Trump Cares About Control, Not Winning Elections

His criteria for endorsements have nothing to do with ideology or even partisan litmus tests.

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Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said something interesting while campaigning for Dave McCormick, one of the contenders for the GOP nomination to replace departing Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.

“Just once, I’d love to see a Republican candidate stand up in a primary and say: ‘I am a moderate, establishment squish. I stand for absolutely nothing.’ It would be refreshingly honest at least. But nobody says that.” He then added, “And by the way, they all pledge their love for Donald Trump. ‘I love Donald Trump.’ ‘No, no. I love Donald Trump more.’ ‘No, no, no. I have Donald Trump tattooed on my rear end.’ ”

Cruz’s remarks invited mockery, given that he battled Trump for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016 all the way to the convention and then pledged his love for Trump —despite the fact that Trump had insulted Cruz’s wife, suggested Cruz’s father was linked to John F. Kennedy’s assassination and claimed Cruz stole the Iowa caucuses.

There’s no point sitting around pondering Cruz’s lack of self-awareness. But he did make a good point. It’s true that, with very few exceptions, Republican primary candidates do pledge their love for Trump. Some are more obsequious and shameless than others, of course. In Ohio, Josh Mandel lost his bid for the GOP Senate nomination—and for Trump’s endorsement—despite running as the Renfield to Trump’s Dracula.

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  1. Kgfroehle

    My brother drinks too much. (So do I! But IPAs are tasty.) He complains about headaches and such. Like my wife said, if you want something to change, make a change.

    Personally, I am up to here with whining about Republican fecklessness. Yes, that's what they are, have become. Please, someone, give me an alternative!

    No, as a Buckeye, I will not vote for Vance.

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    Ben Connelly

    Headline sums it up. Trump cares only about Trump. Meanwhile MAGA is moving on and towards a disturbing direction.

    ““Just once, I’d love to see a Republican candidate stand up in a primary and say: ‘I am a moderate, establishment squish. I stand for absolutely nothing.’ It would be refreshingly honest at least. But nobody says that.” He then added, “And by the way, they all pledge their love for Donald Trump. ‘I love Donald Trump.’ ‘No, no. I love Donald Trump more.’ ‘No, no, no. I have Donald Trump tattooed on my rear end.’ ””

    Best Ted Cruz line of all time. I’d love to see a candidate say “I’m an establishment squish. That would take integrity and guts. I’d vote for that person.”

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    Synchronize Your Dogmas (Bill B)

    Unfortunately, that "Revolution" doesn't just devour it's own children, it devours ours. Trump managed to attract that cohort within the country who were alienated and hardly politically educated and always saw politics as thoroughly corrupt. They only needed someone to come along and stoke some vulgar populist resentments and rage to express the dissatisfactions that fed thier ignorance and alienation.

    Whether it is Trump or someone else they really don't care about a political process, democratic norms and institutions they always suspected as being stacked against them. Rules, they don't need no stinking rules, whether the Establishments or Trumps. Once they are returned to power they will be more than happy to usher in the Terror.

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  4. Joe1776

    "The key to understanding the GOP primaries is to understand that neither traditional conservative ideology nor even competence are qualifications or differentiators anymore. If they were, Liz Cheney wouldn’t be a pariah, and the bomb-throwing Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert wouldn’t be Republican stars."

    I think MTG and Boebert are democratic stars. I rarely hear about them from more my conservative news except to mock them. Liz Cheney is busy blaming republicans for the mass murder in Buffalo. Does she ever use her airtime to push republican values or policy? It seems like she is just pulled out of the closet by the left as someone who likes to bash republicans.

    I also don't think the past republicans presidents or candidates were all that great on the attributes you list, other than Reagan and maybe Dole. George H Bush was ok but Souter was the last straw for me. Don't tell me how committed to conservative ideology or competent he was with that pick. He was squishy. I do agree Clarence Thomas did offset that though.

    But I agree with the rest. I would think everyone has had enough of Trump. He was awful in his campaign. He couldn't beat a guy that never even ran a campaign. We have plenty of decent people that could lead this party. I am glad Cruz is separating from Trump and I hope the rest of republicans do the same. If Trump runs I think he will be a laughing stock with his whole I won the election routine. The only question is whether the other republicans will split the rest of the republican vote 3 ways allowing him to win with a plurality again.

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  5. Duane Truitt

    Trump did not conduct a successful revolution in the Republican Party. His leadership merely confirmed that the Republican Party died years ago, it no longer exists, and the rump that is left is politically and morally bankrupt, just as their leader is.

    The death of Republicanism began decades ago, but the seeds of its destruction were always part of the party's "establishment". The so-called "establishment" decided they could not win general elections without the votes of the MAGAs - the racist, nativist, nationalist, isolationist 21st century version of the 19th century "know nothings", who were ejected from the Whig party by the formation of the Republican Party. And now the know nothings are back in, and in charge of the GOP. Trump provided the Great Leader for the know-nothings to rally behind. And the rest of the party fell into line over the next six years.

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    1. Tigersrock

      Yep, GOP is dead. Democrats are the greatest party in the history of the world. They have gotten it right time and time again. Why is there ever an opposition to them. I don't know. Please tell me what to do next my liberal Democrat overlord.

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      1. Duane Truitt

        The Democrats are who they are. Who cares except democrats. The GOP that I supported for more then 40 years died 6 years ago. I have no party. Two wrongs don’t make a right, and two stupids don’t make a smart. Screw both parties.

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        1. Tigersrock

          wrong, you do have a party, it is the republicans. Now get back in the fight and lets elect candidates who are good men and women and who govern well. I get the anger and frustration but if those of us who have always supported the GOP can regroup we can ensure candidates of quality and substance. That is my 2 cents.

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  6. Adam K. Johnston

    “Everyone has to be an angry populist revolutionary who wants to see the world burn.”

    This is sadly true across the entire political spectrum nowadays.

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    CynthiaW

    " ... who has transformed herself from a thoughtful Republican moderate into little more than a Twitter troll."

    She has to spend time with her peers.

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    The Bell Tower

    I’ve long argued that the only ideology associated with Trumpism is sycophancy. Even Trump himself has no discernible principles besides self glorification.

    But Kathy Barnette has shown us that there is in fact a specific ideological qualification to MAGA. It’s being a jerk.

    Every single one of these MAGA figures are jerks and the bigger the jerk, the more popular they are.

    “He fights! He speaks his mind! She tells it like it is!”

    Translation: Jerk. Lack of empathy, inability to think critically, name calling and bullying, no compromise, no mercy.

    That is the Trump platform, an army of ignorant jerks.

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      Ben Connelly

      Pretty much. Turned out “fighting” meant “being abusive or crazy.” It’s so stupid but true. I’ve been making this point for a while.

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    2. Boatbody

      we should be so lucky that they are ignorant.

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        The Bell Tower

        Two categories. Ignorance and those who take advantage of ignorance. Hard to tell which one the top guy is in.

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      Patrick

      That’s exactly right, and so depressing.

      If I compared a MAGA candidate and a Progressive candidate on policy, I might actually agree with the MAGA candidate 70% of the time. But that still won’t earn my vote, because the MAGA candidate is disqualified due to temperament. (Plus of course that 30% would include some really big stuff like the 2020 stolen election lie.)

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    Dpatricola

    With election denier Doug Mastriano clinching the PA republican primary, he'll face off against the current AG Shapiro. It may be the biggest win or failure of Trump's ever-encompassing ego. God help us should Mastriano win.

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      An Actual Cat

      I really don't think (or is it just hope?) Mastriano can win the general election. There are too many people in PA who have no time for his nonsense.

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        Dpatricola

        I sure hope so. But for now it's going to be a LOOOONG wait

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    Scarlette Tarte

    One can only hope MAGA suffers the same fate as Saturn's children.

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      Dante Longfellow

      But then came Zeus . . .

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