This will be a Fodder 1st. This site has never been a depository that debates with specific published opinions of specific political pundits. There are so many. Where to begin. Where to end. So much prognostication. So little time. You vow now it won’t become a habit. One outspoken Conservative Purist is Erick Erickson. In his latest political torrent, he suggests a third party already exists in America. Theoretically, he’s on solid ground. But then, he willingly steps into the muck of journalistic deception to suit his agenda. (Erickson comments below in black; Fodder comments in red).

Many a conservative pundit and elected Republican official has expressed befuddlement at Trump’s success at winning over Republican party voters, in spite of not really standing for many conservative or Republican principles. The last time you checked, Trump’s positions  square with vital GOP principles. Maybe Erick forgot — the GOP hasn’t stood for its own principles. There is ample speculation, not to mention genuine preparation, that if Trump manages to secure the Republican nomination, conservatives will have to run a third party candidate in order to have someone who represents any of their principles on the ballots. Note he jumps from “many principles'”to “any principles.” Bingo. He says Trump doesn’t represent any Conservative principles. Essentially, he’s saying Trump conservatives are not True Conservatives. They don’t pass the test.. What these people miss is that the reason Donald Trump is winning is that a latent third party has long existed in America, (True) and Donald Trump has successfully consolidated it. (True) His next step, which he will attempt in July, is to hijack the existing infrastructure and ballot access of the Republican party and house this third party inside it. Hijack. Erickson chose that precise word. Trump will kidnap the GOP. Not win it, mind you. Steal it. Apparently, Erick doesn’t want anyone else to steal the GOP; he wants True Conservatives to steal and own it. Any country worth its salt will attempt to encourage loyalty to the homeland as a civic virtue. Regardless of the country, you will find many citizens within who will proudly profess that theirs is the greatest country on earth . . . . .As with all good things, some people inevitably take civic pride to excess . . . . some people turn that civic pride into an erroneous belief that any and all problems that plague their great homeland cannot be the fault of the homeland or its citizens, but must somehow be the fault of foreigners or outside influences that the government should be able to control. No one, not even the least informed, thinks that all of America’s problems are the fault of foreign influences. Erick must think ordinary people have zero common sense. But America does have significant foreign entanglements and influences. For starters, America has a foreign President (nothing to do with his birthplace), and he has surrounded himself with like-minded deputies.  Democrats (have) catered to half the concerns of …. voters by assailing free trade as an evil that shipped American jobs to foreign countries. Republicans catered to the other half by assailing illegal immigration as an evil that resulted in the loss of American jobs to foreign workers at home . . . .Enter Donald Trump, who for the first time preached to both of these concerns at once – and capitalized ruthlessly on the betrayal these voters felt at being looked down on by their respective political parties . . . .various polls have indicated that huge portions of his voting base are disaffected Democrats who are horrified at the thought of putting another Clinton in the WH . . . . There it is — the accusation — he capitalized ruthlessly.  As you recall, Trump preached against illegal immigration and its accompanying evils, and suggested the GOP was complicit and did in fact betray the people. You are left to assume that plain talk isn’t nice — in fact, it’s downright ruthless. You must also assume that Erickson believes Trump is hypnotizing millions of brain-dead zombies . . . .Trump has been having his butt handed to him at state party conventions where delegates are selected. . . . It’s just indicative of the fact that the vast majority of Trump’s supporters simply haven’t been involved ( in) the GOP in the way that Ted Cruz’s most dedicated supporters have been. He’s talking about himself, of course. People who support Cruz are much more likely, on average, to have been spending their time the last few years being involved with their state and local party, and getting to know the ins and outs of things. He’s talking about himself, of course. People who support Trump are much more likely, on average, to have been spending their time bitching aimlessly about both parties from their couches. You must admit, he has a point here. A few people — say, about 20 million — haven’t taken an active role in local or State politics. They are just people — working, raising families, paying taxes, aimlessly bitching. God save us, they don’t have the right to be stupid and vote for Trump when some, like Erick, have worked their butts off for True Conservative principles. Ted Cruz’s supporters tend to overwhelmingly be against illegal immigration . . . but for completely different reasons. Whereas Cruz supporters oppose illegal immigration because of an inherently conservative respect for the rule of law . . . Trump’s do so for more openly xenophobic and blame-related reasons. Erick is telling you that you’re xenophobic. You’re so shallow that the only reason you’re opposed to illegal immigration is because Trump has whipped you into a frenzy over illegal immigrant crime and violence. Get the rope. Let’s have a lynching.. . . . .Trump supporters oppose illegal immigration not because of the word “illegal,” but because immigrants make useful scapegoats for virtually every societal ill (including crime). This statement is a blanket assertion that proves Erickson’s determination to further a cause. This is fascist-style, rank propaganda. I have heard from some people within the GOP lately that they are considering just letting Trump have the nomination, in the hopes that he will get destroyed by Hillary in the general, and Trump’s voters will see that their hopes were in vain. Oh, this is an adult thought. You challenge Erick to prove how many people “he heard from.” You guess, maybe two. This is a foolish hope, and it should be abandoned immediately. If Trump loses, his loss will not be blamed on the rejection of his message by American voters, but on shadowy conspiracies . . . . If Trump loses, does Mr. Erickson believe that Ted Cruz and the “True Conservatives” could defeat Clinton The Liar without the mindless rabble that support Trump? You understand Erickson is devout and his hatred of Trump has moral underpinnings. That’s his choice. But, when the rubber meets the road, one thing is flat true — if the GOP establishment and True Conservatives do not join the Trump coalition of conservatives and “new” voters, Clinton will reign. Finally —  . . . .If (Trump) voters really are determined to force this implausible vision onto a political party, the GOP should at least force them to start their own infrastructure and forge their own way in terms of ballot access in all fifty states. Because the alternative is just to allow this latent third party to hijack their existing infrastructure for free, and toss the people who have built the party from the ground up out into the streets – all in the service of a man who a) isn’t conservative and b) will undoubtedly lose in landslide fashion. Mr. Erickson, sir, that says it all. It’s not fair for Trump and his crowd — outsiders — to replace the Establishment when they haven’t paid their dues. How dare they? You did all the work. It’s your Party. Time to take your ball and go home. The irreconcilable GOP is thus left with two losing scenarios. Trump wins nomination and the GOP Establishment stays home — Clinton wins. Cruz (or a white knight) wins nomination, Trump voters stay home — Clinton wins. Nobody blinks. Clinton wins. Nails on the blackboard.