The Republican Turncoats

By Stephen Moore I asked a successful businessman the other day what he thought about Donald Trump. He turned his thumb down. Wow. Are you going to vote for Hillary? I asked with trepidation. Of course not he replied almost insulted by the question. I understand the concept of a binary decision. I got a similar response when I asked oil magnate T. Boone Pickens whether he would vote for Trump. He looked at me with a quizzical expression and replied: Well who else is there to vote for? Right. Who else is there? Yet amazingly a caucus of lifelong Republican politicos in Washington are announcing to the world with defiance and self-righteousness that they will vote for Hillary Clinton. They are mostly former Mitt Romney and George W. Bush operatives. They lost and now they want people to believe that their anti-Trumpism is a principled act of heroism. They ingratiate themselves to The New York Times Washington Post and team Clinton -- the sworn enemies of free markets and conservative values. Somehow this doesnt offend their moral compass. I certainly dont mean to disparage conservatives who say they wont vote for Trump. Ones vote is a matter of personal conscience. But to actively support Clinton is to put the other teams jersey on and then run a lap around the stadium. Its worth examining the case of the Republicans for Clinton because none of the arguments make much sense. First many say that Trump cant win that its hopeless. These are the same political geniuses who a year ago assured us that Trump could never win a primary (he won most of them) then that he couldnt win 50 percent of the vote (he did) then that he couldnt win 50 percent outside of New York (he did) then that he couldnt win a majority of the delegates (he did). On every occasion the Trump haters were wrong. How about a little humility since they are batting 0.00? The Trump cant win mantra isnt just wrong; its subversive. Of course he can win. He is running against Hillary Clinton for goodness sakes. So why do they say this? Because the never-Trumpers want Trump to lose because he is to the political class (Republicans and Democrats) the disruptor that Uber is to taxicab drivers. Second is the complaint by some economists that Trump cant be supported because he is not for free trade. Longtime Washington insider Vin Weber reportedly has said: The world economic order and the Republican Party would be all in shambles if Trump wins. I think markets would collapse. Really? Hillary Clinton flip-flops every day on free trade so why is it that only Trump would cause a recession? He doesnt get that the Trump movement is a revolt against the world order. Meanwhile Trump is calling for the biggest tax cuts and reforms since Reagan. He supports massive regulatory relief and school choice. Trump wants to kill Obamacare. On energy Trump wants a pro-America drilling policy. Clinton wants to soak the rich increase the debt stop energy development expand entitlements and double down on Obamacare. How is this a difficult choice for a free marketeer? Third the Trump haters say we must throw Trump under the bus and concentrate on saving the Senate and House. This is a foolhardy strategy because one cant win without the other. As economist Donald Luskin puts it in his historical analysis of presidential races and Senate gains: It is clear from history that the House and the Senate move in the same party direction as the White House and with the same magnitude. That means the presidential candidate is like a boat that congressional candidates are riding on. Its really stupid to torpedo that boat. Finally there is the view expressed by Bret Stephens my former colleague at The Wall Street Journal who wants to make sure Trump is the biggest loser in presidential history so that we can rebuild the conservative movement. If Obama/Clinton win a third straight presidential race there wont be a conservative movement left to rebuild. The Republicans will move to the left. Worse for Obama to effectively win a third term will validate all of the destructive policies of the last eight years. This will be one of the greatest victories for liberal governance of all time. Do the never-Trumpers want to facilitate that? Do they want to hand the left its greatest victory for liberal governance of all time? If they do they are the unforgivable betrayers of conservative principles.