How Trump is the child of a narcissistic, unholy political marriage
*Henry Flores tell us that the GOP lost control of their party back when they plotted a political takeover. VL
By Henry Flores, NewsTaco
When Dwight David Eisenhower left the presidency the Republican Party was seen as a venerable party that stood for sound, conservative values. Fast forward 50 years and now look at what has happened to it! Institutions change over time and throughout history given tensions and pressures coming from within and without the institution in question. Still, if Eisenhower and some of his fellow Republicans of the late 1950s were to reappear today and see what the GOP currently looks like they would probably all change their voting registration to the other party!
How did this all happen?
How did the Republican Party change from one of quiet, stodgy institutionalism to the loud, brash, and vulgar “thing” it has become today? Well, a lot of it has to do with the machinations of politicians such as Richard Nixon and Barry Goldwater and the way in which they saw the future American landscape and their desire to win. The post-Eisenhower leadership knew that the country was going to change and they decided rather than change their party’s core precepts they would change their constituency; thus was born the “Southern Strategy.” They decided rather than change their party’s ideological orientation to one that would be more inclusive they decided to seek to control a constituency that would consistently vote for their candidates. So, the GOP leadership began abandoning the liberal Northeast for the conservative Southeast and Southwest. They took an anti-civil rights stance and attracted those Democratic Party politicians who eschewed liberalism such as John Connolly from Texas and Strom Thurmond of South Carolina.
Taking on the anti-Civil Rights mantle that was part of the deal that the GOP made with white southerners and south westerners was the proverbial “fly in the soup.” This deal which added Christian fundamentalists to the coalition resulted in an unholy alliance that was bound to come apart sooner or later. At Republican national conventions one found people kneeling and praying on one floor of the hotel with debauchery on another. Sooner or later these strange “bedfellows” would have to divorce.
[pullquote]At Republican national conventions one found people kneeling and praying on one floor of the hotel with debauchery on another. [/pullquote]Trump is the child of a narcissistic unholy political marriage
What we have today, epitomized by the candidacy of Donald “the Hair Job Guy” Trump, is the offspring of the unholy marriage that provided the GOP with a short-term winning coalition. Mr. Tramp’s persona and behavior has resulted in a large number of Republican Party faithful soul-searching, attempting to understand “what happened?” How did their venerable party go so wrong? The answer to these seemingly rhetorical questions is simple. They placed winning at all costs at the top of their agenda with no regard as to their consequences. In short, the GOP suffered the effects of institutional narcissism. They could not see their own faults as long as they won elections. Now they find themselves facing their own version of Dorian Gray’s portrait. All of the ugly artifacts of their political machinations have come back to haunt them in the guise of The Donald.
Donald Trump represents the xenophobia, hate, racism, misogyny, misanthropy, paranoia, fear and other assorted “uglies” that lay behind the appeals necessary to putting together the unholy coalition that provided the GOP with their electoral victories over the last three decades. The coalition combined with various types of cheating strategies such as voter suppression, gerrymandering, and unlimited campaign contributions (thank you very much Chief Justice Roberts) laid down a red carpet welcoming His Royal Hinny.
Pass the popcorn
The best seat in the theater of politics currently is watching the Republican Party establishment rend their garments, gnash their teeth and pull their hair out trying to figure a work around The Donald. They don’t know whether to cut him loose but then that would leave a major party without a candidate at the top of their ballot which would be embarrassing globally. Or, nominally support The Donald, wince when the results come in and then try and unseat an incumbent President Hillary. Or, any number of scenarios because if things keep going the way they are the Hair Job Guy doesn’t stand a chance in November.
Still, it’s the best seat in the theater so pass the popcorn and soda pop, sit back and enjoy the show. In these types of features the good guy usually wins but who knows anything can happen in political theater.
Henry Flores, PhD, is the Distinguished University Research Professor, Institute of Public Administration and Public Service; Director, Masters in Public Administration (MPA); Professor of International Relations and Political Science at St. Mary’s University. He is the author of Latinos and the Voting Rights Act: The Search for Racial Purpose.
[Photo by Stuart Seeger]