I’ve heard that we need a new party to replace the Republicans. I’ve heard that it’s going to have to happen sooner rather than later. I’ve heard that it’s obvious it will occur because the Republicans cannot survive as they are.
In reality, however, the Republican party will easily survive Donald Trump and pivot back toward traditional conservatism, and the vast majority of their people will be happy to do so. During that pivot they will either lose a number of the nationalists who joined simply because of Trump (many of them race-based white nationalists) or they will develop a radical alt-right faction which is sidelined within the party but is always threatening to take over, in the same way that the progressive/socialist left threatens the Democrat party.
People work to have short memories regarding their own moral failings and many are masters at rationalization. For many, voting against Trump was a one-time thing, and this is shown by the success of Republicans downballot even as Trump was removed.
This may not be what anyone wants to hear, but it’s reality.
The dissatisfaction with Trump does provide an opportunity, however. Millions of people have walked away from the party to become independents, and there is currently a larger number of independent voters than adherents of either major political party.
The most common self-described position of the independent, “socially liberal, fiscally conservative, pro-freedom” is already occupied by the Libertarians. Other views also have representation, from the hard left of the Greens to the religion-tied conservatism of the Constitution Party. If the Republicans shift toward populism, there may be an opening for a new socially and fiscally conservative party but it runs the risk of competing against a Republican party which presents Trump as an aberration and rebrands itself yet again as Reaganesque. (Lest you think that people could not possibly fall for that, I direct you to our current President.) Or, rather than signing on to a fledgling party, would we be best served to promote one of the existing alternatives?
So, the question is open before everyone: What is the best way forward in seeking an alternative to Republican and Democrat – a new party, or one of the existing ones? What are you willing to do to help? What should the platform planks be? Recognizing that we’re not all going to agree about everythign, what items would be pleasant to have, and what would be make-or-break regarding your support? Please discuss and debate in the comment section below. This will be open all weekend, and I strongly urge everyone to participate. Every voice is helpful.
