In reply to: I'd be in posted by AquinasDomer
We've had waves of nativism in the past, accelerating partisanship, etc.
Sometimes it takes a war or some sort of inflection point to reset things. Sometimes people just get tired of fighting each other and passions cool.
The problem right now is moderates have little to no leverage. There are many pro Ukraine/moderate GOP house members. They won't do anything to pressure leadership because they know they would be eaten alive in a primary and it doesn't matter in a general.
My hope is post Trump the MAGA types have less juice in the primary and the party cares a built more about leadership/governing. But alas probably not a hope grounded in reality.
I think it ends with him.
The only common policy across MAGA is who can be the biggest asshole and the answer will always be Trump. The rest is just celebrity and fear. There's no mantle to hand because there's nobody to take it. No one's spent the past 40-50 years polishing his bullshit brand.
But I see people like Tucker Carlson out there, and maybe even Don Jr.
A little name recognition and charisma might get it done.
I guess we'll keep hoping.
He has an animal cunning. He has a deplorable charisma but it is charisma. People should be studying his branding strategies which are less strategy and more finely tuned gut instinct.
I don't think we've had anyone remotely like Trump in 250 years and I don't expect another soon.
The second the GOP stops fearing him, I think it'll be a race to see who can disavow him the fastest and the loudest.
My money's on Marco Rubio. Fuck, I can't believe I voted for that guy in the primary.
It's possible that without the massive bully pulpit that Trump wields that moderate Republicans will be able to start winning primaries again after he's gone. Similar to this Hogan guy, I'm skeptical but hopeful.