The GOP and the Future of American Republicanism
‘The specific political distinction to which political actions and motives can be reduced is that between friend and enemy’.
– Carl Schmitt (The Concept of the Political).
In the past year or so I have been following the commentary of Tim Pool-a popular political commentator with a sizable presence on social media numbering in the millions-who has, for a while now, been drawing attention to the growing political divide in the United States between the Left and the Right. A divide that is considerable at a societal level and is partly a function of the increasing disenchantment felt by many Americans toward the current political status quo. One that seems incapable of meaningfully addressing the core issues plaguing the nation.
The divide is so serious according to the beanie-wearing skater aficionado, that he has started to hint at the possibility of a “civil war” breaking out in the Republic. With statements that imply the United States is entering an era that resembles the later years of the Roman Republic (1). Whilst such statements may seem overblown (it does for me), it does not downplay the seriousness of the problems that bedevil this great nation. Problems that, one would believe, with the right leadership be fixed or at least their adverse effects on the citizenry greatly minimized.
From uncontrolled immigration, and inflation to crime the US, despite being the most powerful nation in the world, seems unable to critically address these problems in a timely manner. Key issues that affect most Americans regardless of income level or political affiliation, but acutely affects those who live on the margins: the now tens of millions of men and women(2) who are struggling to make ends meet and the most vulnerable to adverse changes in the macroeconomic environment. The sort of people, who, historically at least, have sided with the Left politically.
As things stand the party in power since 2020, the Democrats must bear the brunt of the blame for most of the ills that afflict the nation. Most notably the state of inner cities; the porous southern border where Federal authorities are in control; and liberal strongholds in major urban areas where the effects of bad policy-making that go back years if not decades, are felt the strongest.
The United States (US henceforth) despite having a Federal system, with a significant delegation of powers to the states and cities, still concentrates much power in the center. The authority to determine the function and trajectory of society still lies with Washington DC. Particularly the executive branch. And thanks to prolonged deadlocks in Congress, the Presidency has effectively governed via executive orders. Supplemented by the vast administrative network of state institutions that are tasked with executing its will. Thus the onus on controlling the White House is greater than ever. The party in power, via the executive, with no vetoing majority in the opposition, effectively decides the destiny of the nation; not withstanding the heroics of governors in certain red or purple states like Florida.
Since the blame for much of the ills that bedevil the United States has been placed on the Democrats, it logically means that the GOP becomes the main political force that can initiate and then maintain a serious course correction at the level of policy and governance to take the nation in the right direction. But the GOP, as any honest conservative and especially pro-Trump patriot would admit, has been anything but an effective force: either for change or as a bulwark against the subtle (or possibly overt) anti-Americanism that animates the Left. Which begs the question:
WHY THE GOP?
Before going further, let me state that I am not writing this essay as a Republican. MAGA or otherwise. I am writing this as a person who admires the American experiment: of what this young nation has been able to accomplish in its short history. And what concerns me is its visible (and statistically measurable) decline.
With news reports, and mountains of data showcasing the breakdown of this great nation in the most vivid terms: From ballooning debt levels, declining life expectancy, crumbling infrastructure(3). Much of this decline contrasts starkly with China’s relentless rise.
Much of the societal breakdown is occurring despite the US remaining a global power with vast capabilities: a leader in finance, information technology, war-fighting capabilities, and untapped energy potential. To say nothing of American culture with its limitless output in art and entertainment. Woke or otherwise. However, as things stand with immigration out of control: with over 2 million illegals, better known by the Leftist euphemism “undocumented migrants” flooding into the country from the porous southern border last year alone (2022); the visible breakdown in order in its major cities: with crime, degeneracy and virtual anarchy rampant.
Concerning here is the apparent normalization of what could be understood as a ‘culture of crime’. Law enforcement and even private companies either turn a blind eye or are physically unable to take corrective action in the face of mass felony and degeneracy (4). Combine these with the social dimension of the problem: a fentanyl-fueled drug epidemic, a year-over-year increase in suicides, and widespread homelessness. The latter becoming something of a lifestyle choice as certain parts of the US are increasingly starting to resemble third-world countries, with a skidrow model of ‘self-governance’ becoming widespread.
Added to this one could throw in factors like declining birthrates-a problem that can partly be attributed to the pro-choice industry and the rise of fatherless households. The collapse in birthrates is an unmistakable sign of civilizational decline. A reality that has even drawn the attention of the likes of Elon Musk (5).
I will leave foreign policy out for now. Though the manner in which the US has gone about dealing with the conflict in Ukraine, the disastrous pullout of Afghanistan, and the collapse of Libya (which started during the Obama years)(6). To what appears to be the unfolding of major conflict in Gaza. One that apparently resulted from a monumental intelligence failure between the two closely allied nations.
Added to all of this is the colossal domestic issue in America: Immigration; which from a foreign policy standpoint points to the failure to address the root cases of mass migration of peoples to the West from the so-called ‘Global South’. A state of affairs that points to deeper strategic failures on the part of the Federal government (Republican and Democrat) that goes back decades.
Since these problems transcend the traditional political divide between the Left and Right in the United States, the question the reader will again justifiably pose is: Why the GOP?
Why not opt for an Independent? Someone like Robert Kennedy, who recently announced his Independent run for the 2024 election. Or the Libertarian party. With a past candidate who could not name Aleppo (a city in Syria).
Or heck why not pin the hopes on a reformed DNC? A Democratic party of the (distant) future, that can leave behind its obsession with class, race, gender identity, and dreams of global governance. A DNC that can move towards the goal of small government, personal responsibility and the civic upliftment of the nation-state.
But that’s not going to happen.
This means the task of saving the Republic from future collapse and/or the possible outbreak of civil war, lies with the grand old party of America. But why though? Why not pin all hopes on the outsider? Why..
NOT TRUMP?
This is likely to be the most logical retort to come from traditional Republicans, particularly the MAGA segment.
The countless conservatives and patriots who have gotten sick of the business-as-usual politics that has come to characterize the everyday workings of the class of people who (supposedly) represent the Right-end of the political spectrum in the United States.
A concern that is not without reason.
The GOP, namely the present leadership, with arguably the majority of the elected (minus those endorsed by Trump) along with those who work behind the scenes in pulling the strings in Washington supposedly on behalf of the conservative cause, are either outright opposed to what Trump and MAGA movement represent, or at least harbor a degree of unease or even resentment towards its cause. Despite what the MAGA movement represents: what is best for the nation state.
In recent times the discourse surrounding the rise of a uni-party establishment: consisting of Democrats + Republicans who broadly agree on a range of domestic and foreign policy issues that don’t really represent the interests and concerns of average Americans, has gained traction. Particularly among those who want to put America first.
These issues range from uncompromising support for Ukraine with little regard for the long-term geopolitical outcomes, to a lack of serious intent in dealing with broader security. The latter is a policy stance that is believed by many in conservative circles to aid the Dems in the long term: as a constant influx of illegals, who in the future are likely to cast their vote (if and when they do) for DNC candidates who let them in the first place. One that is partly enabled by lax or non-existent voter ID laws in many liberal states.
The historical opposition to a border wall (until very recently) by the Democrats, and the failure to streamline immigration laws for those wishing to enter the United States legally, can be viewed as a ploy to import millions of future voters for the Left. The Right’s support for open borders can be viewed from the standpoint of importing cheap(er) labor, with the constant influx of workers into the job market keeping real wages down.
Underlying all of this are certain utopian conceptions of a world order minus the nation-state: A globalist dream where the idea of the nation weakens and dissipates through the free migration of peoples across the world. The problem with this view is that the migration of people at present is only taking place in one direction.
The matter of immigration alone (i.e. the failure on the part of the GOP to seriously address it) would be enough to floor the credibility of a party that is supposed to stand for and defend the ideals of the Republic. A factor that drove the initial support for Trump in 2016, along with his stance on China.
However, the point must made that the border situation during the Trump administration was not perfect. The Administration’s ability to effectively deal with illegal immigration (by building the wall) was viewed as a failure by many on the Right. A point I shall revisit. For pundits like Ann Coulter who backed Trump early on, the Trump presidency is deemed to be a ‘failure’ for not keeping the key campaign promises to secure the border by building a border wall (7).
Whilst President Trump didn’t exactly fail with these issues-especially on China, as the Biden Administration has maintained many of the previous Administration’s policies with respect to the geopolitical rival. However, Trump, from the standpoint of certain pundits, under-deliver. A valid criticism since no president is perfect, and in President Trump’s defense this was to be expected given the type of GOP he was left to work with.
The point is, no matter how strongly committed President Trump was to the MAGA cause, notably on immigration, he was always going to be hurdled by forces within and outside the party. Yet the point remains, that even though Trump was and still remains an outsider, his path to victory was made possible via the GOP. In other words, the party matters.
Before proceeding a brief overview of Trump’s presidency is needed.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS
A lot of things happened in the course of the 4 years that Donald Trump held the highest office in the land. Here are some wins from the standpoint of patriots and pro-American conservatives (as opposed to neo-cons and RINOs).
In the Middle East: The dismantling of ISIS’s (physical) caliphate and killing of its leadership. The brokering of a historic peace deal between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
On China: Placing tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods imported from China. Limiting the transfer of technology to China by restricting tech licensing and the black-listing of state-affiliated Chinese companies with strong links to the CCP like Huawei and ZTE.
On Energy: Trump’s anti-regulatory, environmentally “unfriendly” agenda drove the US to become the largest producer of crude oil surpassing Russia and Saudi Arabia in 2017. Becoming a net natural gas exporter for the first time since 1967.
Economy: Fastest growth in manufacturing jobs in over 30 years with median household income hitting the highest level recorded. All-time low unemployment rates for African, Hispanic, and Asian Americans. With youth unemployment reaching a 50-year low.
Border Security: Whilst ‘the Wall’ so to speak was never completed, the Trump Administration did authorize and build hundreds of miles of physical barriers along the southern border with Mexico.
The Administrative State: Trump Administration’s 2: 1 Executive Order drastically cut down the hold of the regulatory state on private individuals.
To lesser-known (and less well-received) achievements:
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ($1.9 trillion). Which, interestingly enabled companies to repatriate over 1 trillion dollars back to the US.
Replacing NAFTA. With the more American-business-friendly USMCA. Which increased access for American farmers to Canadian markets, and was a boost for American automobile manufacturers.
Higher defense spending by NATO Members. Under pressure from the US, NATO nations put in an additional $ 50 billion for security in 2020 in contrast to 2016 (8).
All of this in addition to many socio-cultural wins that traditional conservatives are likely to applaud: From supreme court appointments and deescalating tensions with North Korea, capped off with a historic meeting with the leader of the reclusive nation. To the rebuilding of the US military, with the notable establishment of another arm of the defense: Space Force.
So from the standpoint of the average American, Republican or otherwise, Trump’s time in office was a good one. No major conflicts, a strong economy, and a better outlook for the United States going forward. However, none of this would seem apparent if one took a look at what was said and written about him in the mainstream media, long before the pandemic hit. A subject, I will not get into here.
The point is, that under President Trump the US experienced a period of good governance and growth on a number of fronts relative to its time under recent predecessors. Until and even possibly after COVID hit.
TRUMP AND COVID-19
This takes us to the next and arguably the most significant period of the Trump era. The events that unfolded in the course of a year or so leading up to the 2020 general election.
The pandemic that hit the US and the world, came to affect, undermine, and in many ways (negatively) define the presidency of Donald Trump. Unfairly so from the standpoint of patriots, but it did anyway.
Suffice it to say, the way the Trump administration handled the COVID outbreak: from face masks, lock-downs, vaccine development and deployment all had a cumulative effect on the 2020 elections. Notably the saga surrounding mail-in ballots, which from certain quarters of the pro-MAGA camp, was the determining factor in Trump’s defeat.
This is a vast subject area that cannot be engaged fully here. The main takeaway from my standpoint is that President Trump won many friends on the Right (and possibly the Left) by not centralizing more powers with the center during this pressing time when he easily could have done so. As the Federal government under President Trump’s leadership delegated more powers to the States to deal with the pandemic, contrary to what many feared: The notion of a strong-man leader who does not let a crisis (opportunity) go to waste in concentrating more powers with himself was proved false. A point that even ardent critics of Trump and populism in general admitted (09).
However, problematically for many on the Right, President Trump did little to address concerns in relation to COVID that pertained to:
Those concerned with the ill effects of vaccines, notably the mRNA variants.
Anthony Fauci.
Not taking a firmer stance in encouraging/defending experts with heterodox views on masking, lockdowns, and vaccines.
Failing to foresee the adverse economic impacts of the lock-downs and vaccine roll-out that:
– Curtailed economic activity.
– Causing currency inflation due to money printing.
– Gains to the pharmaceutical companies through vaccine development and administration.
Taken together, the Trump administration’s sub-optimal handling of COVID combined with the failure to fully complete the border wall are the main factors that drove and still power the current opposition on the Right, to his 2024 run. And it is the key factor driving support for his main competitor: Ron DeSantis.
Considering all of this, the question is how does Trump’s renewed 2024 campaign that is functionally not fully aligned with the Republican establishment in relation to his challengers on the Right-one of whom is another anti-establishment candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy-bode for the future of the patriotic cause and the future of the American republic?
Here the focus shifts to this ‘Washington establishment’. A class of lobbyists, political hacks, and activists, in addition to mega-donors who have practically subsumed the core of the GOP. Leaving it a politically impotent force. One that no longer appears to have the best interests of America in mind.
THE ‘UNI-PARTY’ ESTABLISHMENT
In my limited time (over a decade) following American politics, the Republican establishment as far as I can understand consists of a pro-market segment that favors free trade and generally supports a lax immigration policy. Along with the neo-conservative arm that wants a strong military not just for the defense of the homeland, but also to support an ambitious US foreign policy. One that includes the expansion of NATO, to the more idealistic goal of ‘spreading democracy’ across the world. The present establishment GOP, clearly under neo-con sway, has unequivocally supported Israel and Ukraine.
On the socio-cultural front this GOP “establishment” has affirmed at varying levels the social conservative playbook: Such as supporting pro-life causes, and defending religious liberty, combined with a general unease towards moral relativism, notably in the sexual realm. A position that in recent times has manifested in its opposition to the trans arm of the LGBTQ movement. A concern that is starting to affect many Americans in general, moral/spiritual factors notwithstanding.
So far so good. Then came the Trump phenomenon. Or did it?
Let me explain.
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The growing appeal of Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign, an outsider, is indicative of a deeper shift. His appeal exists mainly because he is another anti-establishment candidate like Trump but different. His appeal is growing at a broader sub-cultural level where activists and social commentators online who aren’t necessarily politically invested, but have a genuine interest in the health of the Republic, and have started paying closer attention to this new upstart from the business world.
The aforementioned Tim Pool, with millions of followers across a number of social media channels, has had him on his show a number of times. The entrepreneur and business leader Grant Cardone had him on his show and contributed $100 to Vivek’s campaign. In addition to appearances on the platforms of cultural commentators such as Lauren Chen, and An0maly. All of whom have sizable followers numbering in the hundreds of thousands (10).
As a side point, Vivek’s campaign team has been very focused on engaging content creators and social media influencers with a political tilt as a way of connecting with the masses, notably the younger ones. Something the Trump 2024 team from my standpoint, doesn’t appear to be doing as well. What I am getting at is that there is a groundswell of support for outsider candidates who can shake up the business-as-usual ways of the do-nothing, anti-patriotic class of politicians and their acolytes who have firmly entrenched themselves in Washington.
Thus the appeal of Trump was but an early manifestation of this spirit. One that is constantly seeking an outlet. Trump or otherwise. Thus the social demand for Trump-like candidates will be a strong one. One that will grow stronger in time and will take us beyond 2024.
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Returning to the present, the key dividing line being the “establishment” and those who are opposed to it on the Right, lies in the inability or unwillingness of the former to deal effectively with issues like border security, the overt attention given towards nation-building abroad when America’s own national infrastructure crumbles and inner-cities breakdown in plain sight. The weakness on crime, the inability to stand firm on conservative principles such as small(er) government, opposing globalism, engendering and defending American identity (a patriotic one), combined with a warming attitude towards Russia, notably as a counterbalance to China. The Republican-in-name-Only (RINO) GOP has failed on pretty much all of these accounts.
Here the Russian question becomes interesting for a variety of reasons. A subject that takes us beyond the scope of this essay. For my thoughts on Russia and the West (prior to the outbreak of hostilities in 2022) read my essay on Russia, the United States, and ‘the West’.
Interestingly, one clear way of identifying someone who is part of the “establishment” as far as the GOP is concerned is the question of Russia. Those in favor of supporting Ukraine endlessly with an open checkbook until “Russia is militarily defeated” are on the establishment side. Whilst those who hope for a mediated solution where Russia and the West (as opposed to Ukraine and the West) attain a win-win outcome, can be considered as non or anti-establishment.
A further argument can be made that those in favor of a solution to the war in Ukraine that is discernibly pro-Russian are closer to the MAGA camp. For those in the GOP camp who fully support Ukraine, in practice come to mimic the positions held by the Democratic leadership on other matters. The Dems who are fully entrenched in the Ukraine cheerleading camp and are opposed to everything MAGA with almost religious zeal, have friends in the GOP camp who oppose Russia and by extension Trump. Something to think about.
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Now this is where talks of a “Uni-party establishment” operating in Washington DC come to the fro. The reality of an entrenched class of politicians, lobbyists, corporate leaders, NGOs, and community organizers who work vehemently against, not a traditionally Right-leaning (i.e. pro-business + social conservative) agenda, but against a patriotic, or better, a nationalistic one.
The rhetoric from the Trump campaign leading up to the 2016 election of ‘draining the swamp’ was partly in reference to this political status quo. One that was set in its own ways with little regard for the concerns of average Americans on issues such as:
Cost of living (Inflation + Unemployment/Underemployment).
Crime.
Individual Rights (Free Speech + Religious liberty).
National Security (Drug epidemic + Cartel activity + Human trafficking + Mass migration).
The less recognized need for a unifying civic identity that transcends social/class divisions.
The uni-party establishment is also characterized by their general aloofness combined with a sense of elitism with respect to the beliefs of many Americans on the policy front.
The World Economic Forum worshiping, Capital-hoping, caviar-eating (no offense to patriots who do) crowd who uncritically embrace the mantras of climate change and feminism (now, gender ideology). Led by the ideal of a borderless world. Subjects that I engaged facetiously (but yet seriously) in my book: Politically Incorrect Humor.
The TED talk-indoctrinated globalist cabal who think little of the people who hold on to their “Gods, guns and religion” appear to be the main opponents of a patriotic America that the MAGA movement and those who follow in its line represent. The simmering anger among the electorate toward the class of people who espouse this elitist worldview in both parties eventually drove the political mobilization that put Trump in the White House in 2016. Here it is important to note that Trump’s campaign stance on a range of issues thus came to amplify the already existing sentiment against the political status quo in Washington.
A sentiment that has turned firmly against endless wars in the Middle East, favors better relations with Russia, and above all on the need to secure the southern border. Combined with a somewhat less recognized yearning for the rediscovery of a stronger American identity that is able to bring citizens of this nation together under a common civic banner (e.g. the American Flag). Factors that have become the driving force of the Vivek 2024 Campaign. Who can be considered in some ways as a version of Trump 2.0.
The narrative of the Uni-party establishment in Washington DC existed before Trump came on the scene. The Tea Party collation that emerged in 2010 is a case in point. After the first Trump term, many in the US electorate, predominantly on the Right, recognized that both parties had no serious intention of changing anything that was wrong with America (domestically or foreign policy-wise) at a fundamental level. A sin that is forgivable for the Left but not for the Right.
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However, questions remain on how closely this DNC + GOP pact is operative. But what is clear, and increasingly more so following the Ukraine conflict, is that enmity with Russia, real or perceived, has become the defining test of one’s true loyalties. But loyalties to what exactly? Patriotism. Republicanism. Americanism. Russianism! Since the Uni-party that opposes Russia is also the one that is failing on the domestic front.
Then there is the nonsensical but simultaneously serious insinuation that closer relations between the US and Russia would give rise to, or in turn, is based on some type of ethno-nationalist sensibility. Russia being ethnically White (despite a sizable ethnic non-European population) is recognized by many in America’s foreign policy establishment, especially in the neo-con controlled State Department as a rising White-only Utopia. One that many (White) nationalists in America admire and/or wish to emulate (11).
These charges whilst ridiculous on the face of it considering the vast ethnic non-European population that makes up the US; with the term ‘ethnic-minority’ increasingly a misnomer with respect to White-minority parts of the country. With major cities and urban areas reflecting a predominantly non-European ethnic makeup. Not to mention any politician, Republican or otherwise, trying to win elections by appealing to one single demographic is setting him/herself up for political suicide.
A speculative point worth considering is that one of the key reasons why the Trump candidacy was opposed very early on during the 2016 campaign season was his vision to establish better relationships with Russia. Something that, I repeat, many in the US electorate seem to want but are opposed by the political class.
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The main takeaway here is that the GOP establishment of today for various reasons is no longer able to, can, or is willing to understand, recognize, and then channel the concerns, interests, and energies of the grassroots and core voting blocs that make up its base. In addition to being totally inept at engaging and winning over a growing segment of politically disillusioned video game playing, TikTok viewing, and Instagram-addicted youth. In other words, the GOP is failing to grasp Politics 101. That goes something like this:
Political parties grow out of the collective concerns, beliefs, and ideas that animate the masses of a given polity. Who in turn organize themselves into a social movement. One that is then able to (if it overcomes opposition and sustains its momentum) project its concerns and wants via an organization such as a political party. A party that vies for political power. Power, is attained by having the representatives of the said social movement via the vehicle of the party winning elections and entering the halls of power. The representatives then take up seats at the institutions of State and in turn exercise their will on behalf of the constituency who had manifested those particular concerns in the first place.
In the case of the GOP, the people in power seem to have not only lost touch with what the electorate wants at a policy level but have now taken it upon themselves to project their worldview on what is “good” or “bad” for the nation on the people who got them into office in the first place.
So opposition to populism can be understood as the case of an elected, entrenched political class that has formalized its own view of what is good or bad for the polity, and in turn proceeds to educate the voter base on what is good for them and the country.
The problem here is that America still is a democracy. The class of politicians who make up the (seemingly gerontocratic) establishment are voted in by the public. So what’s going on here? Why are ‘the people’ choosing the wrong kind of representatives?
Well, something did give, giving us Trump 2016, with its political precursor being the Tea Party uprising of 2010.
Problematically, the Trump phenomenon didn’t last long enough.
Meaning and this is the crux of this essay, the problem with the GOP is that Trump’s stay in office, but more critically what his Administration, his worldview, and his style of governance represented: the MAGA movement that embraced smaller government; tough stance on border security; a pragmatic, non-interventionist foreign policy; law and order at home, especially in managing the inner cities; low taxes, fewer regulations, and a pro-American trade policy, etc. All this needed more time to become firmly entrenched as the governing principles of the GOP.
This did not happen.
Trump’s stay in office was too short. Which had the secondary and necessary effect of not laying the groundwork for the next set of leaders to emerge and follow in his vein from the party itself: Men and women who can represent what the patriotic citizens of America want for their nation.
You see what liberals and never-Trumpers in the GOP miss is that the real-estate mogul was not doing anything out of the ordinary. He was a smart guy who was there at the right time at the right place to give patriotic Americans what they wanted: a voice in Washington.
This is something that the GOP establishment for 2024 will not give its voters, with the exception of Vivek Ramaswamy. So what we are faced with in the possibility of a Trump (and possibly Vivek’s) defeat, is a return to old-school (neo-con) GOP politics. So what could be done to change this?
GOP AND THE SHIFTING POLITICAL LANDSCAPE
Faced with the scenario where the US electorate doesn’t really have a serious choice when it comes to the kind of leaders they would wish to have, as the mainstay of both parties broadly agree (or disagree to eventually agreeing) on subjects like immigration, foreign policy and a host of other domestic issues; it is fair to say that the majority of the politically active voters are angry. Or angrier given what has transpired since 2020.
Leaving aside the idealistic but ultimately fruitless attempts by Libertarian and Independent candidates. With Robert F. Kennedy Jr. being the latest iteration. Characters who come with grand goals of shaking up the system, but whose candidacies, in reality, bring with them further questions on the actual desirability of the policy framework they choose to propound (not to mention risk playing spoilsport for genuine challengers on the Right).
Americans who are seeking positive change in their lives and the wider polity are stuck with not only an impotent force in the GOP but in some respects a treacherous one. But given the nature of American politics extricating oneself from the two-party framework is virtually impossible. At least at present.
Thus candidates who wish to represent real change or better transformation of the social order are compelled to work within the system where the GOP party apparatus dominates. One that consists of its reach, institutional presence, and national networks that enable it to attract, nurture, fund, and campaign for candidates worthy to enter high office in Washington and respective local government bodies.
So the trouble facing patriotic Americans who fall outside the present GOP party line in terms of the policy, ideals, and mode of governance is that they don’t have a place to call their own institutionally. Despite being united with a ‘political identity’ at a social level.
The unifying basis for MAGA Republicanism or ‘Trumpism’ if you like, is that it is tied to an increasingly anti-neo-conservative worldview. The core elements of which I have outlined above. To which one can also add the (greater) skepticism towards anything that is centrally planned or directed (e.g. vaccine mandates, pro-climate directives). This is the good old-fashioned American conservative or Republican spirit that the modern GOP has apparently lost sight of and/or for some reason, is institutionally no longer able to manifest let alone defend.
Along with this shift, the Trump voter base, which, whilst controlling for ethnicity is increasingly moving in a more ‘worker’ or blue-collar direction (12). This is a more recent development and arguably arose in part reaction to the increasingly corporatist method of governance embraced by the Dems. Where the DNC’s party establishment has cozied up-more so than the supposedly pro-business GOP-with corporate fat cats in areas like climate science, Tech, and pharmaceuticals. With related lobby groups in Wall Street, Washington, and elsewhere playing their part in entrenching their anti-American worker influence. Notable here are campaign contributions from Wall Street to the Dems that in 2020 (and most likely before) surpassed total contributions to the GOP (13).
It is increasingly evident that a political vacuum is opening up in the US electoral landscape. Working Americans, specifically those who are, to quote Senator Rubio (not necessarily a fan) living ‘paycheck to paycheck’. The millions of men and women whose work-life has been disrupted by COVID, historically by globalization, and now with the ever-increasing digitization of the economy.
The many disenchanted souls with no serious political home to call their own. The one that Trump in 2016 and 2020 exploited, but not as well as he could have if the right party apparatus dedicated to harnessing this sentiment towards a pro-patriotic cause was set in place.
This increasing disenchantment with the uni-party establishment is only growing stronger with the ever-war raging on in Eastern Europe with billions of tax-payer dollars flowing in that direction, and a potentially new conflict breaking out in the Middle East. One that could pull the US into its vortex for years to come.
A conflict potentially so vast in scope and length that would be enough to feed the appetite of neo-cons for decades. All at the expense of ignoring (or the opportunity to ignore) the literal breakdown of order (if not civilization) at home. As evident through crisis scenarios in major cities across the United States: from Seattle Washington, to Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City.
The problem today is that the core (anti-establishment) beliefs combined with latent/overt anger towards an increasingly impotent and disinterested political class that simply takes the votes of the citizenry for granted lacks a medium: an institutional vehicle that can channel these energies constructively. As opposed to the present scenario where you have one or two individuals who come out of nowhere with a potent political message and become the standard bearers through which the electorates’ many frustrations and yearnings are meant to be channeled. This is not good enough.
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Another aspect of this problem is that many Americans have gotten so sick of national politics at large is that they have simply chosen to opt out of the process by simply not voting. For example, only 46 percent of eligible voters voted in the 2022 Midterms (14). This means those in the GOP establishment can prolong their stay by campaigning to their caucuses and then churning out a sufficient number of voters to get them into office. This is a separate but related problem of citizens not exercising their franchise owing to the lack of political incentives, which connects with the civic issue of political education.
What I am getting at is that the real problem with the GOP and American politics as a whole is the lack of an effective institutional medium that can understand, assemble, harness, and then channel the energies and sentiments of tens of millions of Americans toward effective political action.
The Trump phenomenon and populism as a social movement are understood as aberrations by the established political class. One that must be either squished, contained, or that the establishment must purport to represent, but ultimately mollify and in time disempower and redirect towards more acceptable policy outcomes. This strategy by the establishment will succeed if the populist-patriotic cause does receive the right institutional backing over the long term.
The problem with the Trump story, as noted, is that he basically came out of nowhere to become the standard bearer of an evolving movement. But, given its still-evolving character and the failure on the part of his Administration to fully deliver on campaign promises, along with his mixed handling of the pandemic, meant that the conservative, or better patriotic voter base felt the need to look elsewhere for a supposedly better choice. Enter Governor DeSantis.
THE PARTY OR THE PERSONALITY?
When it comes to the question of what is best for America, it ought to be a question of which political party can do the job better or best for the nation. With each party trying to convince voters on why its policy package and mode of governance would be the most effective.
But as things stand the Dems and frankly any candidate who is coming out of Left-of-field (pun intended), regardless of how much of a maverick he/she is or would present themselves to be, is basically untrustworthy from a policy, and underlying it, from an ideological standpoint to safeguard and advance the American project.
This leaves those who wish to see the ideals of the Founding of America: free enterprise, individual liberty, limited government, and the safeguarding of the geographic and cultural integrity of the nation-state-with the GOP as the sole option. A party that is functionally failing to represent the principles and values that patriots hold dear, whilst positioning itself as the supposed standard bearer for this task.
Since the non-RINO patriotic voter base is basically left with the GOP as the only political refuge institutionally, the question is what happens next, particularly in a post-Trump era? What happens to the patriotic, populist cause when its main representatives (i.e. Donald Trump and Nigel Farage) say goodbye to the political stage for good? This is a serious point which the MAGA movement does appear to have given enough thought.
PROBLEM PARTY
As the theatrics in the House plays out in the search for a new speaker (23 October 2023) with varying pro-Trump, and purportedly pro-Trump factions fighting it out against the anti-Trump caucus, it is now evident that there is something fundamentally wrong (or rotten) with the GOP.
Going back to the 2022 midterms which were played up as a “red wave” within conservative media circles, turned out to be a letdown in a number of ways. The GOP and what it represented: the ideals of conservatism, was dealt a blow. Not a serious one, as the GOP did make gains winning the popular vote for the first time since Bush. W, did in 2004. Quite the achievement, election irregularities, and other such factors notwithstanding.
But a loss is a loss.
Besides gaining a few seats in the House and attaining a majority, the GOP lost ground in the Senate and a few gubernatorial elections as well. And it goes without saying that the aura of the former president was strongly felt during that election season. With a sizable number of GOP candidates directly endorsed by the former president having a high success rate of around 82 percent according to the New York Times (15).
Whilst the setbacks the party faced on the back of high expectations can be attributed to a number of factors; for many, notably those who oppose the patriotic cause, the main cause is none other than Donald Trump himself. But for those in the pro-Trump camp, this point will be dismissed as anti-Trump hysteria cooked up by the mainstream media – liberal think-tank axis. As another way of besmirching the Trump presidency and its legacy as an enduring stain on ‘good-old’ (RINO) republicanism. A valid point.
When it comes to voters who oppose Trump, their opposition can be sourced to three main reasons.
Those who oppose the GOP on ideological (Leftist) grounds.
Those within the GOP establishment who are opposed to the spirit of populism of any kind.
Pro-Trump voters who now view the Trump presidency as a “failure” for failing to stay to true the promises of patriotic conservatism (e.g. COVID-19, border wall).
The first group is not significant in this debate for reasons stated earlier. The second group that pertains to establishment Republicans is an entrenched problem that I have already touched on.
The more pressing concern for not just Trump and the patriotic movement in the 2024 election cycle, but going forward a decade or more into the future, is the third group. One that poses the biggest (internal) challenge for the Right wing of American politics.
Hence the challenge from this bloc of voters needs to be dealt with effectively and in quick time by the Right. Notably in bringing them back into the populist, no, Nationalist fold. And now might be the opportune moment to do it.
Why so?
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American conservatism is undergoing a rapid shift as we speak.
Whilst it has been evolving (more rapidly) with the onset of Trump, with the outbreak of a new conflict in Israel, debates over American involvement and to what extent in the conflict and talks of the character of US relations with Israel; are indicative of, once again, of an evolving political landscape on the Right-end of the spectrum.
What is increasingly clear is that the new conservative (not neo-con), or Right wing of the electorate is far less forgiving of past errors and will not hesitate to ignore, oppose, or simply jump ship if its demands aren’t met in quick time.
From the standpoint of those who hope for a political party that governs the nation by following the correct principles (those of the Founding) on behalf of its citizens, as opposed to being beholden to foreign interests and lobby groups; the Trump presidency came to be viewed with varying levels of suspicion. This position of unease with anything related to Trump is not likely to change, no matter how badly pro-Trump forces will wish otherwise.
A point that takes us back to the Administration’s under-delivery on issues like the border wall, the deportation of illegals, the handling of COVID, notably the vaccine roll-out, and in defending the individual rights of those who wanted to opt out. And in more recent times in relation to free speech laws/regulations at home in relation to a certain US ally in the Middle East (16).
A subject that ties foreign policy with domestic policy, and raises questions for a new breed of America-first thinkers on what it truly means to put America first. As opposed to Israel, Ukraine, or whoever else the neo-cons at the State Department and elsewhere want the US to direct its blood and treasure.
To put it bluntly, President Trump is far from a perfect candidate to run, and if he wins in 2024, the best placed to get the patriotic project back on track. And weirdly enough these days, it seems he is not even the best MAGA candidate. Vivek 2024 (not an endorsement) is becoming a more radical anti-establishment force in his own right.
However, Trump has been and remains to this day the disrupter-in-chief. Someone who crashes the party (literally) and then opens the door to a new way of doing politics. And in time to lay the groundwork for new patriotic upstarts to take up the mantle of American patriotism in the future.
However, amidst all of this positive change, the problem of the GOP remains. An internal hindrance to the nationalist spirit that is rising in the United States, and a political stumbling block to a pro-patriotic legislative agenda. If there is one thing the GOP 2024 campaign has shed light on is that the conservative cause for a more patriotic, united America needs more men and women like the former President. A lot more. Persons who are as, if not more populist in their outlook and more radical in their anti-establishment worldview.
The question is how will this happen? The answer is the transformation of the GOP.
PATRIOTIC PAC-MAN DEFENSE/OFFENSE
An argument can be made that by the end of (and arguably long before) the first term of President Trump, work was already underway to not just erase the gains made by the apolitical outsider, but to ensure that no such upstart will ever make the kind of gains and rise to the top of the political hierarchy and become a disruptive force in American politics.
Raheem Kassam, the editor of the patriotic The National Pulse, and former Editor of Breitbart UK in an interview with Jeremy Ryan, even hinted at the idea that it might be the prerogative of the GOP to weaken its own position in Congress by staying the advance of pro-Trump candidates, thereby, potentially thwarting any fuel that might reinforce his chances at the next general election and the strength of the MAGA movement in general (17).
Added to this, is the recent conflagration in the Middle East, with representatives of both parties (GOP + DNC) coming out in unison in showcasing their support for Israel is not being met with unanimous public support. This includes those infuriated by the uni-party status quo in Washington, who view the overt enthusiasm to support Israel as yet another manifestation of the entrenched worldview that relegates the concerns of Americans.
The policy of putting the interests of special interest groups, think tanks, and political hacks who have been raised on the globalist dogma of American interventionism, neo-conservativism, and to an extent neo-liberalism. All coming at the cost of neglecting the many troubles that bedevil the nation.
A major obstacle opposing the rise of a politically viable patriotic movement that unequivocally puts American interests first in principle and in action is the GOP. And Trump, whilst a catalyst for this movement and a great engine of change is not the optimal representative of its ideals from the standpoint of many segments of the electorate, notably among those who voted for him in 2016.
So the question is what should those who are involved in MAGA republicanism and those who passively affirm the ideals of patriotic governance do to make their political vision a reality?
The answer is a transformed GOP that works logically, purposefully, and uncompromisingly to advance the patriotic or better a nationalist cause.
Specifically what is needed is a party apparatus that works with a singular focus to advance the patriotic agenda. One that is driven by a clear ideology that directs its approach toward domestic and foreign policy, that centers everything on the primacy of America First. In other words, a party that at its core is committed to American Nationalism.
Attaining this would not be easy. The establishment GOP, as noted is seemingly if not purposefully opposed to this vision. Just recently, RINO in-chief Mitch McConnell endorsed a $ 106 billion package which includes $60bn and $14bn dollars in assistance to Ukraine and Israel respectively. With another $14bn allocated for border security. The plight of Ukraine and Israel notwithstanding, a legitimate question is, shouldn’t more resources be allocated for the security of the homeland?
Such concerns will fall on deaf ears within the GOP establishment. Which has effectively become a RINO movement in principle, with a veneer of conservatism that projects itself as an ostensible but ultimately inept opposition to the DNC.
Again, Raheem Kassam (one of the few minds in the journalist-politico class who is able to capture the spirit of America First) wrote in 2019 about the failed Republican 2012 hopeful Mitt Romney’s attacks on the then-sitting President: “Romney’s interventions against Trump can only be described as an act of sabotage against conservatives in the United States today. They should be viewed as enemy political combatants in the same way the Democrat Party is”(18).
This is telling for a number of reasons. The GOP has never accepted Trump as the GOP candidate or as president. And its rejection of Trump logically translates into the rejection of the civic aspirations of millions of Americans who voted for him.
In the 2020 election, whatever opinion one may have had of the final outcome, President Trump did receive over 74 million votes. So the rejection of Trump by the GOP implies a rejection of the will of the American people. And speaking of Mitt Romney, it is telling that the current chairwoman of the GOP is Ronna McDaniel, the nephew of the said anti-Trumper. And it goes without saying the depths of this political entrenchment in Washington. A place where a patrimonialistic culture of self-serving politicians and their henchmen prevails.
As Kassam goes on to say: “America has no obligation to keep carrying pails of water across thousands of miles in a futile attempt to put out the world’s raging geopolitical wildfires, and those leaders who are reportedly “watching” for the establishment “American leadership” would do better by attempting to solve their own cultural, religious, financial, and military problems” (ibid).
This sentiment is now being echoed stronger than ever by an expanding and more vocal class of voters, many of them entering the political space for the first time. Here’s Sean Strickland, a mix martial artist with over 200K followers on ‘X’ commenting on US commitments abroad following the outbreak of hostiles in West Asia:
“I’m an American. What is my concern with the desert people? Go to war, make peace. It doesn’t matter to me. I’m not an Israeli… I’m not a Palestinian. I’m an American. Open borders, under-funded education, underpaid employees. I DON’T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT OTHER COUNTRIES” (19).
Whilst it might seem inconsiderate to dismiss the plight of Israelis and Palestinians or anyone else in the Middle East as the concerns of “desert people”. But this is a sentiment that is increasingly felt by many (particularly younger) voters who are just sick of the political status quo in light of the chaos unfolding at home. This growing sentiment of political disillusionment against a pro-war, America-Last political class that people wish to be rid of provides an opening that needs to be exploited to the fullest by the patriotic forces of America
But the way to do so effectively, paradoxically, lies with the dinosaur GOP.
Let me explain.
In business development, that deals with mergers and acquisitions, there is a concept called PAC-Man Defense: A business strategy where a company that is faced with a hostile takeover effectively turns the tables on the acquirer by purchasing the buyer’s shares thereby blunting the chance of the acquisition going through.
The idea comes from a video game from which this strategy is borrowed. Where the player-controlled character (the Pac-man) is chased around by a number of ghosts in a maze-like arena. The aim of the player is to evade the grasp of the ghosts. However, if the Pac-man consumes a ‘power pelt’ the tables are turned and the ghosts now become the target of attack or acquisition.
With respect to the GOP, the main challenge facing the MAGA movement, and the rising tide of American nationalism that underpins it is the lack of an institutional dimension. An apparatus of sorts with expansive nationwide networks that can represent and then advance the vision, mission, and objectives of this evolving nationalist spirit, built on the established patriotic Trump base.
The movement needs representatives in the halls of power. Or better, it needs its own set of competing institutions that command the same influence, and in time can come to supplant those of the failing establishment.
Whatever happens in 2024, President Trump is not the be-all and all of the GOP and American conservatism, patriotism, or even nationalism. The GOP as an institutional body will outlast him and possibly what he represents if not for an alternative body or construct that can do the same, but for the patriotic cause.
The GOP in its present form is never going to be the right vehicle to carry forward the conservative cause and defend American unity. Rather it will be an entity that would work to oppose it. Thus what is needed is an entity with the same powers and capabilities that operates in parallel to it, and in time subsumes it.
A point of comparison would be UKIP. UKIP was good, so far in attaining what it set out to accomplish: the Brexit vote in 2016. However, UKIP did not replace the Conservative party which reigns supreme (or supremely bad) on the Right end of UK politics. Reform UK is another step in the right direction. However such political entities must be driven by a clear political mission, built on a core ideological commitment to nationalism with the aim of becoming the sole standard bearers of the political Right.
To do this the party apparatus must be built up from the ground up: the grassroots all the way up towards an institutional level. Encompassing affiliate arms that mirror groups like the Young Conservatives, Women’s Conservative Organization, College Republicans, Young Republicans, and the like.
This is a massive undertaking, but this is the kind of vision that the patriotic cause in America needs to have if it is serious about becoming the mainstay of Right-wing politics. And the work must begin now.
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The midterm goal for the MAGA movement is to evolve politically. To reach a point where it is able to entrench itself at an institutional level, and ideologically as the dominant mouthpiece of conservatism and in time culturally as the true representative of American identity.
With its political apparatus boasting the organizational reach and resources to match; to then position itself not only as an alternative to the GOP for the conservative/patriotic cause but as its sole director. With the aim to win over and firmly house Right-leaning voters of all stripes, and with this base to eventually supplant and remove the GOP from the American political scene altogether.
In sum, ‘the New Right’-to call this future nationalist movement-needs to evolve (for it has already emerged) and grow, and in time become the main force in American party politics. One that will by the sheer organizational strength, national presence, and institutional outreach absorb what is left of the ‘Old Right’ and become the sole political force of American conservatism and in time nationalism.
The question is how do we get there, exactly? Well, that my friend is a subject for another time.
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