Colonel Lang has eloquently stated the dilemma facing the Republican Party. As Senator Lindsey Graham admitted following the events of January 6, the Republican Party cannot live without Donald Trump, but at the same time, the Party must look to the future and find a way to retain the 15 million new GOP voters who came into the Party because of their support for Donald Trump while opening the opportunity for a new generation of presidential hopefuls.
A recent teleconference call by 120 Republican Party officials contemplated leaving the GOP and forming a new right-of-center party or forming a faction to revive more traditional Republican Party ideology. The group did not reach a decision, but clearly reflected a larger body of party stalwarts who are unclear about the future. They openly spoke of the differences between the Republican Party and the Party of Trump. A majority of state party posts are filled by Trump loyalists, and former President Trump has already announced his personal plans to back candidates challenging those RINOs (Republicans in Name Only) who did not rally behind him during his two impeachment trials.
Another complicating factor for the Republican Party old guard is that some new generation Republicans are calling for a break with the Reagan era free market/small government ideology that gave the party a dominant position in presidential sweepstakes for much of the past 40 years. COVID-19 has prompted some leading young Republicans to take a more balanced approach to regulation and the role of government during a period of national emergency. Marco Rubio, Josh Hawley, Ben Sasse, and Tom Cotton cover the spectrum of Republican Party national security views, but all share the belief that the GOP must rethink the proper role of government and–God forbid–move towards a national industrial policy. In the cases of Rubio, Hawley, and Cotton, they argue for these changes to address the growing geo-economic challenges from China.
In summary, the GOP is going through some dramatic changes, and the outcome is highly uncertain. As Col. Lang noted, Donald Trump will have a hard time stepping aside and letting the GOP sort out these heady issues, while retaining his commitment to his political base staying within the Republican Party’s growing tent. It will make for a rocky road forward, but one with some real potential to step into the 21st century and the new generation that is growing into political prominence.
This break is way overdue. The ideological marriage between Rural Sensibilities and Wall Street Capitalists has been an awkward fit ever since the 1900s. Now that Communism is no longer the threat it was (kind of), Rural Populism should no longer hitch its fortunes with the Financiers.
I am also wondering what will be happening to the Democrats as well. The left wing of their party is the tail that is trying to wag the dog.
If anything is a more uncomfortable fit than Rural Sensibilities and Wall Street, it is Semi-Socialist lefties and Wall Street.
John,
The Democrat party similarly suffers from a communist coalition of the Urban Proletariat with the Intelligentsia / Meritocratic Elite (which slowly morphed into a sub-coalition of Academia, Establishment Media, Silicon Valley, and Wall Street, bizarrely).
That the Democrats believe they have a stable coalition, is a testament to the power of Establishment Media.
Some elements of the Democrat Coalition are more amenable to Rural Sensibilities: some Hispanics and African-Americans, some environmentalists, and some Gaia-cultists. This indicates, again, that the political realignments are already underway. We are seeing Rural Populism, Urban Proletariat, and the Borg / Intelligentsiya jockeying for a new coalition.
We just need to wait for the Libertards, Libertaritards, and Commidiots to figure out how stupid they are. Which is probably when they’ve been trampled under by all the Populists.
The left wing IS the dog.
There is no such person as a “moderate” Democrat.
Testing Turco
Being an elected official is a personal straight jacket.
I sense Trump will quickly appreciate his new found freedom being out of the WH fishbowl – he knows what needs to be done and securing an impervious media umbrella, that cannot be sabotaged by Democrats or high tech, should be job one. To no longer be one branch of government away from the treacherous reach of Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer is reward enough.
There are many loose ends within the conservative movement that need to be gathered in for maximum benefit and effect. The recent Florida resident response to his President’s Day motorcade shows he remains alive, well and greatly appreciated for what he had to endure these past four years. The new GOP movement to re-establish local precinct volunteers is the right step to support too – we can all do a small part to “fortify” GOP resiliency and beat the Democrat’s disciplined GOTV stormtroopers at their own game in 2022.
As a “personality” Trump can continue with the movement and target his efforts with more precision and less partisan interference. No one can erase his time serving as President of the United States of America – He was 45th in this long line of historical figures chosen by the people of the United States via due constitutional process. Nothing the Democrats do or say can ever erase that. But there is far more power to exert out of office, than in office. And a lot more fun. Easier on his entire family as well.
Conservative voices need a bold partner. Trump can continue to play that role as a private citizen. And now with the savvy knowing how the system works. He got his hands dirty doing the real work of governance. Something no other conservative pundit ever did – this alone puts him in a rarified category to carry on the general cause.
Which has nothing to do with personal elective office for himself, but continuing with the fundamental shift of changing the national narrative……and punching back at Democrat pomposity and hypocrisy. Picture Trump inheriting the Rush Limbaugh mantle, but with a very sharp needle to actually burst the growing deep state balloons.
I hate to say it, but it’s the vision thing. A party needs a vision and it can’t be “Undo everything the other guy did”. “Drain the swamp” is a noble goal but what are you going to do with that land once its drained? Cover in solar panels? Make it a parking lot?
The problems America faces are real and they require real solutions not just reactionary “undo” policies. Maybe President Trump has a vision, if so, I haven’t heard it.
The question then becomes can Trump lead the process of regrouping and reinvigorating the Republican Party? I dont know the ansewer.
Republicans will be free to have “Vision”s when they are comfortable being called “Racists”. Not that their new Rural Populist vision would be particularly racist, but that the Intelligentsiya and Wall Street will call it so immediately.
I’ll bet were on Icelandic time!
Time check
I’d be encouraged if the conversation centered primarily on supporting and defending the U.S. Constitution. Instead, the discussion was about marketing the same politicians in a new and appealing manner, all to keep enough space for the right snouts in the trough.
DJT’s appeal is neither the disease nor the cure. His popularity is a symptom of the population getting tired of the game played by both sides in D.C.
JMG
The endless greed that led to this predicament will have be curtailed. Voluntarily would be the better solution.
Spot on Bill. UK time as well.
“….Republicans are calling for a break with the Reagan era free market/small government ideology that gave the party a dominant position….”
Unfortunately the “Reagan era free market/small government ideology” was just rhetoric. The results of the past 50+ years is unprecedented economic concentration with the financialization of the economy, and even bigger government that has led to incredible wealth inequality, the economic evisceration of the working & middle classes and the capture of the political, media and governmental system by the oligarchy.
The Party of Davos currently rules the roost.
Until there is a political realignment with the Deplorables across the “left”/”right” axis willing to combat the power of the oligarchy & their urban managerial class in an equally ruthless manner, there is limited opportunity for a rebalancing of power.
Unfortunately it appears there is an extremely limited constituency for the Lockean philosophy of our founding that includes free but competitive markets with limited and enumerated powers for government.
There is a difference between Capitalism (the ideology/cult foisted by Big Finance) and Economics (the science/engineering of exchange).
If we decide to accept a slower rate of growth in exchange for a more stable society, that is not Socialism; merely a democratic consensus. The past 30 years of Globalization across the world has shown that Unconstrained Capitalism tears apart families and breaks up societies. Worse, it destroys the traditional checks against frauds and cheats.
To believe that we can have a more regulated economy while maintaining historic growth rates, of course, is stupidity. But then, so is believing in the “wisdom” of Wall Street.
Making it safe to be a vocal conservative, creating a bullet proof forum for exchanges of “vision” have to happen first. Becoming a chorus of voices, not just one “personality” because it matters to us ….not to him. That is the immediate “vision”, plus there are plenty of other conservative voices who are also expressing the “vision thing” – may they become a roar, and a very appealing roar.
We have some very good people waiting in the wings, getting more seasoned every day, who were forced to the sidelines who deserve to now come out into the full sunshine on their collective conservative message.
We should not at this point be asking someone else for a “vision”. We should be shaking off the all too pervasive cancel culture shackles and be the vision. So first the media platform must emerge because the vision voices are already there.
Will Trump accept the “god father” role or will he still want to be the front man. He too will season over time and see being the wise interlocutor behind the scenes is actually most powerful of all. Just ask George Soros.
Congratulations.
This site has an improved look and feel.
JM Gavin,
“DJT’s appeal is neither the disease nor the cure.”
This is spot on. An accurate take which I’ve heard in the past is that DJT is not the murderer of American politics. He is merely the coroner who had the stones to point at the corpse and said “Hey, look! It’s dead. Follow me now.”
“Free” market is what brought us to this dystopian technology market where half a dozen big corporations can put their heads together and decide who will have a voice or not, with almost no chance for new products to insert themselves in the market if they do not follow their rules.
It is not too late yet to enforce antitrust laws on them, though, and the first step is political will.
C Span interviewed Clyde Prestowitz concerning US – China relations and his new book on the topic, The World Turned Upside Down
https://www.c-span.org/video/?509022-5/washington-journal-clyde-prestowitz-discusses-us-china-economic-relations
Prestowitz is a blast from the past — a sane and intelligent voice. He provided an overview of what US intended with its early recent relations with China; how they went awry; why Biden should take special care to build a Chinese wall between his son’s business dealings and the Biden administration relations with China.
It’s almost like people who “held their nose and supported the candidate of their party” are seeing consequences for doing so that they are not entirely comfortable with. How sad and unexpected.
California moves to ensure no one but Democrat insiders ever win any California election, including the upcoming possible recall of Gov Newsom.
…………….SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — As California Gov. Gavin Newsom prepares for a potential recall election this year, the state Legislature passed a bill on Tuesday that would require all active registered voters get a ballot in the mail ahead of the election even if they didn’t ask for one.
Lawmakers’ aim is to slow the spread of the coronavirus by encouraging people to vote by mail rather than show up in person. …………………………
Answering the very good question, why are California voters so stupid? Because once in power, Democrats accrue all legislative advantage only to themselves while still running covid, covid, covid for their own political gain. Universal mail in ballots automatically going to ALL registered voters plus ballot-harvesting – 100% Democrat lock even without corrupt voting systems.
Please tell me how California voters can ever get out of this self-inflicted mess? No wonder California has no interest ever moving out of covid fear porn. This is what term limits looks like in this state 20 years later.