海角大神

GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump has run the craziest and most turbulent political campaign in US history. His erratic behavior, personal antics, and controversial comments have frustrated and infuriated many potential voters.聽

This sentiment isn鈥檛 just held by the political left. There are numerous right-leaning individuals who don鈥檛 believe Trump is either a conservative or Republican. His skepticism about existing trade deals, opposition to the Iraq War, occasional praise for totalitarian leaders, and eagerness to attack fellow Republicans has baffled most small 鈥渃鈥� conservatives (including me) on a near-daily basis.聽 聽

Phyllis Schlafly, Ed Martin and Brett M. Decker want to end the debate as to whether Trump is a real or faux conservative. In The Conservative Case for Trump, these three right-leaning media figures attempt to prove 鈥渉e could be the most conservative president we鈥檝e had since Ronald Reagan.鈥� That鈥檚 a mighty tall order to accomplish in a paperback-size hardcover volume about a presidential candidate who has disappointed as many conservatives as the Gipper inspired. Yet, the authors try their best to prop up their preferred candidate on a pedestal 鈥� which, alas, is already missing two legs and is about to lose its third and final one.聽

There鈥檚 also some historical importance. This is the last book authored by Schlafly, the prominent conservative activist who successfully campaigned against the Equal Rights Amendment. (She passed away two days before its release.) Most passages are written in the first person, and her hope was this final work, 鈥渢he culmination ... of more than seventy years of active involvement in Republican politics,鈥� would change the hearts and minds of 鈥渨ell-meaning conservatives鈥� who 鈥渇ind Trump puzzling or even offensive.鈥�

"The Conservative Case for Trump" includes 10 chapters that examine Trump鈥檚 political agenda, including his fight against illegal immigration, his rejection of political correctness, his call for a more muscular military and to fix Social Security. These policy positions, along with several interviews conducted with the Republican presidential candidate, are supposed to help put the Right鈥檚 mind at ease.

Indeed, there鈥檚 some information that will soothe some conservative hearts.聽

For instance, the authors note Trump 鈥渋s famously political incorrect鈥� and isn鈥檛 one 鈥渢o let his voice be stifled.鈥� While they acknowledge he 鈥渟ometimes respond to insults in kind, or says something poorly worded or clumsy that we wish he hadn鈥檛,鈥� their position is that, 鈥渁t a bare minimum he cuts through the fog of political correctness that blinds even many conservatives.鈥�

Trump also wants a 鈥渘ew foreign policy that addresses today鈥檚 threats鈥� and opposes radical Islamic terror. The US 鈥渘eeds to go back to basics with a more clear-eyed vision of what is truly in America鈥檚 national interests.鈥� As well, the authors are pleased 鈥淭rump will appoint conservatives to the Supreme Court who understand that their limited role is simply to make sure the Constitution is being faithfully executed and not to re-engineer society as the progressive Left sees fit.鈥澛� 聽

Unfortunately, Trump is far from being a true blue conservative. He holds positions that conservatives would be hard-pressed to support.聽

His opposition to illegal immigration (which is valid) is tainted by his preposterous call to build a wall with Mexico 鈥� and make them pay for it. Descriptions of Trump being a 鈥渘ationalist鈥� who 鈥渨ants American jobs to be held by American workers鈥� has a more suitable home in the anti-globalization movement. The book also tackles the 鈥淸b]ad trade deals that sell out American workers,鈥� one of Trump鈥檚 favorite hobby horses, noting 鈥渢he far-reaching TPP is the granddaddy of all rotten trade deals鈥� and 鈥淣AFTA is the deadbeat dad who always makes promises but never delivers on them.鈥�

Meanwhile, isolationist rhetoric seeps out with his stance to 鈥渘ot waste American lives in pointless wars of 鈥榥ation-building.鈥欌�� There鈥檚 an odd description of Trump being 鈥渕ore of a foreign policy 鈥榬ealist鈥� in that he believes that we should always put America鈥檚 national interests first and that we should be weary of wars to promote democracy.鈥� It鈥檚 also difficult to defend the position that he 鈥渄eserves the vote of every pro-life, pro-religious freedom conservative鈥� after a long history on the pro-choice side, his questionable family values, and sensationalist sexual exploits.

Schlafly, Martin, and Decker are intelligent writers and thinkers. Unfortunately, their book can鈥檛 remove the varnish from the painful truth: Trump鈥檚 ideology is an amalgam of right-leaning and left-leaning ideas. That鈥檚 why many conservatives don鈥檛 trust him 鈥� and why a growing number can鈥檛 support his faltering campaign any longer. 聽 聽 聽

Michael Taube, a Troy Media syndicated columnist and Washington Times contributor, was a speechwriter for former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.