What Happens to the Trumpists if Donald Loses?

[Kevin]

What happens to the Trump faction of the GOP if Donald loses badly in November(which certainly looks likely right now)?

Will they collapse? Esp. Since they will be viewed as having pushed for their "candidate and blew it" or will they continue to replace the Cruz people as the dominant anti-estiblishment wing of the party?

Personally I think if Trump loses as badly as I think he is it's hard to see the Trumpists remaining viable. However, anything can happen and the Cruz-SoCon crew are badly damaged goods with everyone right now including the base overall.

[LLR]

The hardcore voters will remain, but won't get a nominee until there is a Candidate who can attract as much media attention as trump has in a political climate as forgiving as this one.

[Redban]

If Trump loses big, then the Republicans will ascribe the loss to Trump's being a bad candidate. Thus, they will continue his espouse his ideas under the belief that the man, not his ideas, was the only mistake.

[RINO Tom]

The hardcore voters will remain, but won't get a nominee until there is a Candidate who can attract as much media attention as trump has in a political climate as forgiving as this one.

Oh my God, this times one million.  This idea that Donald Trump (seriously, let's everyone think of who we are talking about here) is this standard bearer for some type of coherent ideology is comically ridiculous.  He's a catch-all for everyone who was mad at the GOP leadership for one retarded reason or another.

Atlas jerks off to the idea that Trump actually wants to (much less will) make the GOP into this populist workers' party and Hillary Clinton (seriously, we are talking about Hillary Clinton!!!!) is going to wooh every Republican who went to college or lives in a nice house into being a lifelong partisan Democrat for years to come.  For Christ's sake, today alone I have seen two Hillary Clinton ads, and both hit Trump the EXACT same way Obama went after Romney - one LITERALLY attacked Trump for not being an actual protectionist because he's shipped so many jobs overseas in his business days (insinuating that only Hillary will protect us from evil corporate globalism) and the second talked about how billionaire Donald Trump is pushing for tax cuts and loosened regulation for his rich buddies, unlike the people's hero Hillary Clinton.

It's almost as if that's how, like, every Democrat runs ever!

[Kevin]

It matters a lot if the loss is Clinton +12 or Clinton +2.  If it's the former, they will go away in the short term and probably join a Sanders-like Democratic coalition the next time there's an unpopular Republican president.  If it's the latter, they will be in the driver's seat of the GOP for the foreseeable future, and the 2020 nominee will be someone like Pence or LePage.

I agree strongly on this point. If Trump loses by 2 or repeats Romney's performance then I think there is a case that his faction will play a part in the future of the GOP.

However, if he loses by 6-9 in the national popular vote then the coalition that brought Trump to victory in the primary could collapse.

If Trump loses big, then the Republicans will ascribe the loss to Trump's being a bad candidate. Thus, they will continue his espouse his ideas under the belief that the man, not his ideas, was the only mistake.

I think this could be true after all. IMO with Trump the problem is more with the the candidate not so much his ideas. Trump has made some interesting point's when he has been rarely coherent.

What has damaged his candidacy is Trump being Trump. If he had actually invested in a more conventional campaign and not tried to run things on a shoe string up until this point he would be in pretty decent shape.

Also not attacking Judges for having Mexican hertiage, slamming Gold Star families or praising David Duke couldn't have hurt ether.

[hopper]

It matters a lot if the loss is Clinton +12 or Clinton +2.  If it's the former, they will go away in the short term and probably join a Sanders-like Democratic coalition the next time there's an unpopular Republican president.  If it's the latter, they will be in the driver's seat of the GOP for the foreseeable future, and the 2020 nominee will be someone like Pence or LePage.

I agree strongly on this point. If Trump loses by 2 or repeats Romney's performance then I think there is a case that his faction will play a part in the future of the GOP.

However, if he loses by 6-9 in the national popular vote then the coalition that brought Trump to victory in the primary could collapse.

If Trump loses big, then the Republicans will ascribe the loss to Trump's being a bad candidate. Thus, they will continue his espouse his ideas under the belief that the man, not his ideas, was the only mistake.

I think this could be true after all. IMO with Trump the problem is more with the the candidate not so much his ideas. Trump has made some interesting point's when he has been rarely coherent.

What has damaged his candidacy is Trump being Trump. If he had actually invested in a more conventional campaign and not tried to run things on a shoe string up until this point he would be in pretty decent shape.

Also not attacking Judges for having Mexican hertiage, slamming Gold Star families or praising David Duke couldn't have hurt ether.

He never praised David Duke he just said he didn't know who David Duke was which was absolutely a lie.

Yeah I know he is starting to invest in data and getting advice on how to win battleground counties which is good but this stuff could or maybe should have been in June. He previously said he didn't need data.

[Kevin]

It matters a lot if the loss is Clinton +12 or Clinton +2.  If it's the former, they will go away in the short term and probably join a Sanders-like Democratic coalition the next time there's an unpopular Republican president.  If it's the latter, they will be in the driver's seat of the GOP for the foreseeable future, and the 2020 nominee will be someone like Pence or LePage.

I agree strongly on this point. If Trump loses by 2 or repeats Romney's performance then I think there is a case that his faction will play a part in the future of the GOP.

However, if he loses by 6-9 in the national popular vote then the coalition that brought Trump to victory in the primary could collapse.

If Trump loses big, then the Republicans will ascribe the loss to Trump's being a bad candidate. Thus, they will continue his espouse his ideas under the belief that the man, not his ideas, was the only mistake.

I think this could be true after all. IMO with Trump the problem is more with the the candidate not so much his ideas. Trump has made some interesting point's when he has been rarely coherent.

What has damaged his candidacy is Trump being Trump. If he had actually invested in a more conventional campaign and not tried to run things on a shoe string up until this point he would be in pretty decent shape.

Also not attacking Judges for having Mexican hertiage, slamming Gold Star families or praising David Duke couldn't have hurt ether.

He never praised David Duke he just said he didn't know who David Duke was which was absolutely a lie.

Yeah I know he is starting to invest in data and getting advice on how to win battleground counties which is good but this stuff could or maybe should have been in June. He previously said he didn't need data.

Ether way the Duke thing looks very bad ..esp. since Trump wanted him thrown out of the Reform Party in the 90's.

Again this go's back  to the idea that Trump and his people thinking they can win a general election the way they won a primary is beyond insane.

[RaphaelDLG]

They'll still be there, though several thousand/million of them will die between now and the next election.

Agree with several others, though, that we can't really call someone a "Trumpist" when Trump really doesn't have a coherent ideology himself - his voters are mostly people attracted to him because he is a celebrity and an asshole.

The caveat being that I think the one issue Trump has been most consistent on and that his supporters are probably most consistent on is immigration - and, regardless of the RNCs wishes, the rank and file will continue to be very anti-immigration, very nativist until the older white republicans gradually die out, which will be a much longer and more painful process than Republican politicos/donors would prefer.

[Santander]

It'll be like Goldwater's loss in 1964 - Trump may be defeated, but the prevailing ideology of the GOP will be skewed towards nationalism and the alt-right for years to come. It is a coalition that will only grow as the Democrats and their Republican friends continue to betray identity groups that no longer serve their electoral needs.

[Intell]

Trump does actually have a coherent ideology, well message and focus, that aren't played into my most mainstream republican candidates, his brand of ideology will continue, either inside or outside the Republican party.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

The ideology becomes more eloquent, more mainstream, and attracts the usual suspects as the old brand of Reagan movement conservatism dies out once and for all.

[RaphaelDLG]

Trump does actually have a coherent ideology, well message and focus, that aren't played into my most mainstream republican candidates, his brand of ideology will continue, either inside or outside the Republican party.

Name one key issue, other than immigration, that he hasn't changed his mind on in the last two decades - or hell, in the last two years.

[RINO Tom]

It'll be like Goldwater's loss in 1964 - Trump may be defeated, but the prevailing ideology of the GOP will be skewed towards nationalism and the alt-right for years to come. It is a coalition that will only grow as the Democrats and their Republican friends continue to betray identity groups that no longer serve their electoral needs.

LOL.

[hopper]

They'll still be there, though several thousand/million of them will die between now and the next election.

Agree with several others, though, that we can't really call someone a "Trumpist" when Trump really doesn't have a coherent ideology himself - his voters are mostly people attracted to him because he is a celebrity and an asshole.

The caveat being that I think the one issue Trump has been most consistent on and that his supporters are probably most consistent on is immigration - and, regardless of the RNCs wishes, the rank and file will continue to be very anti-immigration, very nativist until the older white republicans gradually die out, which will be a much longer and more painful process than Republican politicos/donors would prefer.

The Republicans aren't anti-immigration they are for legal immigration but not illegal immigration. Its not like they are offering a repeal of Taft-Hartley from 1965 which is a bill based on the immigration system that we have today.

[RaphaelDLG]

They'll still be there, though several thousand/million of them will die between now and the next election.

Agree with several others, though, that we can't really call someone a "Trumpist" when Trump really doesn't have a coherent ideology himself - his voters are mostly people attracted to him because he is a celebrity and an asshole.

The caveat being that I think the one issue Trump has been most consistent on and that his supporters are probably most consistent on is immigration - and, regardless of the RNCs wishes, the rank and file will continue to be very anti-immigration, very nativist until the older white republicans gradually die out, which will be a much longer and more painful process than Republican politicos/donors would prefer.

The Republicans aren't anti-immigration they are for legal immigration but not illegal immigration. Its not like they are offering a repeal of Taft-Hartley from 1965 which is a bill based on the immigration system that we have today.

Republican pols would never do that, but I think that is indeed what a decent amount of the "Trumpist" rank-and-file wants.

[WVdemocrat]

I expect a brand of moderate Trumpism will be how the GOP moves forward and I think the next GOP president will be a moderate Trumpist. They will be economically nationalist, socially moderate (two GOPers this year seemed to moderate on gay marriage - that is Trump and Kasich), and the party will be centered on "America First"

More populist, nationalist, and nativist; less textbook conservative (so less like Cruz, Glen Beck, etc.) and more ideologically fluid. I can see that becoming electorally viable in the near-future, given the populist wave overcoming America right now. I think we're in for a major realignment in the next few presidential elections.

[Statilius the Epicurean]

I expect a brand of moderate Trumpism will be how the GOP moves forward and I think the next GOP president will be a moderate Trumpist. They will be economically nationalist, socially moderate (two GOPers this year seemed to moderate on gay marriage - that is Trump and Kasich), and the party will be centered on "America First"

More populist, nationalist, and nativist; less textbook conservative (so less like Cruz, Glen Beck, etc.) and more ideologically fluid. I can see that becoming electorally viable in the near-future, given the populist wave overcoming America right now. I think we're in for a major realignment in the next few presidential elections.

Agreed, also anti-interventionist/isolationist with regards to foreign policy.

[White Trash]

The hardcore voters will remain, but won't get a nominee until there is a Candidate who can attract as much media attention as trump has in a political climate as forgiving as this one.

Oh my God, this times one million.  This idea that Donald Trump (seriously, let's everyone think of who we are talking about here) is this standard bearer for some type of coherent ideology is comically ridiculous.  He's a catch-all for everyone who was mad at the GOP leadership for one retarded reason or another.

Atlas jerks off to the idea that Trump actually wants to (much less will) make the GOP into this populist workers' party and Hillary Clinton (seriously, we are talking about Hillary Clinton!!!!) is going to wooh every Republican who went to college or lives in a nice house into being a lifelong partisan Democrat for years to come.  For Christ's sake, today alone I have seen two Hillary Clinton ads, and both hit Trump the EXACT same way Obama went after Romney - one LITERALLY attacked Trump for not being an actual protectionist because he's shipped so many jobs overseas in his business days (insinuating that only Hillary will protect us from evil corporate globalism) and the second talked about how billionaire Donald Trump is pushing for tax cuts and loosened regulation for his rich buddies, unlike the people's hero Hillary Clinton.

It's almost as if that's how, like, every Democrat runs ever!

I love how Tom and I want the exact same things for our parties. It's rather nice.

[hopper]

I expect a brand of moderate Trumpism will be how the GOP moves forward and I think the next GOP president will be a moderate Trumpist. They will be economically nationalist, socially moderate (two GOPers this year seemed to moderate on gay marriage - that is Trump and Kasich), and the party will be centered on "America First"

More populist, nationalist, and nativist; less textbook conservative (so less like Cruz, Glen Beck, etc.) and more ideologically fluid. I can see that becoming electorally viable in the near-future, given the populist wave overcoming America right now. I think we're in for a major realignment in the next few presidential elections.

I dont' think Trump supporters care about Gay Marriage much. True about Kasich since he went to a wedding where his gay friend was getting married.

[Senator-elect Spark]

I expect a brand of moderate Trumpism will be how the GOP moves forward and I think the next GOP president will be a moderate Trumpist. They will be economically nationalist, socially moderate (two GOPers this year seemed to moderate on gay marriage - that is Trump and Kasich), and the party will be centered on "America First"

More populist, nationalist, and nativist; less textbook conservative (so less like Cruz, Glen Beck, etc.) and more ideologically fluid. I can see that becoming electorally viable in the near-future, given the populist wave overcoming America right now. I think we're in for a major realignment in the next few presidential elections.

This