Two great historians — one the former chairman of the California Republican Party, the other the architect of the 1994 Republican Revolution — discuss what conservatives must learn from last night.
However, there is not "a" Republican Party. There is the "Republican" wing of the UniParty, and the MAGA insurgency.
That UniParty wing controls the levers of power of the GOP (e.g., just look at the "Republican" Senators), and is the beneficiary of corporate / globalist (and CCP) funding.
My sense is that, like 2018, they'd be happy to lose through feigned electioneering incompetence and purposeful inaction, setting the stage for the Democrats taking (at least) the House and setting the stage for the permanent elimination of Donald Trump and those meddlesome and annoying MAGA riffraff.
I read the original piece in The American Spectator. I even recall Rush Limbaugh devoting (a whole?) show talking about it.
I haven't (yet) read the book. That said, I'm happy to report that I'm about six weeks away from standing down at my "day job" (i.e., retiring), and so I'm about to have time to start catching up on a whole big backlog of reading material.
That, and get more voluminous with my own Substack (which has been neglected lately due to aforementioned "day job" demands).
You'll both like it a lot. And you'll also read it very quickly, because as I recall, he had to add the full text of the Declaration and the Constitution -- in large print on small pages -- to make it book-length. It's really just a long essay, but in book form Limbaugh was able to sell a gazillion copies for Angelo and make him some real money.
It's still some of the best money you'll ever spend.
Tom, you’ve totally nailed it. As you say, the GOP wing of the Uniparty has been fighting against Trump and MAGA since the 2015 escalator ride. They showed their colors in this election by basically offering no support.
On more thing. Trump was shunned by all GOP candidates and in CA. You can’t win without Trump. The anti-Trump Dem vote is ever present, but the pro Trump GOP vote only turns out if he is embraced by the candidates.
The key to 2026, in my opinion, is a successful Trump agenda. He must pivot from foreign policy to Domestic issues with his focus on making life better and more affordable for working people. Every policy, every action must be accompanied by messaging on how it makes life better and more affordable. Deportations-lower costs plus increased real wages. NG in cities-safer, cleaner, businesses return to blighted neighborhoods. Tariffs-more jobs with higher real wages.
Dems lose midterms when they succeed in implementing their policies-2010 Obamacare. Rs lose when they FAIL to implement their policies.
Republican voters are embarrassing in off-year and mid-term elections. Maddeningly so. They like to bitch and groan and the "gubment" and "demmycrats" but when they have to fill out a ballot, they are pussies. It's pretty simple. Show up. And if you don't show up, you're as good as a socialist.
Good analyses.
However, there is not "a" Republican Party. There is the "Republican" wing of the UniParty, and the MAGA insurgency.
That UniParty wing controls the levers of power of the GOP (e.g., just look at the "Republican" Senators), and is the beneficiary of corporate / globalist (and CCP) funding.
My sense is that, like 2018, they'd be happy to lose through feigned electioneering incompetence and purposeful inaction, setting the stage for the Democrats taking (at least) the House and setting the stage for the permanent elimination of Donald Trump and those meddlesome and annoying MAGA riffraff.
I trust you've read Angelo Codevilla's wonderful The Ruling Class?
I read the original piece in The American Spectator. I even recall Rush Limbaugh devoting (a whole?) show talking about it.
I haven't (yet) read the book. That said, I'm happy to report that I'm about six weeks away from standing down at my "day job" (i.e., retiring), and so I'm about to have time to start catching up on a whole big backlog of reading material.
That, and get more voluminous with my own Substack (which has been neglected lately due to aforementioned "day job" demands).
Heading to Florida for 10 day vacation. Will read The Ruling Class.
You'll both like it a lot. And you'll also read it very quickly, because as I recall, he had to add the full text of the Declaration and the Constitution -- in large print on small pages -- to make it book-length. It's really just a long essay, but in book form Limbaugh was able to sell a gazillion copies for Angelo and make him some real money.
It's still some of the best money you'll ever spend.
Tom, you’ve totally nailed it. As you say, the GOP wing of the Uniparty has been fighting against Trump and MAGA since the 2015 escalator ride. They showed their colors in this election by basically offering no support.
On more thing. Trump was shunned by all GOP candidates and in CA. You can’t win without Trump. The anti-Trump Dem vote is ever present, but the pro Trump GOP vote only turns out if he is embraced by the candidates.
The key to 2026, in my opinion, is a successful Trump agenda. He must pivot from foreign policy to Domestic issues with his focus on making life better and more affordable for working people. Every policy, every action must be accompanied by messaging on how it makes life better and more affordable. Deportations-lower costs plus increased real wages. NG in cities-safer, cleaner, businesses return to blighted neighborhoods. Tariffs-more jobs with higher real wages.
Dems lose midterms when they succeed in implementing their policies-2010 Obamacare. Rs lose when they FAIL to implement their policies.
Republican voters are embarrassing in off-year and mid-term elections. Maddeningly so. They like to bitch and groan and the "gubment" and "demmycrats" but when they have to fill out a ballot, they are pussies. It's pretty simple. Show up. And if you don't show up, you're as good as a socialist.
Thanks. I downloaded and am looking forward to it.