So, What Kind of Republican IS Donald Trump, Really?
He's certainly not a Tea Party Republican.
He's not a mainstream conservative either.
He's not a classic Republican.
He doesn't fit at all. So, how did he get the nomination?
Here's how: The Republican Party has been disintegrating and fracturing for quite some time. The disruption dates all the way back to the 1990s, but really began to display itself as the Tea Party began to gain support from the know-nothings and racist elements in the Party. Meanwhile, the national party leadership grew fearful of this Tea Party movement. Without it, however, they could not win elections, so they bowed to Tea Party demands, along with NRA demands, in an attempt to hold onto power.
Then came Barack Obama. For eight years, he has shown the nation a face of government that looked different, and not just because of his skin color. He got the economy back on track, pretty much ended the wars in the Middle East, and made sense when he talked. The Tea Party went nuts and the party establishment kept right on bending its knees to hold onto their phony baloney jobs.
Enter Donald Trump. In 2016, the Republican Party was so fragmented that 17 candidates showed up to run for the nomination. 17. One by one, they failed to get enough votes to stick it out and one by one, they dropped out. The traditionalists were the first to go, and people like Jeb Bush could not muster any support at all. The weak candidates went, too. Finally, all that was left was tea baggers, Kasich, who couldn't get any national traction, along with this weird guy, Donald Trump.
Surprise, Surprise! Trump got the votes and the nomination. Why? Because he wasn't even a Republican. He represented none of the fragmented factions of the Party. He was the "change" candidate. What did he stand for? Nobody cared. It didn't matter. He was not Obama. He was not Hillary. He was not the old standard Republican candidate the party establishment was looking for.
Now that the convention is over, there Trump stands. Trump speaks, and what comes out of his mouth makes no sense whatsoever. Certainly not to Democrats, but not to Republicans, either. The Tea Baggers don't like him. He's a polyamorous, non-religious, non-conservative sort of person. Traditional Republicans are simply dumbstruck. They have no idea what to do with this blundering buffoon of a candidate.
It's over. Trump will destroy his own candidacy. If the party somehow manages to replace him, they'll select some safe replacement from the traditional side, which will send the Trump supporters and tea baggers straight to Gary Johnson and the Libertarian Party. The tea baggers are already heading in that direction in a broadening stream.
Donald Trump will not be President. Neither will anyone who might replace him. We have an opportunity that we should take hold of and maximize by getting out the vote like never before. We have a chance to profit hugely from the Republicans' disorganization. Will we take that opportunity? I hope so with all of my being.
GOTV 2016!
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