Party or Anti-Party
There’s a trend developing among those who have become president most recently. They have a party designation, Democrat or Republican, but they don’t necessarily engender loyalty down ticket.
When Barack Obama was elected, he brought in voters who were Obamacrats, but not reliable Democrat votes up and down the ballot. The same is true for Donald Trump; he brought in Trumpicans, but just because they’ve showed up for him in the past doesn’t necessarily translate to full party support.
Now as we fall within one month of election day, it’s every man and woman for him or herself…even to the point that Trump is sounding more like an independent or third party candidate. He’s always called out Democrats, of course; now, he’s just as likely to complain publicly about Republicans not standing together to support him in the way Democrats seem to stick together regardless of the situation.
Generally, it’s an appeal to his base, the voters who showed up for him in 2016 as political newbies. They liked him because he was an outsider, so he needs to hone his outsider cred even though he’s the incumbent. But it may also be a way to preserve his victory just as the party slumps around him; he runs as an island, despite the fact that his campaign and the Republican National Committee have been joined as one from the time he was first sworn in.
As he comes to Iowa Wednesday, expect the typical “Trump vs. the world” stump speech, blaming the fake news media, blaming Democrats, and even tossing Republicans generally under the bus. He’ll be clear to note that Iowa’s two U.S. Senators are not part of that group, in an effort to have it both ways a bit. They may not even be there, since they both serve on the judiciary committee which will be busy with a supreme court nomination. And likely, all four Republicans running for Congress will show up…none are incumbents, and all need whatever boost they can get…and an endorsement from the incumbent president at the podium will help. But while he wants a team with him, like most anyone else, he’s more likely most concerned with his race and will speak and act accordingly.
So if you thought that Trump was only a Republican because it served his purposes…you may find that to be the case even more as we enter the home stretch.
