Instapopulist

What is Behind Murray vs. Trump?

Prominent conservative scholar Charles Murray has caused quite a bit of consternation on social media with his seemingly highly personal Facebook and Twitter crusade against Donald Trump. I suspect many people are not taking Murray’s opposition to Trump well because they don’t view Murray, who got in PC hot water for his book The Bell Curve, as your typical PC signaling think tank denizen and therefore, expect different from him.

How’s That Paul Ryan Vote Working Out for You “Conservatives?”

Prior to and immediately following the vote for Paul Ryan (R-Chamber of Commerce) to be the new Speaker of the House, I went on an internet/social media rant fest decrying the shortsightedness of conservative House members, particularly members of the Freedom Caucus, who were willing to settle for Ryan, presumably for the sake of getting the Speaker selection over with.

That Parochial, Old-Fashioned Donald Trump

Recently social medial and the conservative sphere of the internet erupted with outrage when Rick Wilson, an Establishment Republican campaign consultant, suggested that the Establishment needed to “put a bullet in Donald Trump.” While Mr. Wilson’s choice of words was obviously inappropriate, I think all the outrage on the right unfortunately caused an important point to be missed.

The House Republican Caucus Does the Impossible

The clueless, corrupt and cowardly House Republican Caucus has done the impossible. By electing Paul Ryan as Speaker of the House today it has made the Chamber of Commerce Party appear even more beholden to the donor class and out of touch with the middle class base that actually votes for it than it already did, which is no mean feat.

A Ruling Class Hissy Fit

The reaction of the ruling elite and their minions in official conservadom to the Donald Trump surge is best characterized as a hissy fit, an extended temper tantrum that the GOP base isn’t doing what they want them to. The elite and their gatekeepers can’t seem to figure out why Trump is surging and why the peons who support him won’t listen to their betters. What is more puzzling is why they didn’t see this coming and why it hasn’t happen sooner. The writing has been on the wall for a while.

A Strategy for Anti-Establishment Conservatives

I believe that Jeb Bush’s campaign is dead in the water. His polling trajectory does not bode well for him. He is perceived as a moderate in general and is wrong on some issues in particular that are important to the GOP base, such as immigration and Common Core, but his bigger problem is that he simply doesn’t inspire enthusiasm in anyone. People who support someone other than Bush generally don’t hate Bush, they just don’t want him to be the nominee. And therein lies the rub. People don’t hate Bush, but they don’t love him either.

Oil Industry Pushes to End the Ban on Oil Exports as Imports Hit High for the Year

US crude oil output fell this past week, but our oil imports were the highest since early April, and with a major refinery idled, that unexpectedly led to the largest increase in our inventories of oil in storage in 4 months, precipitating yet a further crash in the price of oil. 

Pages