Of course, he’s got to go.
But that’s really – for now – only a heartfelt wish.
One has to start with the certainty that he doesn’t want to
go. And persuading him otherwise seems
impossible.
Maybe not.
But, perhaps I’m ahead of myself. Why does he have to go, after all? Sure, he says dreadful things as a matter of
course and from a character perspective seems a horrible human being. Yet he was elected President only six years
ago and his many flaws didn’t seem to matter much.
Or perhaps they did, just not enough to outweigh voter
antipathy toward Hillary Clinton.
Many of his supporters back then certainly were motivated
to vote for the lesser of two evils (and hasn’t Mrs. Clinton done much in the
interim to justify that choice?).
However, it seems now that many of those who previously
backed him reluctantly have become fervent supporters. That is obvious from the recent GOP primaries
where his support for certain candidates was crucial to their success. He’s their man.
Will their enthusiasm wane in light of the November
results. Not without some help. The opposition of long-term Trump foes such
as the media and Republican politicians like Larry Hogan and Liz Cheney can’t
provide it. His base is strengthened by
their hostility.
These sorts were never on his side anyway.
On the other hand, voters in the general election made
plain that their warranted disgust with Donald Trump is shared by larger
numbers than his base can produce.
Thus, the election prospects for conservatives in America
alone, independent of the former president’s myriad personal deficiencies,
compel that he be denied any future political role.
Can there be an intact Trump base without Trump? Sure.
The task is to persuade the third to a half of Republicans who currently
align with him that they can go elsewhere without disowning the former
president.
There are so-called political experts who think that Trump
can be driven from the scene by denunciation.
Hardly. Such tactics will be
counter-productive by generating a defensive reaction. Better approach - persuade the base to give
up on Trump without implicitly condemning its prior support for him.
One is inclined to listen to one’s friends for advice and
resist guidance from those who are not.
The major source of affirmation for Donald Trump has been
portions of the conservative media, principally the Fox News opinion
hosts. That has not included the
intellectual side of the Right such as the Wall Street Journal and
National Review magazine.
Although Fox and the Journal are both owned by the
News Corporation, they go their separate ways editorially (well, at least, that
certainly has been the case since 2016 when it comes to Donald Trump).
Fox’s primetime line-up headed by Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity
has been staunchly pro-Trump and unwilling to recognize his political
weaknesses. Until they do, their
pro-Trump audience is unlikely to waiver in its support. Yet there are promising signs from other Fox
opinion leaders, such as Laura Ingraham and Jesse Waters, that the former
president may not be the best fit for the future GOP. The hints have been mild so far but cracks
are prone to expand.
Smashing the wall of support won’t succeed. People don’t respond well to attacks on
objects of their attention. They perceive them to be assaults on themselves,
personally.
The suggestion of The Sensible Conservative is simple and
straightforward. Remind people that
there is nothing wrong with getting old; that’s life. Of course, the former president did many
positive things but the need to move on can’t be ignored. Remember him fondly and with gratitude but
look elsewhere for new leadership.
Donald Trump’s time has passed.
