He refuses to see that the reason why Trump won the Republican nomination was that the public was tired of empty “ideas”. They wanted somebody who would actually GET SOMETHING DONE.
The taxpaying electorate is tired of “moderates” who serve only to maintain the pretense of opposing socialism.
The establishment Republicans that Bruce Bartlett supported in the past had no ideas at all, they just offered a slightly watered-down version of what the Democrats were already peddling. I don't remember John McCain putting much on the table that we didn't or couldn't get from Bill or Hillary Clinton.
And you might recall that EIGHTY percent of GOP Primary voters supported someone who wasn't a Republican politician (Carson, Carly, Trump), or was one whom the RNC often and openly fought against (Cruz), for daring to support the notion of a Constitutionally Limited Government. The RNC and Bush spent $100,000,000+ to get 3% of the vote. THAT'S how much the GOP has abandoned ideas and their voters.