It’s time to state the obvious. The 2016 Presidential primary is in the short rows. if you believe the smart money, Trump and Clinton will face off in November. You have to laugh. Millions of people hate Trump and millions hate Clinton. Your legendary insight concludes, therefore, that millions of people will despise the next POTUS. Guaranteed. You’re not qualified to define the haters — who they are and what makes them tick; but you can venture opinions that are worth — well, you know what they’re worth.

Trump Haters.

Millions of very nice people hate Trump. These are decent, God-loving, honest folks who don’t curse, who believe in the Golden Rule, who don’t appreciate crude, coarse and smutty language and who condemn him because he doesn’t condemn abortion and same-sex marriage.  Millions of African Americans hate Trump because he’s a filthy rich, old, white man who hasn’t promised them a thing and may just end their free lunch. Millions of illegal Hispanics hate Donald because he wants to send them back across the border and millions of legal Hispanics hate him because they think he belittles them. A bunch of corporate fat cats, Washington DC fat cats and Media fat cats hate him because he promises to put an end to cronyism, influence peddling and corruption — essentially, their exclusive livelihood. Washington bureaucrats hate him because he says he would reduce the size of government. Millions of women hate Trump because they judge him a chauvinistic pig — a loutish, tactless oaf. And the LGBT crowd detests the man because they assume he will not pander to their political tactics. All of these people hate Donald Trump for who he is and what he says — not for anything he’s done.

Clinton Haters.

Millions of very nice people hate Clinton. These are decent, God-loving, honest folks who don’t curse, who believe in the Golden Rule, who don’t appreciate crude, coarse and smutty language and who condemn her because she doesn’t condemn abortion and same-sex marriage.  Millions of people who love their country hate Hillary because, as Secretary of State, she indifferently abandoned Americans to die at Benghazi and then lied about it. Millions of others hate the woman because she blatantly broke national security laws, putting individuals and the country at risk, and then lied about it. Millions hate Clinton because she operates a money laundering scheme, posing as a charitable Foundation and lies about it. Millions hate her because she was the enforcer who intimidated the victims of her husband’s sexual abuse, and then lied about it. Millions hate Hillary for her role in numerous scandals and swindles and in the theft of White House furnishings. And people hate Clinton because, under her watch, America’s foreign policy decayed and ISIS flourished. All of these people hate Hillary Clinton for who she is, true — but specifically for what she has done.

In summary, Trump haters have individual special interests. All of them are getting something or hope to get something from the Federal Government in the way of freebies — some type of welfare, subsidy, kickback, influence, etc. They are the poor, rich, uneducated, highly educated, unemployed and employed. In one way or another, the Public Treasury is their lifeline. For them, the November election is about their pocketbooks and lifestyles. Conversely, Clinton haters share only one special interest — the reformation of the U.S. Government — its runaway growth, corruptness, failure  and stifling intrusion —  and for the  restoration of America to those values that encompass individual liberty and personal accountability. They are the poor, rich, uneducated, highly educated, unemployed and employed. For them, the November election is about the health and life of a great nation at great risk.

Millions will never read these opinions.  The vast majority of voters will never read vaunted newspaper commentary, nor listen to vaunted TV and radio pundits. Many millions surfing the Web will choose any subject but politics. True haters never give in. But somewhere out there, millions of practical, unemotional Americans may decide some things are more important than one, or even two, pet issues. You can hope.

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.

Donald Trump calls himself a “common sense” conservative. You shouldn’t treat the words trivially. In truth, they are casual, if not wearisome, workaday words. But they likely are the most telling and overlooked words he’s uttered on behalf of his candidacy. He’s not about to lecture anyone or expound on precisely what the words mean. Donald a professor ain’t. He leaves it to hifalutin highbrows to analyze and pontificate. And the Establishment is all too willing — in this case, the Conservative Establishment. You didn’t know there was such an animal until recently and wouldn’t have guessed that some members of that haughty crowd are Tea Partiers — specifically, Tea Party leadership.  You always believed these liberty loving people were in love with — uh — liberty. Common sense told you that. It also told you that Conservative Establishment purists have no understanding of warfare — that, like the Confederacy, they may win more of the battles and lose the war. The purists have anointed Cruz because he’s convinced them he will win the battles — eradicate Roe vs Wade, bulldoze Obamacare, decimate the “Washington cartel,” prosecute Planned Parenthood, blow up the Iran deal, end the persecution of religious liberty, simplify the tax code, “eliminate” the IRS, fix immigration, destroy ISIS, create jobs, end pernicious regulation and balance the budget, so help me God, gasp, gasp. He will do all this if he has to stand up to the Devil himself. He has taken millions from conservative PACS and large donors but don’t you think for a nanosecond he will curry any favor their way. Right. By contrast, the Conservative Establishment has more than one bone to pick with Donald. Out of the gate, he’s just not nice. Un-Christian-like, he insults the disabled, a war hero and even sweet old ladies if they criticize him, including old lady Hillary. He’s a Yankee who has rubbed shoulders with left wingers his whole life. Practically speaking, he doesn’t have a clue how Washington works. Forget the bull in the china shop; he would be a Caterpillar 797F. The man has never held public office; he’s not even an attorney and everyone knows attorneys are eminently trustworthy. Yes, if you believe him, Trump said he would repeal Obamacare, decimate the “Washington cartel,” blow up the Iran deal, simplify the tax code, fix immigration, destroy ISIS, create jobs, end pernicious regulation, return Education to the States, carve up the Federal bureaucracy, renegotiate foreign trade and foreign aid, restore the military, establish energy independence and “make America GREAT again.” But Trump is vague on a bunch of domestic issues, like abortion, same-sex marriage, Planned Parenthood and Religion. You see, he just doesn’t pass cherished Conservative values. One Establishment fears him because he doesn’t bleed Conservative Red. The other Establishment fears him because he’s not a true Republican. The Democrats fear him because he’s audacious enough to bulldoze the House of Cards they spent decades building. They all fear him because he doesn’t need their money and won’t wear their handcuffs. And the entire ruling class — the Beltway Club, Big Media and Big Business — fears him because their gravy train could hurtle right off the golden tracks. Which leaves you to pose some hypotheticals. Without Donald Trump in the race, would Ted Cruz have advanced to the front of the GOP pack? Without Donald, which of the 16 candidates would have prevailed? Without Trump in the race, one thing is certain — the GOP would be serenely confident knowing that its future would have been in good hands —  Establishment hands. Which leads you to recent history. In 2012, millions of doctrinaire Conservatives stayed home in rejection of Romney — a good man, an accomplished man, who didn’t pass their litmus test. Out of Conservative spite, America swallowed four more years of BHO. With God on his side, Robert E. Lee was hell bound to smash the Union at Gettysburg. His trusted field officers begged him to reconsider since the enemy held the high ground. This was a battle he wanted desperately to win. It was the battle that lost the war. Conservatives might consider using a little common sense.