An important part of Conserving Conservatism™ is taking a stand against conservatives who have repeatedly shown themselves to be more committed than you to principles of conservatism.
So it makes total sense that the Bulwark would dedicate so much energy today to sliming GOP Rep. Dan Crenshaw:
In Fortitude, a book ostensibly about courage in the face of adversity, Crenshaw demonstrates that the values instilled in him as a SEAL that he believes will save the country apply to everything except his own political career. https://t.co/XqoV60qwPz
— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) April 29, 2020
Retweeted by the Bulwark:
This is devastating. https://t.co/9zNFqVMBqN
— Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) April 29, 2020
The Stories Dan Crenshaw Tells Himself https://t.co/045aI893Bq via @BulwarkOnline
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 29, 2020
Anti-anti-Trump politics have gotten so bizarre: Trump's "name is mentioned but 9 times, while the 'media' is mentioned 9 times in the first 8 pages alone." https://t.co/4jzL0S4PeW via @BulwarkOnline
— Ben Smith (@benyt) April 29, 2020
The most pressing issue of our time is that Dan Crenshaw has failed to sufficiently tear apart every single one of Donald Trump’s policies because Orange Man Bad.
The Democratic mayor of NYC is issuing statements about Jews so awful that even Congressional Democrats are backing away from him, so @SykesCharlie and the Bulwarkians are naturally ALL ABOUT this story….about Dan Crenshaw's new book
— Sunny McSunnyface (@sunnyright) April 29, 2020
No, seriously. They’re pimping the hell out of this thing:
Morning Shots Newsletter: The Stories Dan Crenshaw tells Himself; what the polls say about re-opening, a modest proposal for Twitter, the French-Metaxas debate… and a shout-out to Upton Sinclair…'https://t.co/KpCadQlhPb
— Charlie Sykes (@SykesCharlie) April 29, 2020
Oh, it’s a thing all right…. https://t.co/UUdbV0l10q
— Charlie Sykes (@SykesCharlie) April 29, 2020
Charlie Sykes, especially. He retweeted all of these:
You’ve got to read @Timodc on @DanCrenshawTX today.https://t.co/drohpzrhgl
— Christian Vanderbrouk (@UrbanAchievr) April 29, 2020
I wrote about @DanCrenshawTX‘s book “Fortitude”, his recent viral defenses of Trump, and the stories he tells himself. Enjoy! https://t.co/dWblC7uO5Z
— Tim Miller (@Timodc) April 29, 2020
Good read: @timodc on @DanCrenshawTX’s “master class in anti-anti-Trumpism” https://t.co/P7BR0Z8NUg #txlege
— Evan Smith (@evanasmith) April 29, 2020
“Because in the real sense, no other American president has even been in the same galaxy as Donald Trump when it comes to engaging in the behavior Crenshaw decries.
Why can’t Crenshaw just say this obviously true thing out loud?” @Timodc
— Sarah Longwell (@SarahLongwell25) April 29, 2020
A Sense Of Where We Are, anti-anti-Trump edition
Trump’s “name is mentioned but 9 times, while the ‘media’ is mentioned 9 times in the first 8 pages alone. 7 of the mentions of Trump are critiques of the media for being unfair to him”
@Timodc https://t.co/J9ngfZecNU
— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) April 29, 2020
it really is something that dan crenshaw, one of the most dishonest, disingenuous defenders of donald trump in the GOP, wrote a book about how america needs more honor and integrity in public life https://t.co/ISIyJSvAjO
— b-boy bouiebaisse (@jbouie) April 29, 2020
"In Fortitude, a book ostensibly about courage in the face of adversity, Crenshaw demonstrates that the values instilled in him as a SEAL that he believes will save the country apply to everything except his own political career." https://t.co/78GRzIaaTB
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) April 29, 2020
Favorably retweeting guys like Jamelle Bouie and Tommy Vietor is a clear sign that you’re serious about Conserving Conservatism™.
I don't link Bulwark, but the spurned lover piece on Dan Crenshaw is hilarious.
Anyone who doesn't set themselves on fire is their enemy.
— Oh THAT Guy (@NathanWurtzel) April 29, 2020
That’s really what it boils down to. From Tim Miller’s piece:
In the story Dan Crenshaw tells himself, he sees himself as a good man, a rational man, a man who can make the world a better place by staying in it and fighting for truth and virtue. All of that may be true. But there’s just one catch: The price of admission is that Crenshaw must put one large, but inconvenient, truth in a box over to the side. And he must never open it, or even speak about it.
Because if he does, the insane, hateful idiot who leads the political cult Crenshaw belongs to will excommunicate him and force him out of public life.
So this is Crenshaw’s choice:
Say out loud the second part of the thoughts he holds in his head. And be consigned to exile with Mia Love and Jeff Flake and Mitt Romney and the others.
Or:
Fudge the truth about Trump and subject himself to the most devastating mental state he can imagine: One where he is helpless to stand up to someone who isn’t half the man he is, who is the embodiment of everything that he thinks is wrong with our society, who in any other circumstance he would regard with disdain. But have the chance to make a difference.
Basically, according to Miller and the Bulwark, Dan Crenshaw is nothing more than a self-promoting opportunist who has decided to hitch his wagon to a false political idol in the hopes of becoming a more powerful political player.
Sounds like the Bulwark’s got a serious case of projectionitis.
None of your writers are fit to shine @RepDanCrenshaw’s boots. What an absolute dumpster fire of a publication you are.
— Lady L. North (@LadyLNorth) April 29, 2020
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