A Cease-and-Desist Order is in Order.
If there is any justice in this world, we Republicans would be able to copyright the Lincoln image, his memory, his reputation and his name for the exclusive use of Republican candidates for the life of our Republic. Truly, he belongs to us – our first Republican President. But a sleazy group of people, through a group called the Lincoln Project used the name of Lincoln to campaign against the Republican candidate for President in 2020 and promise to do it again this year.
As a lifelong Republican I never thought I would live to see the day that a leftwing group would ever try to use Lincoln’s name to attack Republicans and promote a Democrat President – a Democrat who is arguably worse than Democrat Jimmy Carter.
But we live in a time where people will say anything, no matter how ahistorical or offensive to common sense, and if what they say is viewed as anti-Trump then they get a platform, they can get on TV.
Before Trump’s election in 2016, and certainly now, there is a market for Republican pundits who don’t back Trump. They are extremely small in numbers, but they will get lots of airtime. The media is looking for these people. Indeed, they wish to promote them.
In some ways I think the Lincoln project, a group of ex Republicans, is a creation of the media. The creation of some big Democrat donors, the creation of disgruntled Republican political operatives. A creation of beltway Republicans that want to be accepted by Washington. Outside the beltway they have no following.
I watched the other day, I don’t recall the cable station, but I watched one of the founders of the Lincoln project, Rick Wilson, who still claims to be a Republican, even though he voted for Joe Biden in 2020, urge Republicans to vote for Biden in 2024. Biden has overseen a budget deficit of 6 percent of GDP, not including the national debt, and Biden pushed to spend a lot more, and Wilson with a straight face claims Republicans should vote to reelect him. I flipped the channel.
Here is the part to me that seems especially offensive. The group may have left the Republican Party, but they decided to take the Lincoln name with them. Sorry, Lincoln was a Republican, not a swing voter, or a Biden voter.
I have a friend who was, I should say still is, in the never Trump camp. A former Republican campaign operative, who was put on TV because he was a never Trumper. The media found him and kept putting him on. He said what they wanted to hear, namely Trump was bad and out of step with traditional Republican beliefs. Nonsense. Trump is perfectly in line with the party, hence his coming renomination.
In effect my never Trumper friend is a tool, as they pretty much all are, actually the term whore comes to mind. The media could say hey we put on a Republican, and he is anti-Trump. In fairness to my friend, I don’t think he is as Lenin might describe him as a “useful idiot” rather instead of being a sellout, I think it is just a fact that he is not in the least bit conservative. He probably never was, he, like most all the other never Trumpers, simply joined the Republican team in the early 2000’s. For them it was the red team. They never were motivated by conservative principles, they were campaign workers, and staffers.
But fortunately, the Republican party shed the George W. Bush open borders policy and the neo conservative foreign policy and nominated Trump in 2016. It could be argued that Trump didn’t change the Republican party, rather George W. Bush was an aberration, and Trump returned the party to its roots. The never Trumpers liked open borders, and a globalist foreign policy, hence Trump is an extremist.
Like virtually all the never Trumpers and the people that run the Lincoln project, my friend is no conservative.
Why I am so convinced that the never Trumpers are not conservatives. Very simple.
If you had the chance to defeat Hillary Clinton, by voting for the Republican candidate in 2016, and didn’t you are not a conservative, and if you had the chance to defeat Joe Biden in 2020 by voting for the Republican candidate and didn’t then you are not a conservative. And if in 2024, you still have not ruled out voting to reelect Joe Biden than you are not a conservative. Heck you are not even a centrist or moderate. You would be a progressive like Rick Wilson and the other Lincoln project people.
The use of the Lincoln name is particularly offensive. They claim that Lincoln wouldn’t back Trump, his fellow Republican if he were with us today. Would Lincoln abandon his party and follow the advice of Rick Wilson and vote for Biden?
No. Lincoln would be solidly in the Trump camp. How can I be so sure. Allow me just two reasons, there are many more, but I will give just two.
Several weeks ago, President Biden claimed that he needed more authority from Congress concerning stopping the invasion at the southern border. Biden told reporters, “I have done all I can do.” Lincoln would never have taken such a position. He never would have deferred. He would never believe that he needed approval from Congress to defend the country. He knew it was his job to do it and that he already had the constitutional power.
The second reason Lincoln would be in the Trump camp. Lincoln’s political home is Sangamon County Illinois. Where he got his start. He represented the county in the state legislature for 4 terms and then represented the county in Congress. If he were with us today, he would be in touch with the people of Sangamon County.
Sangamon county voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020. Lincoln, Trump and Sangamon County. Solidly Republican.
If Democrats can get away with appropriating the sacred name of Lincoln, what’s next? Perhaps, the John Paul II project/group, committed to keeping abortion, safe, legal and rare.
David Shephard is the author of ‘‘Elections Have Consequences; A Cautionary Tale.”
8 comments
Was this weitten by Jeanine Maetin orr was it authred bybthat ne’er do well, David Shephard? Inquiring minds want to know who declares themselves a judge of who may call themselves Republican.
Thank you for noting that. The article was written by David Shepard. I apologize for the error.
*If there is any justice in this world, we Republicans would be able to copyright the Lincoln image, his memory, his reputation and his name for the exclusive use of Republican candidates for the life of our Republic”
In the US we dont permit copyright for a name or an idea and you can only own an image you created (and that expires — life plus 70 yrs).
I seem to recall that some of the writers at Beardrift were on the board of the Lincoln project. I’m sure they fit right in.
It will be interesting to see if the Bearing Grift turds respond to your post. They seem really to barely exist now. The comment section is empty … there used to be a rather robust discussion board. Bearing Grift and its authors along with the liberals who would come from Blue VA or Media Matters to argue with everyone else who thought that Bearing Grift was full of shit. Schmuckman… Kenney… another douchebage I can’t remember his name…. now there’s not anyone at home there… So I would be they are gettin funded by the Lincoln Project to keep that stupid thing alive.
Are any of the founding schmucks still there at that blog? It seems to feature only about three people now.. that insipid Bolling… the Neocon Democrat turd who advocates wars that he won’t go to … and the cookie lady editor. It’s a fine view from my kitchen … I hate Donald Trump and won’t say a f..king thing about Joe Biden.
Look at that blog now… does it mention the border? Does it mention the DEI foisted on Virginia by Fairfax and Loudon? Nothing but Orange man bad..
The Lincoln project really goes back to the Tea Party movement at a minimum – only then they didn’t really have a name. Just dissenters from the trend that was sweeping the Republican party back to its historic roots.. They didn’t have the courage to leave so they stayed to undercut anyone who wanted to move forward with true Republican Interests. And they have been effective in Virginia with cuccinelli’s and Nort’s defeat – and even at the federal level. Some of the important names like McConnell and McDowell really fit that anti-Republican mold, as does Romney and Megan McCain. They never really were loyal to party and its ideals but to political power. The good thing is that they now align as outliers under the Lincoln project and the GOP base doesn’t have to let them back in. Just remember, if somebody says they are fiscally conservative and socially liberal the aren’t a Republican.
They are not fiscally conservative.. They loved W Bush who gave you a federal government bloated like a whale. 3 to 5 trillion in wars.. Homeland Security nonsense…NSA spying… And of course those bastards wanted an open border as much as Joe Biden does. You might recall W and his comprehensive immigration amnesty…
George was relatively mediocre except for 9/11. George HW was the real problem with his new world order.