Jonah Goldberg is a free rider. He wants the benefits of a Trump presidency, but without paying the costs. Let me explain. Goldberg is Senior Editor of National Review, which positions itself as the organ of American conservatism. Whether he wants to or not, Goldberg has to present himself as a true (staunch) conservative, along the lines of William F. Buckley. If he goes soft, or even appears to be going soft, readers of his magazine will come to doubt his (and its) conservative credentials.
The choice facing Americans this November, for better or worse, is Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Goldberg and Clinton are diametrically opposed on most important issues. I'm sure Goldberg is appalled by the prospect of three or more Supreme Court justices nominated by Clinton. It would transform American jurisprudence overnight and destroy everything Goldberg has spent his life working for. The problem is that Goldberg hates Trump. Though he prefers Trump to Clinton, he can't come out and say so without harming his magazine. (See my first paragraph.)
So why does this make Goldberg a free rider? Because (1) he prefers Trump to Clinton and will, presumably, be happy to see Trump elected (if for no other reason than to stave off the aforementioned legal transformation). But (2) he won't come out and support Trump because he's worried about the harm it will do to his magazine and, indirectly, to himself (i.e., his career). In short, Goldberg wants the benefits of a Trump presidency without paying the costs.
"Free rider" is a disparaging term for a reason. Nobody likes those who fail to do their fair share in cooperative projects from which all (including the free riders) benefit. Jonah Goldberg is a free rider. Conservatives need to tell him how they feel about that. I, for one, think he's a selfish creep, for he's putting his career ahead of what's best for the American people.
Addendum: Read the comments on Goldberg's column.
