10-30-2017, 11:08 AM
(10-30-2017, 10:19 AM)Dill Wrote: I agree there is a shift. That is why formerly far right Republicans are now called "the establishment"--any one who sees the long term consequences of incompetence or recognizes that DemocRATs get to vote too.
Trumpism can dominate the Republican party without being "mainstream." It has forced many self-identified conservatives to choose between conservative ideals and continued access to power (i.e. tax-cutting power). That leaves them ethically compromised, but doesn't make them converts to Trumpism. But it is too soon to say the GOP has capitulated, especially as Trump's popularity continues to drop.
Is Trump's popularity dropping among Republicans, though? We see the overall poll numbers, but my understanding is that he still has the vast majority of GOP voters behind him.
I do get what you're saying, though. Gillespie, running for governor here in Virginia, is about as establishment as you can get. I know he doesn't buy into Trumpism, but I'll be damned if he isn't running his campaign like it. It's funny, though, because he'll put his name on it, but he won't personally engage in the dog whistles and everything like the lower part of the ticket will.
