How Will Republicans Explain Away A Loss in 2020?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Some will take it as evidence that America is truly ready to elect a real Conservative, and that Trump could have won without his foolishness.

What is a "real" Conservative? Who gets to decide? And how did they get such credentials to begin with?

For 40 years this real conservative has been just around the corner, longed for by activists and movement conservative types even during the Reagan years when they became frustrated with Reagan himself. I remember in 2004 seeing assurances that in 2008, we will get a real conservative with the economy booming and Iraq blooming.

History and reality doesn't work that way. Politics is always about responding to needs on the ground so anytime someone's perfect textbook definition of a conservative ends up running, they run headlong into the cold stark reality that people don't care what Rich Lowry's ideal candidate is. They want to know who will fix their current problems, now!

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Some will take it as evidence that America is truly ready to elect a real Conservative, and that Trump could have won without his foolishness.

What is a "real" Conservative? Who gets to decide? And how did they get such credentials to begin with?

For 40 years this real conservative has been just around the corner, longed for by activists and movement conservative types even during the Reagan years when they became frustrated with Reagan himself. I remember in 2004 seeing assurances that in 2008, we will get a real conservative with the economy booming and Iraq blooming.

History and reality doesn't work that way. Politics is always about responding to needs on the ground so anytime someone's perfect textbook definition of a conservative ends up running, they run headlong into the cold stark reality that people don't care what Rich Lowry's ideal candidate is. They want to know who will fix their current problems, now!

Also, we, the voters, get to decide, as well as basic common sense. You cannot simply force your inane version of "real conservatism" held by you and only you down our throats and expect to be accepted. Your policy positions are those of a RINO.

You mean the same voters that picked Trump over Cruz?

How am I rino? I actually believe in the constitution, I actually believe you should pay for what you spend. I believe in foreign policy restraint. I am pro-life and support the right to bear arms (within reason).

If I was the only economic populist, then Trump wouldn't have beaten Cruz, would he?