Mostly I would say that my political views are strongly influenced by my religious beliefs. (I’m sure, however, that Orthodox Jews who are liberal would say the same thing. But I digress.) Point being that as a general rule I feel most at home among political conservatives. I might disagree with their views on some issues. but on the vast majority I agree with them and would like to see most conservative policies implemented.
So what does it mean to be a political conservative today? Well, for starters they are not what they once were. In 21st century America, political conservatives are no longer the exclusive domain of wealthy ‘blue-blood’ White Anglo Saxon Protestants (WASPs). Who looked down at minorities like blacks, Jews, and Hispanics (among others) as second class citizens. And thus excluded or severely limited them from being accepted to top tier universities, limiting them from having professional or political careers, advancing into leadership positions of major corporations and being barred from membership in upper crust country clubs and the like.
Today conservatives still consist of many WASPs - but also includes many Blacks, Jews, and Hispanics. One of whom is Senator Tim Scott, a black man running for the Republican nomination for president. With a relatively decent chance of getting the nod -if not for Trump. (More about that later.) The vast majority of Orthodox Jews tend to identify as conservatives nowadays too. The more the bible is factored into one’s political perspective the more one is inclined to be a conservative. This why for example that Evangelical Christians, too, are virtually all conservative. Republicans
The Republican Party is the home of political conservatism. I don’t think anyone would dispute that. This more true now than ever. The Democratic Party once had a conservative wing. But that has completely disappeared. Democrats - with few exceptions are almost all liberal. And just like the Republican party keeps moving more to the right the same thing can be said about Democrats in reverse - moving to the left. I think helps to explain the polarization that now characterizes the American people.
It also helps to explain why support for Israel among the Democrats has declined in recent years while support for Palestinians has increased. And why a once reticent to support Israel Republican Party is more supportive of Israel than they have ever been. More than Democrats once were more in more moderate times.
Here’s the problem for Conservatives. As things stand now, those of us that would like to see a conservative Republican become president in 2024 - are faced with the prospect of Republican nominee that many of us cannot support. No one can predict the future. But as things stand now, Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee. I am not going to go into the many reasons why he is not qualified (to say the least) to be president. I have done that many times. Suffice it to say that anyone that gets the kind of enthusiastic support from white supremacists - moving them to storm the Capital on his behalf - should not have a voice in determining foreign and domestic policy, let alone be president of the United States. Whether he is guilty of all of the things he was indicted for is almost irrelevant to this point. Guilty or not he is unfit. Period. End of conversation.
In my view those indictments all but insure that Trump will get the Republican nod. His MAGA supporters see those indictments as a political witch hunt and have rallied around their candidate – more determined than ever to support him. They like his confrontational style and his conservative policies (Even though Trump’s political philosophy can be summed up as pure Narcissism his polices have nonetheless been conservative.) They want all that back.
Observers of the political scene now see the Republican Party as the party of Trump. It’s hard to argue with that. The popularity he enjoys by his base all but assures his nomination. and that has led even Republican leaders that might secretly abhor him - to support him publicly, lest they alienate Trump’s base to the extent that they will lose the next election.
I’m sorry to say that these observers are probably right abut that. Which leaves political conservatives out in the cold. A party so divided that it will never be able to field a presidential candidate that can win in a general election.
That being said and as unlikely as it is for Trump to win the presidency, it’s possible. Which means he will likely to resume his conservative and pro Israel policies. While that might seem like a decent outcome, I could not disagree more. The price is too high.
The far more likely scenario is that Trump will lose badly. And the Republican Party will be destroyed. Which means that the increasingly liberal polices of Democrats will determine the direction of this country for decades to come. Conservatives will be marginalized at best and vilified at worst because of its identification with Trump and his MAGA base.
I hate to be a pessimist. But this is how I see politics in America today.
Ezeh Hu Chacham - who is the wise man? HaRoeh Es HaNoled - he who recognizes the consequences of their actions. That there are so many intelligent (and not so intelligent) people that do not see the consequences of supporting Trump leading to an increasingly liberal domestic and foreign policy in this country, makes them their own worst enemy.
Just sayin’