John Hayward Absolutely Nails the Stakes of 2020, Conservatism, and Donald Trump

President Donald Trump arrives with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Attorney General William Barr to speak about the census in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, Thursday, July 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

As we deal with impeachment fever, the coming election, and the absolute insanity coming from the Democratic party, all these different factors have left gaping holes between most conservatives and the beltway class that claims the same general ideology. Obsessions over decorum vs. results have become the major dividing line. When Trump cussed at his rally the other night, I didn’t even have to open Twitter to know exactly who would rush to virtue signal their disapproval. Other’s simply didn’t care because they see a far more dangerous threat from the Democratic party in 2020 than Trump’s filthy mouth.

The differences seem almost not reconcilable at this point, with some former conservative icons like George Will actively stumping for a Democrat victory. It’s no coincidence that people like Will have the least to lose in that scenario.

That leads me to this thread Mollie Hemingway shared yesterday. It’s written by John Hayward and perfectly captures the angst and thinking behind much of the support for Trump.

I’m going to lay it all out here to digest.

We hear a lot of nasty cracks from that crowd about religious conservative voters selling their souls to support Trump. Let them explain how conservative purity requires handing the country over to the left-wingers who just spent all night vowing to destroy religious freedom.

— John Hayward (@Doc_0) October 11, 2019

It’s not just a religious freedom issue, either. Criticize Trump however you like, but he isn’t aggressively trying to use the power of the State to forcibly remake the electorate. His most aggressive uses of executive power have been efforts to PREVENT others from doing so.

— John Hayward (@Doc_0) October 11, 2019

I’ll cut in here to say this is exactly correct. While NE corridor conservatives thumb their noses up at those icky evangelicals (and Christians in general who support Trump), they never stopped to consider the actual realities at play. The “culture wars” are not a new thing and conservatives got their clock cleaned during the Obama years. It’s only gotten worse under Trump, as trans issues and the absolute insanity of the LGBTQ lobby have taken hold.

Christians didn’t vote for Trump and don’t support Trump now because they are hypocrites. They are doing it for self-survival. We just had a 2020 Democrat candidate vow to punish churches who don’t support same-sex marriage. Not only that, everyone in the audience cheered wildly at the idea. Not a single legacy media outlet pushed back, nor did any of the other candidates.

There is never going to be a line. They are never going to stop. That’s why so many saw Trump winning, and by virtue saving the courts, as so important. George Will may not be affected, but millions of Americans feel that weight.

Let’s continue.

This is the core reason for “conserving” anything. Conservatism is not thoughtless, stubborn resistance to new ideas. It is determined resistance against the use of force to make people kneel to ideas they disagree with. It is respect for the sovereign individual.

— John Hayward (@Doc_0) October 11, 2019

If you’re not ready to do whatever it takes to protect the Bill of Rights, the 1st and 2nd Amendments – and that VERY CLEARLY requires defeating the Democrat candidate in 2020 by all means necessary – then in what sense are you an American “conservative?”

— John Hayward (@Doc_0) October 11, 2019

Exactly. Conservatism isn’t just a “principle” or ideology. It’s the act of actually trying to conserve something. Any Republican that is actively throwing the game because they suppose it makes them moral or virtuous isn’t conserving anything. Perhaps they can feel some personal good about that, but they also don’t get to obscure the realities of their decisions.

Everyone is disgusted with the NBA kowtowing to Communist China right now. Well, there isn’t much difference in principle between Beijing and the Democrats on the topic of political supremacy over religion and individual conscience. The ChiComs are more brutal and efficient.

— John Hayward (@Doc_0) October 11, 2019

All that snark about “but muh judges” reflects the same basic misunderstanding of the situation. Yes, it matters VERY MUCH to the future, indeed the very survival, of conservatism that Donald Trump has been appointing and nominating all those judges, not Hillary Clinton.

— John Hayward (@Doc_0) October 11, 2019

There’s no better evidence for this than how much conservatives have continued to lose the culture wars no matter who is President. The judiciary is the last line of defense. There is no backup plan, no valient media riding in on a white horse to finally sway public opinion in a fair way. So some anti-Trump conservatives can “muh judges” all they want. It’s those judges that will ensure we have even a fighting chance over the next several decades.

Again, the left are not going to stop. It’s just a few years ago that it was considered a conspiracy theory to think Democrats might strip churches of tax exemption over teaches on homosexuality. How’s that worked out? Heck, we’ve went from “we aren’t going to take your guns” to “we support federal confiscation programs” in a matter of months.

Our elections are binary choices. Wishing it were not so and fantasizing about third-party ideological crusades does not change that reality. Your choice in 2020 will be between totalitarianism and whoever the GOP candidate is. The Dems are making that painfully clear.

— John Hayward (@Doc_0) October 11, 2019

But once the candidates are chosen, your choices are either using all of your conservative intellect and energy to defeat the Democrat, or endorsing the use of raw government force to inflict mortal wounds on conservatism. Defense doesn’t get to sit out red-zone plays.

— John Hayward (@Doc_0) October 11, 2019

I’m a lifelong reader of conservative publications, a fan of some people that will not like what I’ve written here. And I tell you: if you aren’t willing to fight to conserve the most basic of American rights, I’m not that interested in hearing what you DO want to conserve. /end

— John Hayward (@Doc_0) October 11, 2019

The problem is that there are a sizable amount of conservative influencers who’ve grown fat and happy in the Acela Corridor that are perfectly fine with their profession becoming even more niche. They think they can ride the lightening and come out unscathed on the other end. I think they are mistaken.

Look, at this point, what Hayward is saying wont move the needle with these people, but it still needs to be said. If they want to sit on the sidelines, fine. What they don’t get to do is work to get a Democrat elected and then rejoin the party in 2021 as thought leaders. They don’t get to pretend the consequences they are cheering on don’t actually exist. They will have no grounds to complain about anything the left does and as I’ve said now three times, the left are not going to stop.

If you are going to go out on Twitter and wring your hands over that CNN LGTBQ+ whatever town hall last week, then you should be ready to do something to stop it from becoming a reality. If you aren’t, then you aren’t conserving anything. You are just keeping faux religious tenants.

Battles don’t wait for you to feel good enough to fight them and 2020 is a battle that is coming. Pick a side.

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