The following is, if you will, the natural rebut to Jonah Goldberg's piece cited by Vigilant Warrior.
An Open Letter To Jonah Goldberg – RE: The GOP and Donald Trump | The Last Refuge
Cliffnotes- There is then a certain irony on making Trump the deciding factor on whether or not one belongs in a movement when there are a good deal of Republicans, currently in high positions of governance, who openly fight conservatives and the advancement of conservative ideals. Are they not more worthy of criticism? Are those with open connections to them not worthy of the same sort of vetting process conservatives propose for Trump?
I will hold my own commentary in favor of what the author is saying, as he has an awful lot of good to say.
I temper my support of what he is saying in this article in the same way I temper my largely positive view of Trump's candidacy- when choosing someone to enact a
conservative vision as President is it not important to vet their qualifications for both standing for said principles and enacting them(enacting includes getting elected)? If our goal is restoration of the Constitution as the law of the land, should we not choose a man who has a record of respecting and standing up for the spirit of the law? If we exchange a passive species of moderate for an active, volatile species, are we really better off?
These are important questions, but the conservative commentator class has yet to address them satisfactorily. Voters read the multitude of anti-Trump pieces as "My toys are broken, here is my tirade in response. The world hates me." Which is not far off. Furthermore, they see the call for "specifics" as a sham given the fact candidates are rarely held to such a scrutiny (though they should be). Also, few commentators have addressed the Trump, real or farcical, that voters meet at events.
Perhaps that is not he job of a commentator, but rather the duty of another candidate. Either way, when it comes to purity, they would be wise to consider the plank in eye of the GOP rather than the dust in Trump's. It could save the party and, more importantly, the nation.