values. Unfortunately, this is what we are seeing with all too many pseudo-conservatives who are willing to change who they are to comport with the Republican leaders of the time – be it Trump or someone else.
Daniel dissects how Trump’s new socialized child care and maternity program, and the disturbing support from some prominent conservative figures, is a teachable moment of Washington’s premonition. There are numerous other problems with this plan, the politics surrounding it, and what it represents. Daniel discusses just how far left the party and the “movement” have moved since Reagan and even the Clinton-era, all because of the hopeless binary political game.
Daniel directly addresses those on the right who want to ditch the Constitution and conservatism and how it is rooted in a false political premise. The danger is that Republicans and conservatives will not only enshrine the existing Obama-era levels of government growth, but feel compelled to permanently adopt a slightly less offensive version of all the new Democrat policies.
Either way, until we break out of this mess, people will check their intellectual honesty at the door of party politics. The only difference is that whereas Democrats check their intellectual honesty at the door to comport with their ideology, Republicans check their intellectual honesty at the door to comport with their falsely perceived electoral viability, which ironically means agreeing to the very same Democrat values, albeit with less enthusiasm.
Key Quote from George Washington’s Farewell Address:
“This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy.
The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.”
Show links
Reagan’s economic bill of rights he proposed towards the end of his presidency
The triumph of old-school socialism: Trump’s massive new welfare plan
Obama’s refugee announcement that these phony nationalists aren’t even talking about
Here is Why Obama’s Approval Rating is Climbing
GOP’s September Agenda: Turning Touchdowns into Interceptions
In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel explains how Republicans take winning issues and turn them into losing issues. Ever wonder why Obama’s approval rating is soaring to levels not seen since 2009, despite his treasonous acts on a daily basis, despite Obamacare, refugees, open borders, the Iran debacle? Daniel gives a full presentation by taking listeners through the panoply of issues in Congress right now to demonstrate how Republicans are serving as an advancing force for Democrat policies.
If a tree falls in the forest, who is to know? If Republicans refuse to litigate the case against Democrats and harness critical leverage points to spawn a national discussion on refugees, criminal aliens, the internet giveaway, Obama’s funding of Iran and supporting Al Qaeda overseas, etc., then the media narrative will only focus on mundane issues, thereby allowing Obama to escape public criticism.
Daniel explains that whereas Democrats embrace confrontation as a means of promoting their agenda, even when it’s unpopular; Republicans abjure confrontation even when it is politically advantageous for them. Whereas Democrats harness all their talent, time, and treasure to plot how to paint Republicans as extreme and out-of-touch; Republicans expend all their political capital giving cover to Democrats, avoiding such counter opportunities, and make Democrats look good. This dichotomy is completely unsustainable for our Republic.
Buckle your seat-belt, because in this half-hour-episode Daniel goes rapid fire through numerous policy issues and political intel that will make it abundantly clear this party is irreparably broken. To follow along, here are some useful articles.
My 9/11 article: turning the page on 15 years of failure
Thanks to Republicans, Obama’s approval at 2009 levels
Mitch McConnell’s double budget betrayal
Grassley confirming Obama judges
The deplorable Democrat hijacking of Zika response
Rubio: Drop Planned Parenthood fight to approve Zika funding
Joining the Conservative Conscience podcast this episode is Joe Miller. Joe is a conservative constitutionalist from Alaska, who is running against Lisa Murkowski, one of the worst Republican senators in terms of her #LibertyScore. Joe beat Lisa in 2010 in the GOP primary, only to have her mount a write-in bid, joining with liberals, to beat him in the general election.
Joe is a strong believer in local control and state sovereignty over its internal affairs, and although he is running on the Libertarian ticket, he does so while adhering to all of his conservative principles. The Libertarian Party in Alaska is different than that at the national level, and actually more resembles the principles espoused by members of Congress such as Mike Lee, Ted Cruz.
“We have no choice but to engage,” reasoned Miller on why he is running. “We that have opportunity to influence have no choice … it is an imperative. If we don’t get things switched around, we’re not gonna have a country in a decade.”
When asked how he plans to take his conservative message to the broad electorate, Miller said he will stress the commonalities Alaskans have from all over the political spectrum. “The message of local control resonates with everyone,” said Miller, especially in Alaska.
Miller also touched on the idea that a real fix for America may necessitate a new party, and that his candidacy could spark such a movement. “It could be a catalyst to future action,” said Miller. “It certainly would destabilize the establishment, or the duopoly, as I call it.”
Joe Miller is the only true conservative running for the U.S. Senate this year who is not already in Congress.
Don’t Miss:
Could Joe Miller give constitutional conservatives a choice instead of an echo in Alaska?
**Production Note: The statement from Murkowski's senior judiciary staff was "child pornographer" not "child molester."
The entire political landscape among longstanding conservative figures and grassroots activists is being consumed and defined by whether individuals plan to vote for Trump or not. Since CR’s Mark Levin came out with his statement reluctantly announcing his intention to personally vote for Trump, many activists have expressed either support or disappointment. In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel disagrees with the entire premise that this is the most important question facing conservatives now and explores ways anti-establishment constitutionalists can unite behind actionable items they both agree on.
As Daniel notes, it’s heartbreaking watching so many individuals who agree on 90% of the issues, or even 100% of the issues, tear each over apart over the philosophical question of the lesser of two evils. Daniel dissents from the entire debate by explaining that conservatives shouldn’t be defined by their reluctant acceptance or rejection of Trump. It’s not worth it, and frankly it won’t make a difference at this point.
What is important, however, is that conservatives of all stripes – who basically agree on the issues and the insufferable nature of the existing GOP –must fight on the issues together and defeat efforts to increase refugees, give away the internet, and pass jailbreak legislation. We must fight the transgender lobby and stand up for religious liberty. We must defend North Carolina and fight judicial tyranny. We must help support all the good conservative candidates running for state office and people like Joe Miller who are challenging the liberal oligarchy for federal office.
As conservatives fight with each other and trade insults about whether an insignificant number of their friends will actually make a difference by staying home or voting for Trump, why not pause the infighting for a few days and donate $30 to a real conservative down the ballot? Why not flood state and federal offices on individual issues that we can still influence? And let’s plot a path towards a revitalized political vehicle for our views up and down the ballot, irrespective of the outcome of this election. Then you can go back to fighting each other. But at least do something productive while we’re destroying relationships over nothing.
Key quotes
“Our republic will not rise or fall on your vote for president alone, but whether you acquiesce to this corrupt system or take your own destiny into your hands.”
“A group of 50,000 or so activists will not determine the outcome of an election but they can determine the outcome of a nation.”
Show links
Watch Levin TV Episode 123 where Mark discusses his personal decision
If the primary elections in Florida and Arizona serve as any indication at all, there is no longer a place for conservatives in the Republican Party. The establishment sounded the death knell Tuesday completing their near sweep of the congressional primary elections, beating conservatives in almost every race.
How did it happen? Well, “there’s a fatal flaw in our primary process,” argues Daniel Horowitz on this episode of The Conservative Conscience. “If the [establishment] has the money, the media support, and the name recognition … and they run on our issues … I don’t know how you break through that.” Now, Paul Ryan-Kevin McCarthy acolytes have infiltrated the so-called “conservative” Republican party even more. The Republican Party – where liberals run as conservatives just to win elections – nothing more. No wonder NOTHING changes.
The party has become so liberal that even the “conservative candidate for VP believes the courts – yes, the courts! – should decide questions of religious liberty when it is attacked by the sexual identity lobby. Even Bill Clinton and Chuck Schumer held the line on that issue in the ‘90s.
Meanwhile, the do-nothing Republican Congress is gearing up to offer their closing argument before the election, and their major issue is … criminal justice reform. Are you kidding me?! The GOP Congress could’ve chosen to use their power of the purse to blunt any number of treasonous actions by the Obama administration. Let’s go over some: The alliance with terrorist Iran, Obama’s jailbreak, open borders, the internet giveaway, just to name a few.
The saving grace of the Republican Party – if all else failed – was always the fact that they supposedly appointed better judges. Daniel explains why that has become irrelevant because even most Republican appointees accept 60% of the premise of the living and breathing Constitution theory.
“We need to recognize the severity of the problem,” Daniel argues. “This party is broken; it will never work for us … it’s that simple.”
Don’t Miss:
Last night’s elections demonstrate conservatives have no place in this party
The case for reforming primaries
Warning! Congress is preparing to totally SCREW America
Mike Pence wants the Courts to determine how much liberty we get with our conscience
GOP appointed judge mandates transgenderism
There’s only one full blown originalist on the Supreme Court
“The fate of 11 million illegals”
We often hear, “our immigration system is broken.” But in truth, it’s our political system that is broken.
Last week, Daniel explained the consequences of Donald Trump’s recent immigration flip-flop in Listen: The Real Problem with Trump’s Equivocation on Immigration – Ep. 52. Since then, Trump and his campaign have tried to reframe his message, yet have not backed away from his new “soft” approach.
So here we are. In almost laughable irony, the GOP nominee who essentially won the primary by promising to “build a wall and make Mexico pay for it” has acquiesced to liberal talking points on the matter. But, political hot air aside, the question still remains … what do we do with the 11 million (or more) illegal immigrants currently in our country? Or is that really a valid or relevant question at this point?
In this episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel seeks to answer that very question. In fact, the entire premise of focusing on this question at this point in time represents the myopic thinking of our political leaders. Arguing from a philosophical standpoint, and borrowing a great deal from his new book Stolen Sovereignty, Daniel reminds America that Congress has a constitutional obligation to protect the legal citizens of this country. No such obligation exists for the illegal aliens residing here, no matter how heart-breaking the sob-stories.
Further, Daniel explains why the latest idea of “legalization without citizenship,” expressed by some in the Trump campaign and by RNC Chairman Reince Preibus, is a complete red herring and will never work. This entire focus on what to do with illegals instead of what to do for Americans is exactly what has lead to endless new waves of illegal immigration.
Although the election may be awash, conservatives have a responsibility to hold the line on the issues of sovereignty and security past November. We must secure the border, restrain the courts, and re-establish respect for the rule of law irrespective of what the Left, or Trump, has to say.
Don’t Miss:
Malkin: Trump MUST choose: Open-borders amnesty or American workers [VIDEO]
The Forgotten Man in the Immigration Debate
CR set to downgrade Trump to 'Bad' on immigration. Here’s why
Just how radical has Hillary become on illegal immigration?
The Real Problem With Trump’s Equivocation on Immigration
The news cycle this week is saturated with headlines about Donald Trump equivocating, “softening,” or questioning his own position on illegal immigration. In this podcast, Daniel, using his decade-long experience fighting open borders, explains what is so damaging about Trump being off message on this issue. It’s not just the concern of a man who, to begin with, never had a firm grounding in the issue and is now all over the map. It’s that he is messaging the issue in the worst possible way, validating the premise of Hillary and Obama.
One of the old tactics of the Left is to use ‘straw men examples’ of extreme manifestations of a given issue to distract from the main policy problem confronting the nation. This is why they make the entire abortion debate about rape rather than about 50 million abortions on demand, including partial birth abortions and taxpayer funding for harvesting baby organs. This is why they want to distract from a destructive regulatory state by asking people if they want toxic waste in their water. And it is for this reason why they focus the immigration discussion on what to do with those already here for 1,000 years and are model citizens or Medal of Honor recipients.
The key is not to get caught in their straw men and focus instead on their extreme positions. What Donald Trump has been doing over the past few days is validating every straw man premise of the left with his gratuitous chatter and conflicting comments from campaign aids.
Further disturbing is the fact that Trump keeps praising Obama for deporting people. He is validating a widely-held belief on the Left that the “borders are more secure than ever before.” This is demonstrably false, but it serves as Hillary’s number one defense of her policies. It is irresponsible for Trump to self-destruct in this way.
In reality, as Daniel demonstrates, there are endless lines of attack Trump can open up with regards to open borders, especially with the polling on refugees, the endless executive and judicial amnesties for criminal aliens, and the security concerns with Middle Eastern illegal immigrants rushing our southern border. Linked below are some articles with great talking points to go offense on immigration instead of turning this winning issue into a loser. Daniel also plugs chapters 6 and 7 from his book, Stolen Sovereignty, where he breaks down all the messaging and data that conservatives need to throw at open borders advocates. Trump and his team should order a copy!
Conservative Review show links:
Jihadists being smuggled through our border, yet we can’t deport them
The Forgotten Man in the Immigration Debate
Trump on deportations: Do what Obama has done but with 'more energy'
Clinton deported 4 Times as many illegal aliens as Obama
How about learning immigration messaging from..Bill Clinton!?
Further Reading:
The Messenger Matters in Politics
With just under three months until the election, Donald Trump is losing big in almost every major category and in almost every major swing-state (and even some red states). The campaign is in turmoil and has made a habit of consistently stepping on its own foot. Having still run less ads than the Green Party’s Jill Stein, it’s like the Trump campaign is trying to lose.
On this week’s episode of the Conservative Conscience, Daniel Horowitz breaks down the Trump campaign’s failures and what it means for the conservative movement. “We can’t separate the message from the messenger … The messenger matters,” Horowitz argues. While Trump has certainly given strong voice to issues such as immigration and national security, his rise also comes at a cost and could hurt the message in the long run.
Moreover, Daniel explains why the general election is different from a primary election dynamic and why Trump can no longer rely on running a media-driven campaign as opposed to a traditional organized ground game and ad war.
Conservatives should not lose heart, however, as we have never been a movement of personality, but of principle. We don’t need to jump train with every new fad – be it the tepid establishment or the so-called Alt-Right – we just need to follow the Constitution.
As Justice Joseph Story once said, “Let us never forget, that our constitutions of government are solemn instruments, addressed to the common sense of the people and designed to fix, and perpetuate their rights and their liberties. They are not to be frittered away to please the demagogues of the day. They are not to be violated to gratify the ambition of political leaders. They are to speak in the same voice now, and for ever. They are of no man's private interpretation. They are ordained by the will of the people; and can only be changed by the sovereign command of the people.”
Also Read:
· 14 winning issues Trump could use against Hillary
· Team Trump offers a solid security plan ... if the candidate himself can keep it
· New Trump Campaign Manager Shilled for Open Borders Zealots
· Trump on Clinton Foundation: “Give them the benefit of the doubt”
Today, we were honored to have North Carolina’s Lt. Gov Dan Forest join us to discuss the judicial war on his state. North Carolina is one of the few states where Republicans are actually standing up to the transgender jihad, fighting for religious liberty, and defending against fraudulent voting. Yet, the federal courts have crowned themselves the final arbiter of every state and local issue. They have granted standing to radical groups in order to “throw out” laws duly passed by the legislature.
In this episode, Dan Forest discusses with Daniel the importance of states doing the right thing and the need for Congress to protect them from an overbearing federal executive and judiciary. What is going on in North Carolina is a perfect example of why conservatives must also focus down ballot and ensure that champions like Dan Forest are reelected so that states can remain the last line of defense for liberty.
At some point, if Congress declines to stand up for the states, they will have no choice but to say no and take back their rightful power over state and local affairs. Dan Forest explains why, through a convergence of factors, North Carolina has become ground zero in the fight for federalism.
Show links
The Judicial War on North Carolina
So, are you for open borders or are you for deporting every single Muslim we’ve already admitted, including those who are already citizens and are constitutionally protected from deportation? Are you for the Chamber of Crony Commerce agenda or are you for populism/nationalism, shutting down all trade and “punishing” any company that moves overseas?
How about none of the above?
Daniel discusses the latest manifestation of this false choice presented to voters and together with Joe Koss continues to explore ways conservatives can move beyond false choices. Whatever one does at the ballot box on top of the ticket, we must all remember that this is still not North Korea where everything depends on the selection of the chief executive of the federal government, although it is certainly important. We still have the other branches of the federal government, the states, the culture, and activism where we must fight on all fronts. Ultimately, it gets back to strengthening state legislatures and building a new movement that is not just a “reactionary” force to another evil, but can stand on its own two feet and the veracity of its own principles.
There is not much conservatives can do at this point to speak over Donald Trump other than pray and encourage him to get back on message and go on offense on the issues. But rather than spend the next three months defending every comment he makes or insist that all the polls are rigged, why not focus on what we can do in our states and communities to secure enduring victories that will stand, irrespective of who wins.
We will have to do this at some point no matter who wins; there is no time like the present to embark on starting a fresh movement that moves beyond two indefensible parties or factions within a party. We must create a movement that is rooted in founding principles, intellectually consistent and honest enough in its own right to have the support to just say NO to the post-constitutional violations of the federal executive and the courts.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A listener named Chris Johnson made this cool graphic based on something I said on the show last week. <a href="https://t.co/QbqS1M4Xl8">pic.twitter.com/QbqS1M4Xl8</a></p>— Steve Deace (@SteveDeaceShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveDeaceShow/status/763403338708766720">August 10, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Daniel and Joe discuss the ramifications of focusing on personalities over principles. So many conservatives have no come full circle to support progressivism and establishment elites over a constitutionalist in Kansas because they are so bought into a cult of personality.
Similarly, so many refuse to demand any course change from Trump, even as he is headed for a historic landslide loss, because they are so obsequious to his every whim. This not only hurts our principles, but is strategically dumb. The entire purpose of holding our nose for him is to defeat Hillary Clinton, but if everyone defends his indefensible campaign without demanding a course correction, he will lose anyway.
Show Links
“Conservatives” cheering the loss of Tim Huelskamp have lost their conscience
If you were able to avoid the Marxist – sorry Democratic – National Convention this past week, consider yourself fortunate. Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and a vast array of zany politicians and obtuse celebrities took the stage to push their radical agenda of immorality, injustice, and de-civilization.
Even so, there is a real lesson that conservatives can learn from the DNC, suggests Daniel Horowitz in this week’s episode of the Conservative Conscience podcast. Horowitz says he was “inspired in a very sad way” about how the Left fights so ruthlessly for their policies and NEVER GIVES UP.
Democrats believe so strongly in their values and are so indefatigable in their mission to see their goals come to fruition, that for them, defeat is simply not an option. Contrast that to the Republicans who whimper and cave at every turn. Conservatives in turn are in danger of losing their core, their conscience, and then what will we have?
Isn’t it high time conservatives fought with the same tenacity and fervor as the liberals? America needs it.
Don’t miss:
· This ain’t your father’s Democratic Party
· LISTEN: Crisis of Conscience is What Has Gotten Us Here – Ep. 46
· GOP elites get their guy in Georgia. Will they get him in Kansas?
“Conscience is the most sacred of all property,” said James Madison.
Yet when Ted Cruz stood in front of delegates at the GOP convention last Wednesday and uttered the words, “vote your conscience,” the world turned upside down and many in the room wildly drowned out his words with boos.
And we though being a conservative was about principles? Guess not.
“This is a crisis of conscience of the likes we’ve never seen before,” argues Daniel Horowitz. On this week’s episode of the Conservative Conscience Horowitz breaks down how the real battle is not R’s vs. D’s but about protecting our conscience and advancing our values.
Every four years it’s the same song and dance. We end up sacrificing conservatism at the Republican altar. This year we have Donald Trump and again the knee-jerk reaction is the same – “we MUST support him so that the Democrats don’t win!” But he’s not a conservative – “we don’t care!”
Conservatives need to start asking themselves, is this strategy working?
As Daniel explains, there is a big difference between strategically voting for Trump while concurrently focusing on long term reforms and retaining our values than realigning all of our views to comport with some of his problematic positions. There is a disturbing trend of some conservatives adopting new liberal positions in order to show “unity” with Trump. This is a big mistake, and is frankly the mistake that has cost us any solid progress over the past 28 years. Vote for whomever you want, but retain your conscience and don’t change your deep rooted principles.
Key Quotes
“Instead of seeking new and foreign principles because we continue to fail in pursuit of tired, old tactics, why not renew our old timeless principles with new, innovative tactics.”
“We die on their hills; fall on their swords. We lose elections anyway either right away or 2-4 years later because of it. We’ve had the people’s house, the body closest to the people, for 18 of the past 22 years. Look at the result.”
“We win enough victories that are too minute and too insignificant to fundamentally move the ball forward, yet tantalizing enough to allure us into a false sense of security. This prevents us from pursuing the tough long-term reforms that will actually create enduring victories.”
Don’t Miss:
· More than a speech: How Cruz destroyed the ‘lesser of two evils’ narrative
· Trump speech: The good, the bad, and the ugly
We’ve come full circle in this election cycle. Ask anyone who is even semi-enthused by the prospect of a Trump nomination and they will tell you they are tired of the same old, do-nothing establishment elitists. Well, if nothing is done to quickly reform the direction of this convention and the RNC over the next four years, the entire effort to overthrow the establishment will become nothing better than the establishment itself.
Everything we have reported on at Conservative Review concerning the despotic chicanery used to steamroll conservatives in Congress is transpiring now at the convention in Cleveland. Daniel breaks down the chicanery and explains the importance for Trump supporters who truly want to reform the party to not allow the same RNC hacks to employ the same despotic tactics they have always pursued.
Conservative supporters of Trump should join with others to flush out the RNC and reform their rules. They must think past this election. Just as God warned the Israelites not to allow the pagans to remain in place because they would serve as thorns in their side, keeping the existing structure of the party will hamper any benefits of a Trump victory.
Last night, following the Jihad attack in Nice, France, Newt Gingrich stirred up a firestorm when he told Sean Hannity that because western civilization is in a war, “we should frankly test every person here who is of a Muslim background, and if they believe in Sharia, they should be deported.” He also said “modern Muslims who have given up Sharia, glad to have them as citizens.”
It is vitally important to draw clear constitutional, legal, historical, philosophical, and prudent policy lines. In this special edition, Daniel notes that while there are very problematic and unconstitutional aspects to Newt’s solution as it relates to U.S. citizens, the former speaker’s diagnosis of the problem and his solution as it relates to future immigration is spot on. There is a degree of constitutional illiteracy that is apparent both in Gingrich’s statement and in the words of his critics. It is against our Constitution and values to carte blanche take away First Amendment rights from U.S. citizens or deport them for simply harboring a supremacist ideology. At the same time, it is completely constitutional and rooted in our history and tradition not to willingly import those who subscribe to a political system incompatible with our values and dangerous to our survival.
As it relates to Islamic supremacists who have already obtained U.S. citizenship but have not broken any laws, Daniel explores true constitutional and prudent policies that will save western civilization and are indeed rooted in our history and tradition without violating the Bill of Rights.
Important quotes:
“Every society from a great nation down to a club had the right of declaring the conditions on which new members should be admitted, there can be room for no complaint.”~ Gouverneur Morris, at the Constitutional Convention in 1787[i]
"The jurisdiction of the nation within its own territory is necessarily exclusive and absolute. It is susceptible of no limitation not imposed by itself. Any restriction upon it deriving validity from an external source would imply a diminution of its sovereignty to the extent of the restriction and an investment of that sovereignty to the same extent in that power which could impose such restriction. All exceptions, therefore, to the full and complete power of a nation within its own territories must be traced up to the consent of the nation itself. They can flow from no other legitimate source." ~ Chief Justice Marshall 1812 [ii]
Importing the Values of the Middle East
The Senate’s final act before recess? More immigration from the Middle East!
7 Constitutional Steps to Protect the Homeland Against Islamic Jihad
Muslim reformist, Dr. Zhudi Jasser’s open letter to the media on ignoring true moderate Muslims
[i] Gouverneur Morris, “Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787,” Elliot’s Debates, vol. V, as republished on the Teaching American History website, http://teachingamericanhistory.org/ratification/elliot/vol5/0809_1787/.
Morris’s importance as a founder is best captured by Madison’s claim that the actual text of the Constitution “fairly belongs to the pen of Mr. Morris.” Max Farrand, “The Framing Of The Constitution Of The United States,” (Kindle Location 1744). Kindle Edition.
[ii] The Exchange v. McFaddon, 11 U.S. 136 (1812).
Reports are saying that Mike Pence, Governor of Indiana, is Donald Trump's pick for Vice President. While Joe doesn't necessarily think it is a done deal, Daniel says it doesn't matter because a VP pick doesn't matter at all.
Daniel and Joe break down the report, explain what it means (if anything) that Pence is the pick, and how conservatives should think about this pick and all other #Veepstakes.
Daniel poses an infuriating, but important question. It isn't that he thinks they would be better, it is that he questions whether we need things to get worse to shock the system.
The question is debated, and the answer he gives may surprise you.