How Donald Trump has Redefined the Republican Party

[Virginiá]

I thought (because of muh demographics), that Republicans wouldn't be able to win elections after about 2012?

I mean, demographic math does matter. There is this notion that because one or two demographers and/or political analysts made these predictions that didn't pan out, that suddenly that kind of math means nothing, which I'd say is absolutely wrong. In Maryland for instance, just by looking at the demographics, you can easily tell that a Republican is going to have a very difficult time winning a statewide race there. It only happens once in a while, usually in big waves, such as Hogan's 2014 or Reagan/Bush in 84-88 (although Bush did have an easier time, and the state was whiter back then). Likewise, there are tons of Congressional districts out there that you can look at the demographics of and easily make very accurate electoral predictions of just by the racial makeup. Like it or not, America has very predictable voting patterns when it comes to race, age and education.

One should be skeptical of people who give absolute dates - they are best guesses, after all. But if you think that America becoming less white and a younger, far more liberal generation displacing an older, more conservative generation, is not a long-term problem for Republicans, then you're doing yourself a disservice.

[Mr. Morden]

I wonder how Trump's results compared to House results.

Well, the national House exit poll is here:

https://www.cnn.com/election/2016/results/exit-polls/national/house

You can compare those #s to the presidential exit poll:

https://www.cnn.com/election/2016/results/exit-polls/national/president

[Inmate Trump]

The GOP will not recover from Trump.

It isn’t necessarily the policies themselves that have changed so drastically post-Trump but those policies have certainly been a little altered to make them more authoritarian.

Besides that though, Trump has heightened the racial divide in this country and emboldened white supremacists. He has brought disgrace to the office and the way people see the presidency—which is now something other than with respect and reverence. And it’s all trickling down within the party.

And with the ever increasing diversity in this nation, the Trump-era GOP will have no chance at winning in just a couple of election cycles.

I thought (because of muh demographics), that Republicans wouldn't be able to win elections after about 2012?

And so far the demographic theory has held up.  You guys were NOT the choice of the people.  The only reason Trump won was via a technicality.  That 46% popular vote number is only going to shrink in the elections to come, and at a certain point it will matter enough so that it'll be near impossible for you guys to win the electoral college--because right now, the EC is all you've got unless you start making some changes.

[Alabama_Indy10]

I thought (because of muh demographics), that Republicans wouldn't be able to win elections after about 2012?

I mean, demographic math does matter. There is this notion that because one or two demographers and/or political analysts made these predictions that didn't pan out, that suddenly that kind of math means nothing, which I'd say is absolutely wrong. In Maryland for instance, just by looking at the demographics, you can easily tell that a Republican is going to have a very difficult time winning a statewide race there. It only happens once in a while, usually in big waves, such as Hogan's 2014 or Reagan/Bush in 84-88 (although Bush did have an easier time, and the state was whiter back then). Likewise, there are tons of Congressional districts out there that you can look at the demographics of and easily make very accurate electoral predictions of just by the racial makeup. Like it or not, America has very predictable voting patterns when it comes to race, age and education.

One should be skeptical of people who give absolute dates - they are best guesses, after all. But if you think that America becoming less white and a younger, far more liberal generation displacing an older, more conservative generation, is not a long-term problem for Republicans, then you're doing yourself a disservice.

There’s no doubt that demographics are trending away from Republicans in some areas. But the reports of the demise of the Republican Party are extremely exaggerated.

[Fuzzy Bear Loves Christian Missionaries]

The GOP will not recover from Trump.

It isn’t necessarily the policies themselves that have changed so drastically post-Trump but those policies have certainly been a little altered to make them more authoritarian.

Besides that though, Trump has heightened the racial divide in this country and emboldened white supremacists. He has brought disgrace to the office and the way people see the presidency—which is now something other than with respect and reverence. And it’s all trickling down within the party.

And with the ever increasing diversity in this nation, the Trump-era GOP will have no chance at winning in just a couple of election cycles.

I thought (because of muh demographics), that Republicans wouldn't be able to win elections after about 2012?

And so far the demographic theory has held up.  You guys were NOT the choice of the people.  The only reason Trump won was via a technicality.  That 46% popular vote number is only going to shrink in the elections to come, and at a certain point it will matter enough so that it'll be near impossible for you guys to win the electoral college--because right now, the EC is all you've got unless you start making some changes.

Trump did not win on a technicality.  He won according to rules that have been in place for over 200 years.

That those rules are an issue is another matter.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Trump has not redefined the Republican party.

If anything, Trump appears to be reducing the level of government spending.

Remove Obamacare then hand out tax cuts. So lowering government fiscal revenue and spending.

Trump has redefined how the media works with regards to political commentary.

No media love. Just the facts from his Twitter feed. He has taken on the media with the knowledge that most Americans dont believe a word they say.

His direct bulldozer approach, although unorthodox, will allow the next President an easier time in the White House irrespective of party.

[RINO Tom]

Trump has basically governed - at least on economic matters - as a generic Republican.  Why is it never suggested that, because his voters still loyally support him, they'd support the next Republican (who might very well be VERY different from Trump), too?

[junior chįmp]

Trump has basically governed - at least on economic matters - as a generic Republican.  Why is it never suggested that, because his voters still loyally support him, they'd support the next Republican (who might very well be VERY different from Trump), too?

Because the emotional connection (ie: cultism) voters feel towards their candidate is non transferrable. Just like Obama's and Sander's endorsement of Hillary made no difference and she lost anyway.

[RINO Tom]

Trump has basically governed - at least on economic matters - as a generic Republican.  Why is it never suggested that, because his voters still loyally support him, they'd support the next Republican (who might very well be VERY different from Trump), too?

Because the emotional connection (ie: cultism) voters feel towards their candidate is non transferrable. Just like Obama's and Sander's endorsement of Hillary made no difference and she lost anyway.

But this topic is about Trump reshaping the GOP.  Regardless of narrative, most of Trump's voters were Romney's, even if many were reluctant.  I imagine GOP stated policy will be closer to Ted Cruz than Pat Buchanan circa 2024, as I think Trump's "effects" are about him, not his views.

[junior chįmp]

Trump has basically governed - at least on economic matters - as a generic Republican.  Why is it never suggested that, because his voters still loyally support him, they'd support the next Republican (who might very well be VERY different from Trump), too?

Because the emotional connection (ie: cultism) voters feel towards their candidate is non transferrable. Just like Obama's and Sander's endorsement of Hillary made no difference and she lost anyway.

But this topic is about Trump reshaping the GOP.  Regardless of narrative, most of Trump's voters were Romney's, even if many were reluctant. 

Who people vote for isn't the important thing...it's who's inspired to run for office or get into politics by Trump. If Trump's presidency inspires tons of slack jawed dimwits to take over the party apparatus and seek higher office then the GOP is screwed and will continue to shrink. Sort of reminds me of a quote about the band The Velvet Underground after their album flopped: "The Velvet Underground's first album only sold 30,000 copies during its first five years but everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band.”

Trumptards taking over the party and reshaping it will cause further exoduses of college educated voters, minorities, and suburbanites thus making the GOP unelectable for generations and no one will be left participating in the primaries to prevent insane candidates from getting nominated. I mean from the time of FDR and New Deal, the GOP party apparatus did everything it could to prevent Conservative Republicans from winning party nominations until Reagan came along in 1980.

Now Trumptards are going to make it impossible for anyone who isn't an anti-intellectual, conspiracy theory propogating nut from getting nominated in the GOP. Trump is scceeding in that respect as his buffoons slither their way into the GOP as we speak.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Any such predictions obviously underestimated the GOP's aversion to anything resembling democracy.

[Virginiá]

If anything, Trump appears to be reducing the level of government spending.

Remove Obamacare then hand out tax cuts. So lowering government fiscal revenue and spending.

No. He did lower taxes (temporarily). He didn't cut spending - in fact, as usual, Republicans are spending more while at the same time lowering government revenue. Which means more debt. This is exactly what happened during the Bush era.

I really do honestly believe there is a faction of conservatives who on some level really do want to spend less and pay off the debt, but they have absolutely no backbone to do it. Worst yet, they have no backbone to be honest with themselves in that they can't accomplish their goal. They keep fooling themselves into thinking they can be trusted to try it, and all they end up doing is cutting taxes while not cutting spending, thus creating even more problems. It's made worse yet by the fact that by constantly nominating Republicans for president who only want to spend spend spend, while cut cut cutting taxes, they ensure their goals are never met. It's not like they would ever stand up to a Republican president, after all.

Republicans' unwillingness to stand up to Trump illustrates just how much the president matters in American politics, and how little Congressmen do. Generations build and lose loyalty to parties based on the presidency. Congress is absolutely entirely irrelevant to the voters.

No media love. Just the facts from his Twitter feed. He has taken on the media with the knowledge that most Americans dont believe a word they say.

Facts? Have you ever read his tweets? The thing about Trump is he lies about everything, even small things that don't matter, and are easily disproved. We all know how his "biggest inauguration crowd ever" went, right? Or all those times he said someone wasn't going to get fired or resign, only for that to happen just days later? I mean it would take someone all night to list his whoppers. This shouldn't surprise anyone. Trump has always been like this. It precedes even his Republican roots (if he even has any). He's just a uniquely bad person.

http://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/

This is all from the guy who ran Trump University, after all. A fake university that scammed people out of their life savings. Honesty and facts never should have been expected from him to begin with.

[Meclazine for Israel]

If anything, Trump appears to be reducing the level of government spending.

Remove Obamacare then hand out tax cuts. So lowering government fiscal revenue and spending.

No. He did lower taxes (temporarily)..............

No media love. Just the facts from his Twitter feed. He has taken on the media with the knowledge that most Americans dont believe a word they say.

Facts? Have you ever read his tweets? ...................

The "overall strategy" he believes was what I was referring to.

His plan was to reduce Government spending and reduce taxes.

How do you do that? Reduce spending. Get rid of Obamacare. He has cut many Government departments, wrongly or rightly in an attempt to introduce tax cuts. Donald views Washington as too big with too much money collection, bureaucracy and red tape holding back the country.

I would not qualify his tweets as fact. Again, that was just a phrase "Trump" would use.

Let's use "Just the fat from his Twitter feed." It has the same meaning for the purposes of this discussion.

Rather than the media controlling political discussion, Trump has turned this idea on it's head.

Trump knows the media cycle and has redefined the media's role in politics.