Breaking Up Is Easy to Do |
The MAGA movement has lots of moving parts, and some are starting to dislike each other.
Ben Shapiro gave two amazing speeches in quick succession last week. The first was at the Heritage Foundation, and the next day, he once again rose to the occasion at TPUSA’s “AmericaFest” event. I am partial to Shapiro, not because he is an orthodox Jew or a fellow Harvardian. I think that he has an extremely healthy view of the greatness of the United States and what is needed in order to keep the Republic strong and successful.
Shapiro did not mince words and he more than amply named names. Ben Shapiro starts with a view of the core features of the United States, such as property rights and the God-given rights enumerated in the country’s founding documents. There would have been nothing controversial about his comments 200 years ago or even in 2016, when Donald Trump won his first presidential race. But times have changed, and since the Gaza war, the 2024 election, and the murder of Charlie Kirk, various ideas have been put forth by people who in the past were considered bankable conservatives. If Rachel Maddow had suggested that the Macrons were involved in the Kirk assassination or that Islam is a peaceful religion compatible with the West, we would have shaken our heads and written her off. But when a former conservative star like Candace Owens claims the former, while sumo conservative (in the past), Carlson says the latter, then the lights flash that the conservative movement has a growing weird wing.
It’s always hard to know how many people subscribe to the ideas and beliefs of Carlson, Owens, the Hodgetwins or even Megyn Kelly, who helpfully claimed that the conservative movement was reevaluating its view of Israel. Many younger Republicans may be looking at Israel differently, but overall support is pretty much the same. Do these folks have a few hundred followers who would accept their election advice or millions? I........