>> There are plenty of people on FR who see the truth about
Trump.
You’re overstating an insight you believe to be exclusive to a minority here on FR.
To repeat what I’ve said elsewhere: It’s Trump’s rhetoric that is relevant; the bold, commonsense message he’s delivering with few at his side. Should he implode for inauthenticity, that’s his problem, but the energy supporting his message is nonetheless profound.
We all agree identity politics suck, but be sure you’re not fighting identity alone.
He's repackaging leftism and selling it as conservatism. What little conservative ideology left in the country is being drained and swarms of the dissenters are being co-opted into the establishment - and apparently they the bold, commonsense message he’s delivering with few at his side.
I dob't think it's bold or common sense, and I very much think the authenticity matters. Right now he's hijacking the entire party's dialogue to carry a message that Hillary or Jeb could carry. The only message her is the media is tirelessly promoting Trump. If they wanted to, they could mostly ignore him.
Should he implode for inauthenticity,
No, it will be all our problems. After 2008, 2012, and 2016, it may be the last stand for conservatism in a major party. Maybe it is anyway, but it's worth a fight?
I don’t believe it’s exclusive, and I don’t believe it’s a minority. The people who support Trump are loud and behave like the candidate himself, but if you watch the people who are not for him are sizable in number. And about half of the people who vehemently support Trump will bristle if you say they are Trump supporters. It’s int he doldrums of summer more than a year before an election. This is more about the smoke and mirrors of the media. Someday not so far off, hardly anyone will even remember the sense we have today. Most of Trump’s “supporters” won’t just deny they supported him, they will probably think they didn’t support him in their own mind.
The major legacy of this summer flirtation will be the establishment of the GOP will go into primary season fresh and invigorated, and the right will be listless and enervated.