Agree. To add on to your thoughts, in my view, Trump’s addition of Manafort was the move that changed this election.
With Manafort, Trump got the proper focus and his campaign is running on all cylinders.
My pure conjecture is that the Establishment can see now that Trump can put a hurt on Hillary, so they’re feeling better.
I can just imagine Manafort talking to the RNC a couple of weeks back and saying that in the aggregate Trump is good for the GOP. Yes, he took out some GOPe folks, but in just one year, Trump will have taken out the Bushes and Clintons. And for good measure, will give the GOPe Cruz’ political head. I think the destruction of Cruz is what is making Trump’s victory a lot more palatable for them.
I found Trump’s shout out to McConnell, which I did find disturbing in a political worldview sense, astute in a realpolitik sense. Trump was signaling “McConnell, we both have the same enemy - Cruz. Don’t worry, I’ll deal with him for both of us.” That olive branch is going to help get the GOP united for a very good general election result.
After that, it’s up to us to help influence the GOP to keep the America First focus. Nothing heals internal conflict better than winning.
Notice that in sports team locker rooms, if you win, everyone seems to get along?
Not sure I agree with the premise that McConnell and Cruz are enemies... more and more I believe that everything that Cruz did in DC was for show. To get people “hooked.” And with the news that the “anti-Trump” PAC is a McConnell PAC and that the Cruz organization tells people to donate to this PAC to get around campaign finance limits, I am convinced McConnell and Cruz are aligned.