The headline on Dan Gelernter’s recent column at American Greatness -- “Trump Was a Mistake” – is a bit misleading. The mistake was that of the Uniparty. Mr Gelernter compares the ascendency to the presidency in 1900 of Teddy Roosevelt (TR), who was much despised by the political establishment because it could not control him. The establishment’s mistake back then was nominating TR in the vice-presidency, thinking that they could rid New York of its governor and at the same time condemn TR to political obscurity as Vice President. Didn’t work out that way. Mr Gelernter concludes:
So remember: The GOP isn’t really
our party. It never was. That is the central truth that the Trump
phenomenon has exposed—or exposed anew. It’s a political machine, just like the
Democratic Party, and it wants to run itself, not be run by “ordinary” people
like you and me. Trump’s nomination the first time around, from the GOP’s
perspective, was a huge mistake, just as TR’s had been. And they have no
intention of repeating that kind of mistake.
The GOP and the
Democrats and the media are all agreed on one, central point: Trump
cannot become president again. All these power groups’ motivations are
different, but their interests are aligned, and the stakes are practically
existential.
Keep the story of the 1900
Republican Convention in mind, too, when you think of Florida Governor Ron
DeSantis: He’s a huge success in Florida, and is the only governor standing up
to the federal government in any meaningful way. What could be better than to
seduce him away from that role with the promise of the presidency? Kill two
birds with one stone, and kill America, too, while you’re at it.
Trump was a huge mistake: He was
the biggest mistake machine politicians had made in over a century. The success
of Trump’s presidency dealt establishment politicians a heavy blow. A second
Trump term might kill them, and they know it.
So, be prepared to hear nothing
about Trump’s candidacy, nothing about his massive rallies, nothing about the
unwavering enthusiasm of his supporters. Be prepared to hear only one thing:
That the “people” don’t want him. But don’t believe it. Remember which people
are doing the talking.
Read the full column here.
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