Guest Post by Patrick J. Buchanan
“The two living Republican past presidents, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, have no plans to endorse Trump, according to their spokesmen.” So said the lead story in The Washington Post.
Graceless, yes, but not unexpected. The Bushes have many fine qualities. Losing well, however, is not one of them.
And they have to know, whether they concede it or not, that Trump’s triumph is a sweeping repudiation of Bush Republicanism by the same party that nominated them four times for the presidency.
Not only was son and brother, Jeb, humiliated and chased out of the race early, but Trump won his nomination by denouncing as rotten to the core the primary fruits of signature Bush policies.
Twelve million aliens are here illegally, said Trump, because the Bushes failed to secure America’s borders.
America has run up $12 trillion in trade deficits and been displaced as the world’s first manufacturing power by China, said Trump, because of the lousy trade deals backed by Bush Republicans.
The greatest strategic blunder in U.S. history, said Trump, was the Bush II decision to invade Iraq to disarm it of nonexistent weapons of mass destruction.
The war Bush began, says Trump, produced 5,000 American dead, scores of thousands wounded, trillions of dollars wasted, and a Middle East sunk in civil-sectarian war, chaos and fanaticism.
That is a savage indictment of the Bush legacy. And a Republican electorate, in the largest turnout in primary history, nodded, “Amen to that, brother!”
No matter who wins in November, there is no going back for the GOP.
Can anyone think the Republican Party can return to open borders or new free-trade agreements like NAFTA?
Can anyone believe another U.S. Army, like the ones Bush I and Bush II sent into Afghanistan and Iraq, will be mounted up and march to remake another Middle East country in America’s image?
Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom are history.
What the Trump campaign revealed, as Republicans and even Democrats moved toward him on trade, immigration and foreign policy, is that Bush Republicanism and neoconservatism not only suffered a decisive defeat, they had a sword run right through them.
They are as dead as emperor-worship in Japan.
Trump won the nomination, he won the argument, and he won the debate. The party is now with Trump — on the issues. For GOP elites, there can be no going back to what the grass roots rejected.
What does this suggest for Trump himself?
While he ought to keep an open door to those he defeated, the greatest mistake he could make would be to seek the support of the establishment he crushed by compromising on the issues that brought out his crowds and brought him his victories and nomination.
Given Trump’s negatives, the Beltway punditocracy is writing him off, warning that Trump either comes to terms with the establishment on the issues, or he is gone for good.
History teaches otherwise.
Hubert Humphrey closed a 15-point gap in the Gallup poll on Oct. 1 to reach a 43-43 photo finish with Richard Nixon in 1968.
President Gerald Ford was down 33 points to Jimmy Carter in mid-July 1976, but lost by only 2 points on Election Day.
In February 1980, Ronald Reagan was 29 points behind Jimmy Carter, whom he would crush 51-41 in a 44-state landslide.
Gov. Michael Dukakis left his Atlanta convention 17 points ahead of Vice President George H. W. Bush in 1988. Five weeks later, Labor Day, Bush had an eight-point lead he never lost, and swept 40 states.
What this suggests is extraordinary volatility of the electorate in the modern age. As this year has shown, that has not changed.
How then should Trump proceed?
Unify the party, to the degree he can, by keeping an open door to the defeated and offering a hand in friendship to all who wish to join his ranks, while refusing to compromise the issues that got him where he is. If the Bushes and neocons wish to depart, let them go.
Lest we forget, Congressman John Anderson, who lost to Reagan in the primaries, bolted the party and won 7 percent of the national vote.
Ted Cruz, who won more states and votes than all other Trump rivals put together, should be offered a prime-time speaking slot at Cleveland — in return for endorsing the Trump ticket.
As the vice presidential nominee remains the only drama left, Trump should hold off announcing his choice until closer to Cleveland.
For while that decision will leave one person elated, it will leave scores despondent.
And the longer Trump delays his announcement, the more that those who see themselves as a future vice president will be praising him, or at least holding off from attacking him.
Ultimately, the Great Unifier upon whom the Republican Party may reliably depend is the nominee of the Democratic Party — Director James Comey and his FBI consenting — Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Very good article by Mr Pat. Glad to hear a good clear voice in this crazy time. Hope to see some of these things come to pass soon.
Something that can be said about Trump, whether you like him or not, is that he has shown the Republican establishment up for who and what it is and that it is just a minor faction of the also now openly exposed world elite ruling establishment.
It is said that the truth will set you free and this knowledge is not going away. It will set the people of the US and world free of the deception of having their own self chosen rule when it is really the Elite behind the scenes that actually run everything for their own benefit.
Many people have known that for a long time, but now everyone not willingly being deceived by them =and there are many- will know it as well.
This movement is not going to go away and the elite are not going to let their power be taken away without extreme measures to keep it.
Be ready, I think things will be happening faster and faster now and they won’t be pleasant as they do.
I half-agree with Anon above. But I think Trump is moving into a position where he will simply be “the establishment.” Not the useless and increasingly irrelevant Washington DC Repukes, who are hated by everyone and have therefore lost their usefulness to the real powers. Rather, a new and shiny, “hopey and changey” replacement who will have far more credibility as a supposed “man of the people,” while in fact simply continuing the approved policies of the masters above.
C’mon guys, Trump just picked a recently ex-Goldman Sachs and Soros employee as his finance chairman, a guy who has been a Dem supporter for most of his adult life:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-05-05/trump-picks-former-goldman-partner-and-soros-employee-finance-chairman
I’m getting a strong 2008 feeling right now. Masses of people desperate – desperate for ANYTHING – and easily mislead by someone who acts like a fresh new outsider, when they are in fact just the new golden boy of the real money powers, who are wise to the stench of death coming from the establishment. New figurehead, same masters, same old shit: utterly captured, Wall St. Bankster, perpetual big-money racketeer politics of the last three presidents.
” The Bushes have many fine qualities.”
Name a few, Pat.
“What this suggests is extraordinary volatility of the electorate in the modern age”
Actually, what those examples suggest is simply massive fraud in the electoral process.
“If the Bushes and neocons wish to depart, let them go.”
Pat, they already left. They went back to the democrats from whence they came. That happened when Obama was elected in ’08. though you obviously didn’t notice. Trump saw where they are and hasn’t tried to woo them back. What are you suggesting?
“Ted Cruz, who won more states and votes than all other Trump rivals put together, should be offered a prime-time speaking slot at Cleveland — in return for endorsing the Trump ticket.”
Why? Offer him nothing. Flip him the bird. That’s how Trump can hold onto the people who have decided to back him. The people who have tried to bury his campaign don’t deserve anything from him, except his contempt. Fuck ’em, they failed. Let ’em just FOAD.
“And the longer Trump delays his announcement, the more that those who see themselves as a future vice president will be praising him, or at least holding off from attacking him.”
Finally, a line I can agree with.
We have an election between Jerry Springer and Rosie Odonnel. I will take the film flam man over the bulldyke commie.
Some very good things have come from the Trump win. Ted Cruz has been defeated, and he was scary. Now, Donald Trump will finish off the Republican Party. It too will be humiliated in November, so much so it will fold and be forced into renewal. Hopefully, the renewal will produce a coherent philosphy rather than more lies to get elected and then the same old same old.
An endosement from Sarah Palin? Come on!! (watch the movie Game Changer). Sarah Palin should have been hidden away as an embarrassment, instead she has been lionized by the Party, so great is its desperation.
It is entirely possible the Republicans will not only lose the Presidency, but also the House and the Senate. McCain has mentioned he will have a tough time holding his seat due to Trump’s Mexican bashing rhetoric. Of course the fence is a good idea, but it won’t work. Did it work for East Germany? The only way to keep illegals out is to fine employers who use them into oblivion, and Trump is on that same list!! In fact, this past year has shown a net out-migration back to Mexico due to the shitty economy.
Over three hundred million to choose from and all the Country has come up to choose from is this crop of losers? Bible thumping hypocrits, Creationists, and the like. Where are the leaders?
But I see Adelson, who last backed Rubio, is now supporting tRump.
I guess when your the 0.1% you would all know, love or hate each other.
“Where are the leaders?”
Who cares? Fuck a bunch of leaders. Leaders want to rule over people. People who want leaders want to be cornholed.
And yet we see a very public apology from Vicente Fox. This is a top banana in the bunch of banana republics to the south, kowtowing to the newly crowned emperor. Like the Brits announcing the fall of WTC 7 half an hour before we saw it falling, the American subjects are telegraphing the news we have yet to see.
regardless, this topic de jour, it is still a steamin’ pile of BS
Paulo says: Of course the fence is a good idea, but it won’t work. Did it work for East Germany?
“Bush republicanism is dead”
I often enjoy your writing pat, even though I don’t always agree with it, such as here. Bush republicanism is far from dead. There are a shitload of them in the senate and congress, and more than a few of them occupy governors mansions. I doubt we have seen the last of Jeb!, and even if we were to be that lucky, they have some shitweasel bush children that will be rising up through the ranks of the republican party and running for big offices in the not too distant future, assuming there is anything left to run for. Bet on it.
The endorsements are pouring in for Trump. All the Bushes, Paul Ryan and Romney all despise Trump. Gold plated endorsements in the opinion of Trumpeters.
Overthecliff says: Gold plated endorsements in the opinion of Trumpeters.
Are you a Trumpeteer?
“Are you a Trumpeteer?”
Yo, EC, whuffo you goan ax a personal queschun fo’?
well, maybe before i tow his ass, i got to know
Hey, here’s a personal questchun for you: If Bush republicanism is in the past, should we start referring to it as Bush republicwasm?
Ed, are you trying to provoke BW?
Yeah, I like to read her rants, though she ain’t really a she, I suspect. Republicanwasm sounds better to me, being a past tense kinda thing.
Ed, I never refer to BW as a ‘she’. And for the sake of the noobs, Bea is also not a she, although it goes without saying.
IMO. BW’s posts are hilarious. If anybody can’t tell by reading the first few words that it’s a put-on, then they can’t be counted on to have a sense of humor. I’ve seen several people just really take offense as though the joke was a personal attack.