Jason Harvestdancer
Contributor
I know this may seem an odd question considering they won, but there are a few interesting ramifications of this election for them too.
First of all, Trump doesn't have an allied congress, even though they are the same party. Most elected Republicans don't like him. He will have a slightly easier time working with them than, say, Hillary would, but it won't be smooth. He's no party insider. His election is actually ultimately bad news for the party establishment. Hell, the whole primary was bad news for the party establishment. They eventually rallied around Cruz, who they didn't like, because they liked Trump even less. They actually were for Bush the third at first, and weren't ready for the Trump steam-roller.
The entire party structure is going to have to be worked over to deal with the fact that an unwanted outsider is now the face of the party. Sure he is better at dealing with the repeated ad-nauseum Democrat attack of "he's a Republican therefore he's a racist sexist misogynist homophobe xenophobe etc." but the rest of the party isn't yet good at dealing with him.
Also, the pattern is broken. Completely and utterly broken. Ever since 1980, second place was the candidate next primary.
1976, Ford won, Reagan was second.
1980, Reagan won, Bush was second.
1984, negligible primary.
1988, Bush won, Dole was second.
1992, negligible primary.
1996, Dole won, negligible second.
2000, break in the pattern, Bush Jr cut to the front of the line, McCain was second.
2004, negligible primary.
2008, McCain won, Romney was second.
2012, Romney won, allegedly Santorum was second.
2016, Trump won. Santorum dropped out very early. Cruz was the one that hung in the longest, and he was only reluctantly supported by the party leadership as the last chance to stop Trump. Jeb bombed early. The leadership has nobody poised that they actually like to take the lead in 2024.
Between having a public face that the party leadership and elected congressmen do not like, they have nobody set to pick up the banner afterwards.
This really does spell hard times for the Republican Party in spite of their victory.
First of all, Trump doesn't have an allied congress, even though they are the same party. Most elected Republicans don't like him. He will have a slightly easier time working with them than, say, Hillary would, but it won't be smooth. He's no party insider. His election is actually ultimately bad news for the party establishment. Hell, the whole primary was bad news for the party establishment. They eventually rallied around Cruz, who they didn't like, because they liked Trump even less. They actually were for Bush the third at first, and weren't ready for the Trump steam-roller.
The entire party structure is going to have to be worked over to deal with the fact that an unwanted outsider is now the face of the party. Sure he is better at dealing with the repeated ad-nauseum Democrat attack of "he's a Republican therefore he's a racist sexist misogynist homophobe xenophobe etc." but the rest of the party isn't yet good at dealing with him.
Also, the pattern is broken. Completely and utterly broken. Ever since 1980, second place was the candidate next primary.
1976, Ford won, Reagan was second.
1980, Reagan won, Bush was second.
1984, negligible primary.
1988, Bush won, Dole was second.
1992, negligible primary.
1996, Dole won, negligible second.
2000, break in the pattern, Bush Jr cut to the front of the line, McCain was second.
2004, negligible primary.
2008, McCain won, Romney was second.
2012, Romney won, allegedly Santorum was second.
2016, Trump won. Santorum dropped out very early. Cruz was the one that hung in the longest, and he was only reluctantly supported by the party leadership as the last chance to stop Trump. Jeb bombed early. The leadership has nobody poised that they actually like to take the lead in 2024.
Between having a public face that the party leadership and elected congressmen do not like, they have nobody set to pick up the banner afterwards.
This really does spell hard times for the Republican Party in spite of their victory.