The Republican Party can recover from Donald Trump faster than you think

[mystery-ak]

http://theweek.com/articles/615609/republican-party-recover-from-donald-trump-faster-than-think

The Republican Party can recover from Donald Trump faster than you think
Michael Brendan Dougherty

March 31, 2016


What if the Republican Party isn't doomed?

The consensus tells us Donald Trump is about to destroy the GOP. He has backed away from his pledge to support the eventual nominee of the party if it's not him, saying he has been treated unfairly. Everyone is asking why Republicans haven't done more to avert the coming disaster.

And pundits tell us that the Republican Party of the Bush years is dying no matter what. Writing in The Atlantic, David Frum warns that rallying to Trump would change the direction of the GOP. And running a conservative third-party challenger to compete with Trump may have a similar effect: Splitting a party means abandoning it to your factional enemies.

After Paul Ryan gave a speech that was critical of Trump without ever naming him or making the case against him, New York Times columnist Ross Douthat criticized Ryan for his paralysis. For Douthat, Paul Ryan and the party he leads are proving themselves unable to absorb the most compelling parts of Trumpism, namely its solicitousness of working-class voters. And yet that same party is also unable to forcefully reject Trump the candidate.

But perhaps fretful paralysis is good enough for now. Whatever becomes of Donald Trump's moment in politics, there are reasons to believe this moment is unsustainable and the basic status quo of the Republican Party will eventually emerge triumphant.

Let's posit that, on or off the ticket, Donald Trump will cause an electoral disaster for Republicans.

continued

[sneakypete]

At this point,who cares? It's nothing but a redheaded step-child of the Dim Party anyhow.

[jmyrlefuller]

Trump is not the cause of the demise of the Republican Party (or conservatism as a whole, for that matter) but "recovering" is going to be a much taller order. This country has been slowly creeping toward a more and more liberal future for decades now; it's just that we haven't noticed the declining margins of victory in each successive election until 2012, when we threw everything we had at Obama and still lost.

[musiclady]

Trump is not the cause of the demise of the Republican Party (or conservatism as a whole, for that matter) but "recovering" is going to be a much taller order. This country has been slowly creeping toward a more and more liberal future for decades now; it's just that we haven't noticed the declining margins of victory in each successive election until 2012, when we threw everything we had at Obama and still lost.

It's going to take a very long time, IMO, for conservatism to recover from the damage Trump is doing.  Because he is a Progressive, he is embodying conservatism in the most negative light possible, and living up to the vile stereotypes that the left has created about us.

I have, at most, 30 more years, and I will be shocked if the conservative movement fully recovers from this disaster in my lifetime.

[EasyAce]

Trump is not the cause of the demise of the Republican Party (or conservatism as a whole, for that matter) but "recovering" is going to be a much taller order. This country has been slowly creeping toward a more and more liberal future for decades now; it's just that we haven't noticed the declining margins of victory in each successive election until 2012, when we threw everything we had at Obama and still lost.

To paraphrase from one legendary broadcast wrap-up:

This is no time for men who oppose Mr. Trump's methods to keep silent, or for those who
approve. We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the
result. There is no way for a citizen of a republic to abdicate his responsibilities. As a nation we have
come into our full inheritance at a tender age . . . The actions of the real estate hustler from New York
have caused alarm and dismay amongst our allies abroad, and given considerable comfort to our
enemies. And whose fault is that? Not really his; he didn't create the disintegration of the arguable
conservative party, he merely exploited it, and rather successfully. Cassius was right: "The fault,
dear Brutus, lies not in our stars, but in ourselves."

[Right_in_Virginia]

But perhaps fretful paralysis is good enough for now. Whatever becomes of Donald Trump's moment in politics, there are reasons to believe this moment is unsustainable and the basic status quo of the Republican Party will eventually emerge triumphant.

[Bill Cipher]

Good portrait of the average Trump supporter. 

[Right_in_Virginia]

Not even close, Cipher.  And you know it.  Trump supporters are not paralyzed by the fear of moving our leadership and policies into the 21st century.  They believe the political system is fundamentally broken and are not terrified by it . . . but energized and determined to make it work again--for the people, not the elites.

The ones with their head in the sand are those busy digging a path back to 1980.  Trump supporters are living in the here and now and moving forward.

I'd ask you to join us, but I am not yet convinced you've the courage. 

[sinkspur]

Not even close, Cipher.  And you know it.  Trump supporters are not paralyzed by the fear of moving our leadership and policies into the 21st century.  They believe the political system is fundamentally broken and are not terrified by it . . . but energized and determined to make it work again--for the people, not the elites.

The ones with their head in the sand are those busy digging a path back to 1980.  Trump supporters are living in the here and now and moving forward.

I'd ask you to join us, but I am not yet convinced you've the courage.

How is Trump moving anything into the 21st century? He wants to turn back the clock on abortion by punishing women, turn back the clock by reneging on trade policy, turn back the clock by starting a trade war, turn back the clock by slamming the door to members of one world religion, turn back the clock by encouraging the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

The man is a throwback to the 1950s.  Thankfully we will never have to endure a Trump presidency to test the limits of the American experiment.

[Right_in_Virginia]

How is Trump moving anything into the 21st century? He wants to turn back the clock on abortion by punishing women, turn back the clock by reneging on trade policy, turn back the clock by starting a trade war, turn back the clock by slamming the door to members of one world religion, turn back the clock by encouraging the proliferation of nuclear weapons. 

Take the MSM's talking points and rework them into a sentence not even they would recognize---well, fear of being banned stops me from continuing.

Let me just say:  Base your opposition in reality, and then we'll have a rational discussion.

 

[sinkspur]

Take the MSM's talking points and rework them into a sentence not even they would recognize---well, fear of being banned stops me from continuing.

Let me just say:  Base your opposition in reality, and then we'll have a rational discussion.

 

What is wrong about any of the assertions I made about Trump's positions?  You can't say, can you?  They're not wrong, and you know it.

[Right_in_Virginia]

What is wrong about any of the assertions I made about Trump's positions?  You can't say, can you?  They're not wrong, and you know it.

Half-truths are lies, Sink.  And lies are, indeed, wrong.

[sinkspur]

Half-truths are lies, Sink.  And lies are, indeed, wrong.

No specifics, just like Trump.

If you want to take issue with what I said, take issue with it. Don't just throw out nonsense.

[sneakypete]

How is Trump moving anything into the 21st century? He wants to turn back the clock on abortion by punishing women, turn back the clock by reneging on trade policy, turn back the clock by starting a trade war, turn back the clock by slamming the door to members of one world religion, turn back the clock by encouraging the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

The man is a throwback to the 1950s.  Thankfully we will never have to endure a Trump presidency to test the limits of the American experiment.

"Turning the clock back on abortion by punishing women who have one":  Not completely true because right now abortions are legal,and how can the government punish someone for doing something that is legal?

Yes,he has said he wants to make abortions illegal,but even as a president he doesn't have the power to make that happen,although he is so stupid he probably doesn't know that.

However,if abortion WERE to be make illegal again,what's wrong with having criminal penalties for having one? Isn't it standard to provide criminal penalties for those caught committing criminal acts?


"turn back the clock by reneging on trade policy," : Considering it was traitors that created those policies to enrich themselves at the expense of America and Americans,WTF is wrong with changing the policies?

 "turn back the clock by starting a trade war,": More rhetoric. No nation can start a trade war by itself.

" turn back the clock by slamming the door to members of one world religion," : OK,so even Trump gets it right sometimes. ANYBODY that doesn't want to do that is a total damn fool,or a Muslim.

" turn back the clock by encouraging the proliferation of nuclear weapons.":   First I have heard of that one.