The consensus is that this election is all over bar the shouting. Hillary Clinton is cautiously moving into Arizona, Utah, Georgia and even Texas - all States that have rarely been in the Democratic column for generations. This, when every poll has her winning in the toss up States.
Jay H. Ell blogged nearly a year ago, six months before Trump clinched the GOP nomination, that he had hijacked the Republican Party. Trump didn’t even pretend that he wasn’t using the lax regulations that allowed him to gatecrash the Republican nomination process for his own account. He made it quite clear then, as he did throughout, that he didn’t care if he had the support of the Republican Party leaders or not. He was, as Hillary Clinton argued, an equal opportunity insulter, insulting Republicans with Muslims, Latinos, women and the disabled. He was unashamedly going solo and the Republicans were pretending all was fine. First they believed he could never get the nomination and then they believed he would change. They, till the latest debate were still hanging around waiting for Godot.
THE PARTY WENT AGAINST OWN REPORT AND STUCK WITH TRUMP
Ironically, Reince Priebus, Chairman of the Republican Party National Committee, (RNC), who was responsible for the report that was to be the basis of the evolution of the Republican Party from a twentieth century dinosaur to a twentieth first century animal that would come to terms with the changing demography of America, became a Trump champion. The report had recognized that American politics was no longer controlled by white males. The Hispanics and the African Americans were becoming a larger part of the electorate. In addition the millennials were not hung up with the social values of the 1960’s. The LGBT’s were not only a growing voting block but also could not be abused to rally the party. Finally, women were becoming more and more crucial in the outcome of elections.
Donald Trump from the word go stood against nearly everything that was needed to allow the Republicans to win a national election. Over eighteen months it has just got worse and worse as he played to the basest base of the Republican Party.
IN HOPE THEY DID NOTHING
Initially, the Republican Party coped by denial believing that Trump would not win the nomination. As he destructively marched towards securing the top spot there were some belated frantic attempts lead by Mitt Romney to stop Trump. That failed. Then the mantra was that he would change; “become presidential” or “stay on message”.Throughout the process the intelligentsia of the Republican Party were disaffecting one by one.
The GOP Establishment lead by Reince Priebus had every opportunity to allow the anti Trump force to prevent a nomination that would ultimately smash the Party and everything it ostensibly stood for. But the “Anyone But Trump Movement” was marginalized at the Party Congress and everywhere else. Not only did Priebus do nothing about it, against everyone’s advice and to this minute he has not cut him loose. Priebus was part of Trump’s recent debate preparation… He threatened Cruz and Kasich that if they didn’t support Trump they would not be eligible to run for the Republican Presidential nomination ever.
Just pause for a second and analyze what the Republican Presidential Nominee stands for: racism, abuse of women, support of Russia and its blatant interference into America’s electoral process and the rape of the democratic process just for starters…..
The legislative leaders McConnell and Ryan would have unconditionally supported him had he not, with monotonously regularity, gone so off kilter. They had to keep their distance otherwise they would have ruined any hope they had of keeping their legislative majorities. They should have chucked the nonentity Priebus out and told Trump to run on his own. They needn’t have contorted themselves to the extent they did as the end result, anyway, is that the Party is in tatters, the Presidency will be lost in a landslide and the Senate will be Democratic. The only thread the House is hanging on by is that the Congressional Districts have been so gerrymandered by the Republicans that it is very difficult for the Democrats to win it back. It may be irrelevant as the GOP will be so split in the House that Ryan will be unable to control the caucus.
BUYER’S REMORSE
The recriminations are already under way. Morning Joe Scarborough, the influential talk show host, is being hammered for his initial pandering to Trump. He is denying culpability and in truth he was just one of many cashing in on the ratings that the rantings of that maniac were providing. The only bright spot in all of this was the pained peeling off by the Republican intelligentsia. As Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post argued, “Everyone will have to explain what they were doing as this travesty progressed”.
WHAT NOW?
So a sober analysis of where to go next is overdue. The Democrats needn’t be too smug because they were also accused of the same disdain of the average voter that Trump capitalized on. To Clinton’s credit she has already adjusted to the lessons that caused Sander’s popularity. The message is loud and clear. If anything is rigged it is the economy, in favor of the one percent. A fact that Trump cynically exploited himself and then argued he could be the champion of wealth equity. The GOP has to take that into account otherwise they cannot ever recover. Their base also want Social Security, Medicare, affordable college and protection from the financial sharks, for example.
Then if they are serious about winning the Hispanics' support they better get with the program that they started in the Senate on Immigration Reform. In addition, realize that even after sixty years of civil rights that there is inherent prejudice in the system to the African Americans.
One fact for certain is that Trump will not just go away. However, he hasn’t the patience or the discipline to carry on “The Movement”. He will just add the failed Presidential Run to his six bankruptcies and move on toTrump television. Even better news for those who are going to try and resuscitate the GOP is that there is no one who can easily take over the leadership roll of Trumpism. All the contenders are washed up or discredited - Giuliani, Christie and the sad lot of alt- rights should be no match for the legitimate leaders.
Whichever way you look at there is going to be a Democratic President for at least eight more years.
No comments:
Post a Comment