As the Donald Trump presidency comes to a close, millions of Americans watching the events of the past week unfold and have used these events as a reason to indict Conservatives and their party.
As President of the United States, Trump automatically became the face of the party. While many within the party did not recognize him as the standard-bearer, the truth is, as President, Donald Trump would be the leader of the Conservative Party for four years.
So what happened? How did Trump become not only a lightning rod in Washington D.C. but also the target of blame when liberal Americans needed a scapegoat for their angst and frustration.
Let me begin by saying I am not a political scientist. The opinions here my own and are speculative. You may have your own opinions and you are most welcome to share them with me or whoever you wish.
In 2016, both liberals and conservatives were seeking candidates for the White House. On the liberals' side, Hillary Clinton was the presumptive nominee after stepping aside for Barack Obama in 2008. She put the party first and the party was ready to reward her.
The conservatives had an unorthodox dark horse who was running. Donald Trump had announced his candidacy in 2015. He was not a politician. He was not your standard office seeker. In fact, there was nothing ordinary at all about the billionaire.
Trump brought with him all of the attributes of a marquee act. He was someone who could come up with a great soundbite. He was someone who could shock you. He was someone who was not shy when it came to voicing his opinion. He was someone who knew how to create a spectacle. In other words, he was just the person who could liven up something as drab and dry as a presidential debate.
Trump wanted to be the President of the United States and he was going to do it with or without the backing of the GOP. In fact, when he spoke at the first debate, he was the only one of the participants who would not pledge his support if someone else won the nomination. Already, Trump was sowing the seeds of a third-party run for President if he failed to secure the G.O.P. nomination.
Trump's hinting at a third-party run no doubt brought flashbacks of 1992 to Conservatives across the United States. During that year's election, H. Ross Perot ran for President against incumbent George H. W. Bush and Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton. Perot's withdrawal from and later re-entry back into the race sounded a death knell for future third-party candidates for office. Even more far-reaching, though, was the votes Perot took away from Bush and handing the election to Clinton, according to experts and political scientists.
This was a scenario that neither party wished to repeat ever again. The prospect of a viable candidate running for office and taking votes away from a major party is no doubt frightening to party organizers on both sides of the aisle. In 2016, Conservative Party leaders met to discuss their options beyond Trump, citing a fear that the billionaire wouldn't serve the best interests of the party.
My opinion is this: backing Trump was the lesser of all the evils for Conservatives. If Trump did not secure the nomination, he would run as a third-party candidate. This meant Trump the Independent or Hillary Clinton would win the White House. Either way, it would not be the G.O.P. controlling the White House for four years.
Donald Trump the Republican would allow party leaders and organizers access to the President and give input and advice for what would be best for the party. Trump as a third-party candidate would not afford any access for the party. Hillary Clinton in office would mean no avenues for the Conservatives to address their Agenda on Pennsylvania Ave.
The events of this past week have caused many Conservatives to address their party and what it is they stand for. It is easy to blame the entire party for the mob breaching the U.S. Capitol and no doubt Liberals have shown just how easy that can be. The decisions made back in 2016 were, to say the least, pragmatic and were the best made for the party at the time. Conservatives were plotting their strategy with the cards they were dealt. They would have liked additional cards to play. Everyone does, but that's not how life works.
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