Excellent post Dan, and indeed you got it right. Mr. Trump is courting danger if he is seen to be making peace with the establishment Republicans. That is, peace on any other terms than "the Trump way or the highway", because these are exactly the political parasites whose screams of pain at Trump's success have motivated so many voters across the political spectrum to side with Trump. I come away from the last few days of this "reunification" effort with a uneasy feeling of suspicion and dismay. Lindsey Graham and Mitch McConnell are the establishment political species I despise, and the hostile takeover of the Republican Party by Trump the source of my enthusiastic support.
Obviously, Trump has done quite well so far, his political instincts near-perfect, he is a natural. But now that he's transitioning from the primary campaign to the general, there's ample opportunity for him to stumble. So far, his wrecking-ball style and tone have been fabulously successful, and I hope that he will avoid any suggestion to abandon that successful approach. Lewandowski, his campaign manager, has often said, "Let Trump be Trump." And I enthusiastically agree. Until proven otherwise, I would say stick with what has worked so well up till now, encourage Mr. Trump and his instinct free reign to continue to succeed.
Also, I am not convinced that "unifying" the party is the right thing to do. I'm more inclined to consider comprehensively reinventing the Republican party. "Renovate" the hard-right conservative party, and move to a Centrist populist party. In short, dump the far-right entirely, and shift the party to the center. Lose voters on the right, gain more voters from the center-left.
There is an opportunity to take possession of substantial numbers of those independent and Democrat voters who are also in revolt. Substantial numbers of Democrat voters, the Bernie vote for example, could be had by going Bernie one better, and offering free online university for everyone. It's a very modern, hip notion. It's innovative -- appeals to younger voters, the "Millenials" -- is fairly obvious and extremely cost-effective.
Another issue which would have legions of left, right, and center voters flocking to the Trump movement would be to refuse and denounce Dick Cheney's recently-declared support. Trump should then declare that on his first day in office, the Trump Justice Department would indict Cheney, the architect of the "lie factory" -- the Office of Special Plans, that lied the country into Iraq -- for war crimes. Holding accountable the most hated and most evil man in the country, would -- IMO -- win him the presidency in a single stroke.
Your thoughts, Dan?
Obviously, Trump has done quite well so far, his political instincts near-perfect, he is a natural. But now that he's transitioning from the primary campaign to the general, there's ample opportunity for him to stumble. So far, his wrecking-ball style and tone have been fabulously successful, and I hope that he will avoid any suggestion to abandon that successful approach. Lewandowski, his campaign manager, has often said, "Let Trump be Trump." And I enthusiastically agree. Until proven otherwise, I would say stick with what has worked so well up till now, encourage Mr. Trump and his instinct free reign to continue to succeed.
Also, I am not convinced that "unifying" the party is the right thing to do. I'm more inclined to consider comprehensively reinventing the Republican party. "Renovate" the hard-right conservative party, and move to a Centrist populist party. In short, dump the far-right entirely, and shift the party to the center. Lose voters on the right, gain more voters from the center-left.
There is an opportunity to take possession of substantial numbers of those independent and Democrat voters who are also in revolt. Substantial numbers of Democrat voters, the Bernie vote for example, could be had by going Bernie one better, and offering free online university for everyone. It's a very modern, hip notion. It's innovative -- appeals to younger voters, the "Millenials" -- is fairly obvious and extremely cost-effective.
Another issue which would have legions of left, right, and center voters flocking to the Trump movement would be to refuse and denounce Dick Cheney's recently-declared support. Trump should then declare that on his first day in office, the Trump Justice Department would indict Cheney, the architect of the "lie factory" -- the Office of Special Plans, that lied the country into Iraq -- for war crimes. Holding accountable the most hated and most evil man in the country, would -- IMO -- win him the presidency in a single stroke.
Your thoughts, Dan?
Comments