I’m not the type to “let things go.” But I’m also not someone that can hold onto a grudge for very long. That seems contradictory. It’s not.
It means I’m the kind of person that acts impulsively and then regrets it later. If I was put into isolation for a few days I’d come out not really caring about the issue I went in with.
I was watching a youtube video while a television show was on in the background- Jon Glaser Loves Gear. (The show stinks.) The episode was about settling a score. His wife told him to “let it go.” He said, “Glasers don’t let things go.”
In fact, he had a blackboard in the kitchen with the credo written on it. On the show, Glaser’s character is a douchebag. (Not my assessment, it’s the show’s intent.) So, the message was, people who can’t let go of things are douchebags.
They may have a point.
Coincidentally, I was watching a video by Dana Loesch (who, oddly, I have reason to have a grudge against) where she spoke about the need for a unification behind Trump. This was surprising since she has been so vocally anti-Trump.
While all this was going on I was invited into a conversation on Twitter. Michelle’s Big Beaver included me on a thread with Ben Howe – one of the biggest NeverTrump proponents one could point to.
Sometimes you learn from yourself just as you’re writing it, like you are simultaneously the teacher and the student. That was the case here—>
People act like #NeverTrump’s “bet” was Trump wouldn’t win & now we have no credibility. Our “bet” was that he’d be an awful president. – Ben Howe
My replies:
@BenHowe- Not really interested in the past. Interested in seizing the opportunity to use Trump to propel an agenda that the right wants.
@BenHowe- It’s not productive to wallow in a vendetta, a self-serving mission with an endgame that allows u to say “I told you I was right.”
@BenHowe- best plan is acceptance, extract as much value as we can from the pres. That’ll take more than malignant contrarianism. Refocus.
~~~~~~~~~
I think going forth I am going to be gracious, I’m going to listen to BigFurHat, after all, Trump won.
The ball will be in their court.
I will let it go, for now, for the sake of focusing on what is important – advocating for our agenda and using Trump as the vehicle.
Will NeverTrump do the same?
Only time will tell. But if they are as smart as they claim to be, they will coalesce around Trump and try and seize on an opportunity that wouldn’t exist with Hillary in office. It’s wiser than pining for a different outcome while playing the smartass on the periphery for the next 4 years.
I’ll update if /when Howe responds.
Except Glenn Beck. That S.O.B. can go whack off.
Ben Howe is a fucking asshole. He’s like the most annoying, one-track-mind aspergers case you’d never want to get stuck in a conversation with. He’s utterly obsessed with NeverTrump. Functionally stupid due to his pride issues.
Forgive,Don’t Forget. and that doesn’t mean letting them back into your life or hearing what they have to say.
They Will fuck you again.
I’m willing to be the one that gladly accepts the past for what it was and to forge a path, with unity going forward.
Let’s see what they do.
So no more Menderman?
Great idea
@BFH, laudable sentiments and mirror mine by and large but I wouldn’t expect much help from those who have made the choice to be NTrs. They have made their political construct with much fanfare and certainty and I doubt if they will easily abandon it. At best I think we can expect neutrality if not downright hostility and obstruction from the more rabid NT types. So true that “I told you so” is not a logical end game but it is what these types live for and it’s all they have right now. Maybe they’ll come around after seeing a few months of sane choices and good governance by DJT but I doubt it. I suspect they’ll remain in the peanut gallery with the lefties jeering and criticizing every move he makes. He’ll declare the sky blue and they will be scrambling for a microphone to show the world 50 ways he’s wrong. The left will fete them and that’s where they will find their succor. I’ll work with them, sure, but they are not to be trusted until they fully demonstrate they can indeed be trusted. In my mind, they are lumped in the category of progs, possibly salvageable. RINOs that have made an open break towards the left and probably won’t be coming back. Move on. If they catch up, fine, otherwise leave them in the dust. We have much work to do and precious little time.
I, myself, am not ready for reconciliation with fake-conservative, Hillary-supporting #NeverTrumpers. They’ve said a lot of rude, nasty, hateful things. Maybe one day… but not now.
“Let’s see how they react first.”
Personally, these a§$h*les can first un-ban me from all their sites before I lift any “grudge.” They can kiss my a§$.
Overall, they are NOT to be trusted.
They have ZERO credibility.
The onus is 100% ON THEM to demonstrate
they are anything but traitorous scum.
And “yes, but” IS NOT acceptable.
TO Fur
I gues you haven’t seen recent articles
from RedState, Resurgent and SooperMexican.
They HAVEN’T LET UP…even after the victory.
They need to be marginalized, if not mocked and crushed.
People act like #NeverTrump’s “bet” was Trump wouldn’t win & now we have no credibility. Our “bet” was that he’d be an awful president.
* * *
Umm…is that actually true, though? People like me said Trump couldn’t be trusted *but* we’d vote for him anyway, and did. THEY opposed him even getting in AT ALL, to the point that one I’ve known a long time on another site (a leftist moby, I now believe) said he voted for Clinton and I believe him. He wasn’t the only NT who said he would.
Trump is in so it’s your call how to deal with them. Maybe some in the NT crowd are changing their minds. But are you sure Howe isn’t trying to reframe history on you with that comment? If he is, it’s disingenuous and a sign he still can’t be trusted.
I have Irish alzheimer’s and forget everything but a good grudge and will continue to do so…
“People act like #NeverTrump’s “bet” was Trump wouldn’t win & now we have no credibility. Our “bet” was that he’d be an awful president.” – Ben Howe
Said like the truly duplicitous, chutzpah-filled scum #NTers are.
In fact, they repeatedly WROTE how “awful” Trump was, in an effort to ensure that Trump was not elected. THEN, after failing at that, they say their words actually had no objective, no goal.
OH, REALLY?!??!
So, they just wanted to piss in the wind, and tell us it’s raining?!?
Fuck ’em. Fuck ’em hard and endlessly.
#NT’s central argument was that Trump couldn’t win against clinton. For any one of them to say that wasn’t their beef is a flat out lie and switching it up to “he’ll be an awful president” is just their way of not admitting they were wrong on their first basic judgement of him. Now it looks like they’re buying time and will do everything they can to make him seem like an awful president. Some people simply cannot admit they were wrong and will do everything to preserve their own sense of their rightness. What a crazy game that is — unproductive in the extreme. And what is this thing about using Trump to further their agenda? Haven’t we had enough, already, in this country and culture of special interests, monied or not? Why can’t they just live and let others live? This business of thinking you have all the answers and everyone else is too stupid to understand all the nuance and importance of stuff is what the Left does.
You’re a bigger man then me Fur-these assholes were actually willing have Hillary become president. That would have been the end of the country as she would have stomped the petal to the metal allowing millions more aliens to enter this country. MILLIONS dude.
You can abide a Lindsey Graham, a GD fucking REPUBLICAN senator, openly saying he didn’t vote for the party’s nominee??? A Sweaty Thumb going off the rails every day? Ted Cruz seeing the light 1 week before the election? Fuck each and every one of them. They and the millions more then either sat this one out or voted for someone else are so fucking stupid, I have as much use for them as a flat out Hillary supporter.
If she had been elected, she would have been RUTHLESS to us. I want to see the same GD thing laid on our enemies.
I got no forgiveness in me for that.
#NT needs to enroll in a civics class. Maybe we all need to have a better understanding of how to act in America — we sure seem decided on how immigrants should act. Had a conversation with Van Der Luen today about this. A week or so ago he had a piece in his sidebar about making our own selves ‘great again’, our families ‘great again.’ John Adams said that our gov’t was designed and possible only for a morally upright people willing to treat each other with regard. Franklin said, “A republic, if you can keep it.” #NT sounds more and more like the spoiled brat child in the family who keeps everyone else on eggshells; the kid we have to love because he’s ours but, boy!, do we love it when he’s at summer camp!
“It means I’m the kind of person that acts impulsively and then regrets it later. If I was put into isolation for a few days I’d come out not really caring about the issue I went in with.”
Totally get that Fur. I’d say it’s pretty much the way I am. And I think you are right to want to let go of the past and move forward to advance the cause. While not all NT’s will do the same, I think there are a fair amount that will. That said, guys like Glenn Beck and George Will are dead to me.
Of course, if Trump had lost, I’d be out for blood. 😉
Treat them like trolls or wild animals, don’t feed them.
Trump should tell them all NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN or YOUR FIRED!
#NTers are the epitome of of pathetic and repulsive. I won’t be trusting or heeding the advice of any of them ever in the near future. They wish to remain relevant which is why now they’ve switched it from, ‘HE’LL NEVER BE PRESIDENT.’ to ‘I SAID THAT HE’S GOING TO BE A TERRIBLE PRESIDENT.’ The #nevertrumpers can lie and lie, but alas, the internet keeps things in check. We have our ‘receipts’, and will not be forgetting any time soon.
A final thought (maybe not): Ben Howe’s statement about not having any credibility is exactly right. He knows it, we know it. He can’t change it with weasel words.
Fur, There’s a big difference between being a tee vee character who is a douche and someone who took up their sword and shield (of righteousness) and did battle every day against the forces of the #NT evil. It’s not a grudge to stand watch on the wall.
I won’t hold grudges but I won’t trust them either. Some have poor judgment while others have evil intent.
They’ve proven to be useful idiots which means that they will always be useless to me.
Another thought on the *obvious*…so Mr Howe,
saying Trump will make a awful President
is supposed to make me want to trust you?
ESAD
And to Dana Loesch, who says Trump and his supporters
*need* “conservatives” like them, I say:
Please shove your over-inflated self-worth
waaay up you’re a§$, you traitorous scum.
not me fur!
never forgive never forget!
they will turn on you on a dime next time they find in convenient.
they were for the status quo not making America Great Again!
I have nothing in common and will not lower myself to accept them back to anything.
you don’t like trump and America get out!
There have been a plethora of sites I have removed from my favorites list, sure to be more.
They lost the battle for my mouse clicks, that’s about as vindictive as I can get.
Say good night Gracie.
Can’t we eviscerate Bill crystal just as an example ?
Vendettas require time. That’s too much distraction to waste on what’s dead to me.
What has happened is a significant Battle was won, if you believe they think the War is over I suggest you find a safe space away from the front lines.
Those who declared themselves as enemies early and often have not changed. As soon as they recoup their audience and have your trust and confidence, they’ll lay anti-trump/conservative land mines on your path and blow your ass away.
The War continues, don’t be like Obama and allow the self identified radical enemies to migrate within your gates.
How can you trust the judgment of anyone who showed such terrible judgment about a supremely consequential matter? Answer: you can’t, and you shouldn’t. That doesn’t mean you should attack them, but it does mean you should be vigilant for another display of poor judgment and not to collaborate with them in any future endeavors.
People act like #NeverTrump’s “bet” was Trump wouldn’t win & now we have no credibility. Our “bet” was that he’d be an awful president. – Ben Howe
You guys don’t have any “credibility” you were willing to have crooked Hillary win. The people wanted Trump not Jeb, Marco, Ted or anybody else! You arrogant prick!
There are only about twenty of them after Tuesday. The people who lent them an ear all last year by and large deserted them on election night. They have diminished their credibility and influence through their own words and actions. As they rewrite their history and their stated goals, we should be civil as we gently beat them about the head and shoulders with their own words. And Evan McMullin. That tawdry little stunt is going to be hard to forget.
And we don’t have to patronize their media outlets. A good dose of obscurity and irrelevance might be the best tonic for nevertrumpers.
I don’t think #nevertrump would be so gracious. They were ready to excoriate and destroy anyone that voted for Trump for the next 4 years. Is Katich still doing his speech today? He believed Trump would lose and his brilliant public McCain stunt vote was going to put him into perfect position to win 2020.
We can be better people then them but my problem is they were fine allowing the destruction of this country, possibly a war with Russia, all so they could say ‘see we told you so’ and grab back the reigns of power. Is that really forgivable?! Never forget.
Allllll great comments. Each and every one.
I particularly like this one —>
Vendettas require time. That’s too much distraction to waste on what’s dead to me.
I think that’s what I’m trying to say. (Remember, I openly admit I’m trying to be open-minded and learn because I feel like my first instincts, to crush them with every fiber of my being, might be counterproductive.) I don’t think I have the time or will to focus on the Ben Howes when they chatter in the periphery about their great prescience and wisdom every time Trump has a future malaprop.
Don’t mistake this for Kumbaya weakness and that we are going to skip through a field of daffodils together. I’m just saying to get to my ends I should explore other means.
If Loesch is saying that she is willing to change her attitude and work with Trump rather than to continue being a roadblock with a shitty attitude, than I can be cordially open to allowing that to happen.
Doesn’t mean I won’t remember the past and who was who when we were at the crossroads.
It’s good to let go of things when you can. However, always keep in mind those famous words of Mammy Yokum (I believe that’s who “said” them):
“Hate is good, for without it there is no joy in revenge”.
Just kidding. I think.
🙂
Those who still aren’t on the attack mode, writing such things as “Trump already said FU to his supporters in his acceptance speech,” are whining :he can’t unite us with his 100 day plan or he needs us.”
I for one was fed up with them during the primaries and now they can either get on board or go to hell.
When National Review has its entire staff write essays on why they were so wrong about Trump, let me know. That would go a long way toward reconciliation.
Fur and anonymous, it’s only a “distraction”
until the moment they start undermining Trump’s efforts…
…which I expect them to do starting in about 5 seconds.
Never slam the door behind you.
Never burn the bridge you may later need.
Don’t piss in your own cereal.
Don’t sit with your back towards an open door.
The #NeverTrumpers will always be #NeverTrumpers, but now they will be opportunistic #NeverTrumpers. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Honesty is a rare commodity – honor even more rare.
“Trust – but Verify”
izlamo delenda est …
People act like #NeverTrump’s “bet” was Trump wouldn’t win & now we have no credibility. Our “bet” was that he’d be an awful president. – Ben Howe.
It would now seem, according to their own words, that they have to do all in their power to prove they were right by undermining, sabotaging and continually badmouthing President Trump!
ThirdTwin, I was thinking the same: even someone like Larry Sabato (polling guy) has more dignity and grace! He came on TV and said, PLAIN-OUT: “I was wrong, I blew it.” Not holding my breath of the #NTers.
CoD — Was Sabato the one who said “I don’t have egg on my face, I have a whole omelette on my face!”?
Fuck em
“People act like #NeverTrump’s “bet” was Trump wouldn’t win & now we have no credibility. Our “bet” was that he’d be an awful president. – Ben Howe”
Ah, we are at the shifting the goalpost stage. Leftist tactic, yup.
“If Loesch is saying that she is willing to change her attitude and work with Trump rather than to continue being a roadblock with a shitty attitude, than I can be cordially open to allowing that to happen.”
How very noble of Dana to bend down and ‘work’ with President Trump. Jeeze, does she have any idea how arrogant she sounds? Sure, she’s one of the The People, too, but she sounds a little more equal than the rest of us, yes? I’d like to hear her say she’s going to work ‘for’ America first, with no expectation of pay back. Maybe that’s what we all need to do — you get out what you put in.
People act like #NeverTrump’s “bet” was Trump wouldn’t win & now we have no credibility. Our “bet” was that he’d be an awful president. – Ben Howe
He’s lying. You don’t have to go to war with them but I certainly won’t be dignifying them with any pretense that they derserve any respect. They were part of the problem, and there is no walking that back. I unapologetically have zero respect for liberals and #NT.
Cato hit the nail on the head.
“Those who declared themselves as enemies early and often have not changed. As soon as they recoup their audience and have your trust and confidence, they’ll lay anti-trump/conservative land mines on your path and blow your ass away.”
Beware.
Mr. Hat I would trust the comments and the wisdom of the people at iOTW to help you make a judgement about how to treat the NT crowd, some pretty smart people hang out here.
If it is not in their own best intrest they will go out of there way to scuttle anything that Trump tries to do
Remember these are the people who wanted to start impeachment proceedings as soon as he took office.
They are all dead to me.
#NTers have proved themselves worthless. I feel it is not my place to change for them. I offer the #NTers the opportunity to correct their course. I will not refuse the apology or their attempts to right the wrongs of harmful actions taken in the past. There will be no favorable actions for them nor harm from me. “Unite with the Trump movement or go away and shut-up” – Jagpald
Remember when we were worried that the #NTers would contribute to an election loss. They didn’t, we won without them or despite them, so f them.
It’s time for the nevertrumpers to come home. We’ve got serious work to do.
We gave Obama a chance (twice) now they can give Trump a chance. Fair play.
TO AA
Yep. Sabato said that!
§§§
General observation: I guess we should be grateful thise QUISLINGS have outed themselves…to know “how much rope” to offer them….
“I’ve made a decision to not go to war with NeverTrump”
BIG MISTAKE. By doing so you legitimize their position. They’re not going to make any attempt to be constructive. They turn into little sniping critics. If you watched FOX this morning you would see that it’s already happening.
I learned this lesson long ago in a couple management positions. And I’m a slow learner so I attempted the “hey, we’re all one team” routine not once but twice. FUCK EM. Exclude them, keep your attack up on them.
AA
“Was Sabato the one who said “I don’t have egg on my face, I have a whole omelette on my face!”?
He was. But the thing is he knew his models were wrong from the get go. Sacrificing his credibility for the greater good meant nothing to him. Check him out on Wikapedia and you’ll find he’s a big LIB from way back.
I don’t think you should fear that I’m going soft.
There are lots of readers that email me and we talk, and they can come forward if they wish to confirm what I’m about to write.
I had plans to deal with NT after the election, and it was going to be scorched earth.
After Trump’s victory I backed away for a cooling period.
I didn’t even write a single Suck My D8Ck on social media.
Having 24 hours to reflect, I feel that it is not worth my scarce resources to go to war with these people. Once started it will never end and it will fog my real agenda – to get to work making sure we get what we want out of this wonderful opportunity.
I’ve made the decision to accept the Dana Loesches who say they want to be productive.
I’m interested in seeing that happen. I really am.
Doesn’t mean I won’t hesitate to go after any other particular moron who emerges as the insolent, relentless drum beater who seeks to sink Trump before day one. I just won’t have a blanket policy to keep hammering NT as a movement like I did prior to the election.
Funny, people said I was too obsessed with them before the election, now I’m getting the sense that people might be disappointed that I’m not going to pay enough attention to them post-election.
(BTW, Abigail’s point about Loesch’s smugness was so subtle and a great one.)
You’re a bigger man than me (taller that is)! They are ego protected, Teflon-coated, insufferably arrogant, self-absorbed smug-cunts pretending to occupy the moral high ground. They were completely aware as how they were being used by the left but pretended that they weren’t. I will never pass up an opportunity to kick them square in the teeth.
I wouldn’t work with Dana even if she wanted to get Reproductive.
Fur,
What’s a Date Check (D8Ck) and
why would you want someone to suck it?
😉
I have a better proposal…
Who?
Why is it that the principled right, which does not include the NTers, is always expected to hand out olive branches and “reach across the isle” when you just know that our opponents (Dems and NTers) will just spit in our faces?
I am not saying actively hold a grudge. I am saying let them come to us. We are the ones who one, after all.
TO RadioMattM
They only talk about “compromise” and “tolerance” and “aisle reaching” cr*p when THEY lose.
Otherwise, it’s “elections have consequences!”
You’re damn right I’m Holden A. Grudge.
And not only against #NT.
FUR, Here’s a NTer being constructive. They’re all sounding the same.
https://youtu.be/tMtEhcHR59E
Ive already had issues with the NeverTrump idiots last night on Twitter so I don’t see that happening any time soon/Some are too delusional to get over it
You’re a far better man than me, Gunga Fur.
I can hold a grudge forever. It’s easy, grudges usually hold me.
Trump won in part because at the last moment, every Never Trumper realized that, even with all his faults, Trump is infinitely better than Hillary, and voted for Trump.
Yet, everyone who did not enthusiastically support Trump from the beginning will be excommunicated from the GOP.
We always eat our own.
On a personal level, I’ve been wrong once (well, maybe twice) and I owned up to my mistake(s). (Honestly many more times).
I was cautiously forgiven, but my words and actions were under scrutiny for some time. Once my spoken remorse was matched by my actions and deeds, everything was forgiven (not forgotten).
I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to take ownership of my mistakes, apologize and move forward. I think everyone deserves an opportunity for the same consideration.
Does this mean that JohnS can come back now? He’s got some splainin’ to do.
@The Nerdest — You have no evidence to back that up. None. However, I have evidence that this battle was won by Trump volunteers and everyone in the blogosphere and all the endorsers and surrogates who put their reputations and personal resources on the line without reservation or regard for anything but the future of America. So you can just stop right there with your baseless opinion on this matter. #NT’s despicable lunacy just made our work that much harder.
For what it is worth, when Trump won the primary I took up the cause and made the arguments to all #nt that I had in my sphere. I know I swaded some and not others. I was ready to write them all off if he lost because I know Hillary would have been the death of the Republic.
Since the win the hold outs are a bit more humble and willing to listen. If they are willing to continue the fight against library’s I will extend them the warm hand of fellowship. The war is far from over and we need every person to hold the line.