Posted on 12/11/2015 5:47:14 PM PST by Kaslin
I have a history with Donald Trump. Having rescinded an invitation from him to a gathering in August after his comments on Megyn Kelly, I watched as Trump supporters descended on social media, my radio program, my phone number, and my mailbox to express their outrage. It was weeks before my children could check the mailbox again. I still get random and assorted hate mail over the incident.
Despite that history, when this election season is concluded, Republicans are most likely going to owe Donald Trump thanks. This season of Trump has fleshed out and forced out some rules of politics that only applied because they had never really been tested. Like Howard Dean in 2004 proving that the person with the most money does not really always win, Donald Trump is proving that the Republicans with the most veteran Republican political consultants do not always win.
In fact, at this writing, Jeb Bush hovers around three percent in the polling and has gone from multi-thousand dollar fundraising dinners to just trying to fill rooms with people. Had Trump not entered the race, Bush would have faced a traditional field and probably been much more competitive. That different, traditional field tends to line donors up with establishment picks. People forget that the Republican Party of Ronald Reagan has only nominated one person since 1980 who backed Ronald Reagan in the 1980 primary cycle. That was John McCain.
George H. W. Bush, Bob Dole, George W. Bush and Mitt Romney all opposed Reagan in 1980. The party the media decries as a bastion of the far right has rarely nominated a candidate for president explicitly of the right. What is more, the political consultant class within the Republican Party has come from those moderate candidates who most often lose. From team Dole to team McCain to team Romney, their consultants have stayed within the upper ranks of elite Republican consultants and continue losing. They are now losing to Donald Trump.
Trump's presence is forcing the Republican Party to finally come to grips with three things. First, its consultant class is fat, comfortable, and commissioned. If a Republican wins, the consultants make millions. If a Republican loses, the consultants make millions. Many a beach houses have been bought by Republican consultants who have never had a major candidate win. The consultants get commissions for their mail, their advertising, their marked-up phone surveys and so much more. With the threat of Donald Trump rising, these consultants are risking their reputations, careers and livelihoods as the men and women who could not stop Donald Trump. Picking apart the carcass of the Bush campaign to make their beach house payment will not go over well if they do not stop Trump.
Second, Republican donors are finally being forced to choose between the lesser of two evils that they always try to force on conservatives, or be exposed as rank opportunists. In both 2008 and 2012, the base of Republican voters was told they must kneel before McCain or Romney and suck it up. Both times, the donor class candidate lost. Now the donor class candidates are losing to Trump, and the alternative to Trump, Ted Cruz, is a man the donors loathe. So either they will force themselves to unite with someone they do not care for, or expose themselves as the ones who really do take their football home when they do not get their way.
Third, Republican politicians are finally being held accountable. Trump would not exist as a candidate but for feckless Republican leadership in the face of an aggressive agenda from President Obama. Even now, Republican leaders are hoping Marco Rubio will unite the establishment while Ted Cruz is left in the shadow of Trump. Many Republicans have decided not to attack Trump because they think his continued presence hurts Ted Cruz. But they will very soon find themselves having to decide if they can continue that risk. Every day exposes them as being more interested in power than principle.
Republicans will owe Donald Trump thanks. He has finally forced the GOP to come to terms with its identity and its accumulated, unseparated chaff.
Destroy the GOPe. Make the RINOs go over to Hillary where they belong.
Bring down the Republican party and rebuild it with CONSERVATIVES. State by state. County by County.
Boy! This Erickson guy is in boot licking mode begging Trump for forgiveness.
Trump has done so much that people said couldn’t be done, but he did. He may even win as the first third party candidate, which popular thought says can’t be done like all else he couldn’t do. . Every moslem attack before Nov, 2016, which are sure to come increase the odds of him winning 3rd party.
The Trump Card vs. The Race Card.
“George H. W. Bush, Bob Dole, George W. Bush and Mitt Romney all opposed Reagan in 1980.”
Aren’t they confusing Mitt with his father?
Agreed. Has to happen.
We can’t let another administration like this clean the place up, only to have some dufus turn right around and dismantle it like Bush and the RNC did.
As soon as Trump is elected, he needs to start a task force to call the Orkin Industrial Crew into Republican Party headquarters and fumigate.
The party leadership should hold the same beliefs as it’s base. End of story.
(Yes all the way down to the county/district levels. State offices as well)
Both Willard and his dimwit RINO dad opposed Reagan.
I hope he ends up with a hairball the size of his ass.
Must be the season of the Trump.
I agree with you. But do you agree with me that if conservatives should succeed in reforming the Republican Party it should retain the name? There is little wrong with Republican Party principles if RINOs/GOPe only adhered to them.
Better late than never, Erickson.
Mo’ crawfishin from EE
Yup....$hit or get off the pot...Hold your nose if you must...
(God knows GOPe leadership has made us conservatives hold our nose's forever!!!)
There will be no conservative policies until the two party system is destroyed.
I think 4 or 5 parties are needed to allow for deals to be made which include the interests of true conservatives.
Once the GOP is destroyed, the rats will be destroyed as well with an AA party and a green party.
If you can’t beat em, join em.
I admire Trump very much but I would not want to work for him and definitely not get on his bad side.
Those who oppose him will pay very dearly.
Ask Megyn Smelly (aka Kelly)
His big mouth cost him big time and justly so! Go Trump!
The guy with the phony sounding name is back
I dubbed him Sir Dick Dickmeson. He didn’t have the sense to
honor his invitation to Trump who never did anything to him.
The people showed up to see Trump, to me that was false bait and switch tactics to get a good turnout. Lots of people won’t forget getting them there and NO Trump.
I won’t forget Dick Dickmeson. He and Me Gyn Crowley Kelly will never live it down.
Please don’t post anything this Moron writes, his 5 minutes of fame are over.
That just made me snort!!!! Hahahaha!!!
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