The Price of Admission to the GOP

Donald Trump wants one thing: blind loyalty.

By
484
Former President Donald Trump speaks with Vivek Ramaswamy, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and Sen. Tim Scott at a campaign rally at the the Margate Resort in Laconia, New Hampshire, on Monday, January 22, 2024. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Hi, 

A headline in the Wall Street Journal today reads: “Chipotle to Offer New Benefits to Draw Younger Workers for Burrito Season.”

What I found striking is that “Burrito Season” is a thing we’re supposed to know is a thing. In other words, while I didn’t know that burrito—or Chipotle burrito—sales spike in the spring, I’m not that surprised to learn it. But I do find it jarringly funny to throw around “burrito season” like “baseball season” or “Oscar season.” Do people ask, “Are you psyched for burrito season?” Do sewer workers say, “Next year, we’ve got to be better prepared for burrito season.” 

Anyway, speaking of seasons and increases in gross crap tonnage, this is technically the heart of primary season. But it really doesn’t feel like it. Barring some events that we normally don’t consider part of normal primary seasons—unprecedentedly old candidates dying, breaking a hip, yelling at clouds, speaking in tongues, or being put in jail—it’s already pretty clear who the nominees will be. And both presumptive nominees and their parties are ready to start the presidential campaign season—which traditionally doesn’t start until after Labor Day—right now. 

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  1. Edward Gijanto

    Trumpists hate true conservative traditional republicans than they do liberals. Thats a fact. They’re not conservatives. They like big government

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  2. Truth for a change

    The other day, when I first read this, it occurred to me that Trump and his acolytes a the true RINOs. They may be in the Republican party, but they are only members in name only, at best.

    As I've said for some years now, I love my country, but I'm not too fond of my government. Never been more true.

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    Jak41592

    I do not want Joe Biden to be President in 2025. I don't. He's old, he's tired, he has struggled to stick it to the activists in his party (the LBG Terminal approvals being an infuriatingly short sighted hold, I am praying that he is just giving them a bone before approving the project). But as annoying as Biden can be, I want a Trump presidency far (far) less than a Biden one. The only way to stop a Trump presidency is to vote for a Biden one.

    Therefore I want a Biden presidency.

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  4. D Rudy

    In politics, there is bad, and there is worse. Trump is pretty much bottom of the barrel. There is never been a less qualified, less prepared, less, honest, and more self-serving person to hold the office of President. I can’t believe a thinking person could support a vote for Donald Trump in 2024 more than in 2020.

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  5. Randall Briggs

    I think that Jonah makes a fundamental error in believing that at some point the fever will break and the GOP will return to decency and sanity. That helps explain (to me, anyway) why he invites people who have repeatedly fallen short of what is needed to rid the party and the nation of Trumpism. I'm thinking specifically of Mike Gallagher and Ross Douthat. Instead of challenging these guests, he trades jokes with them.

    I'm not willing to wait until the Day that the Republican Fever Breaks. Trump and his MAGA millions will do too much damage while we await that Day. The GOP is a shell operated by Trump and his armed and angry supporters. After voting for every Republican Presidential nominee from Nixon to Romney, I have left the Republican Party. I will not waste my time waiting for that Day to come.

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    Christine Parker

    I don't know, I think between the GOP move to try to declare him the nominee combined with his BARRED PERMANENTLY schtick, he's made it clear he's not interested in persuading anyone. This independent was disgusted by the former and amused by the latter.

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    Cbutler79

    My 32 year old son voted for Trump in 2016. He is now a registered democrat. The only way that the MAGA fever dream to end is for the boomers to shuffle off this mortal coil

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  8. Jvspringrose

    “Sometimes party loyalty asks too much.” - John F. Kennedy, 1960

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    O.W.L.

    I have a sincere question for you Jonah, and for anybody else who has rubbed elbows with powerful Republicans (both in government and in the private sector).

    These are people who are used to wielding power. At what point are the Jamie Dimons and Mitch McConnells and John Robertses of the world going to get fed up with being threatened by a conman wearing a bad rug and a diaper who isn’t nearly as wealthy as they are? Trump is bad for business, bad for the rule of law, and bad for down ticket Republicans, which is what all three of those men care about.

    Cut a deal with Biden, get him re-elected, and work on a new center right coalition that will take new approaches to immigration and to the debt, and to the endless wars in the Middle East. I loved your discussion on the Ruminant with the Manhattan Institute debt nerd. His approach to Social Security was refreshing. Instead of taking it away, tell people that if they value SS they need to collectively pay a little more for it.

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  10. Vrwc002

    VOTE TRUMP.

    Aside from the all caps, I'm not as crazy as it might first appear.

    A)quit wasting time rehashing the rehash, he is the presumptive nominee, despite of my donations to Haley.

    B)Both dingbats that will be on the top line are term limited, four more years of either can be blunted.

    C) IF, (there's caps again) YOU really don't want Trump or Biden get involved. Start (you already should have) working you backside off getting veto proof majorities in both house of Congress.

    D) Quit donating to anything but R candidates for Senate and House.

    E) Don't make it public, lie to the pollsters.

    F) Volunteer NOW for get out the votes even if you don't like the R candidate. Individual congressional members are easier to deal with than whichever Doofus resides at 1600.
    This is your way through to say "Sure I will!" Then quietly acting on, "Hell No".

    Long, long odds but it could work. This is a proforma third party right under their noses effort.

    Full disclosure, in 2016, and 2020 with clothes pin in hand I strolled into the booth, put the clothes pin on my nose and pulled the lever for Donnie. Why? Two words, Clinton and Biden.

    I'll vote Trump again and work to hogtie him. How about you?

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      Ms. SSM

      How do veto proof Republican majorities hogtie Trump? Wouldn’t you need the opposite?

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      1. Terrie Weaver Wiederich

        A republican majority would be exactly what Trump wants. He already has them playing parlor tricks for him and he’s not even the president.
        A large Democrat majority could actually hogtie him as your suggesting…

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      2. Vrwc002

        It gives them the air they need to be honest. Trump is term limited, what is his recourse?

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        1. Jmcrouch12@gmail.com

          You are assuming he will leave office after four years, I don't belive it. He has already indicated he will cancel the 2028 election.,

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          1. Vrwc002

            Best laugh of the day.

            Let's see, he tried in 2020, to change election results. The people he needed to have ANY chance, the military, were utterly and completely out of the picture.

            If he wins at the Supreme court level, then actually wins the 2024 election. What in heavens name make you think the military will fall in step.

            I get criticized here for what is seen by others as outlandish (sometimes they MAY be right). I'm guessing they have not read your response....yet. Or they are simply libs being a pain.

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          Ms. SSM

          Who’s honest in this scenario? Congress? Trump has enormous power in Republican primaries and politicians are self interested people. They will prioritize getting reelected over any concerns about Trump’s behavior. We know this because they always have. No Republican can hogtie Trump. He just got Scott to publicly humiliate himself on stage with him. Trump has plenty of recourse to punish Rs who step out of line.

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          1. Vrwc002

            With whom then shall we try?

            The Dems?
            The independents?

            If we don’t at least try within the remnants of the Republican Party we should simply volunteer to be fitted for Mao jackets

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    2. BadgerBill

      Nope. Never, ever, ever. No. Never.

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      1. Vrwc002

        Fine.

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      O.W.L.

      This is quite possibly the dumbest strategy I have ever seen.

      If Trump is inevitable, you should want veto proof DEMOCRATIC majorities to hogtie him.

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      1. Hikingguy

        And just like that, you lose. Sad.

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        1. Vrwc002

          Go do a selfie too close to edge if a cliiff

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      2. BadgerBill

        “Lazy, a coward or both.” Very persuasive. Name calling-well done.

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        1. Vrwc002

          You don’t think I give a crap what you have to say.

          Complain all you want but get off your duff and work to fix it.

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    4. Jackrabbit McQuivers

      lol never. The obvious flaw with this is that it requires casting one's vote for someone who is as opposed to the American project as Donald Trump and many of the Republicans in the House and Senate.

      I personally believe we should be trying to save America, not kill it. That's a personal preference; your preference may differ. So I'll have to go a different direction than what you propose.

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      1. Vrwc002

        And your direction would be what…..

        I’ll wait. If you are too cowardly to put it out there don’t criticize others.

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        1. Jackrabbit McQuivers

          Your tone leaves quite a bit to be desired. But, to answer your question in a nutshell:
          1. Organize and persuade the persuadables to vote with a singular goal to ensure that Trump and his enablers never get close to elected office again. This is key for all future iterations of improving our liberal democracy, as Trump's polarizing rhetoric is choke off civil discourse (note that this is a common pattern among most populists throughout history). In the near-term, that means voting for Biden and any center-left or center-right down-ticket candidate rejects Trump's election lies, and is committed to reinvigorating our liberal democracy.
          2. In the next 4-12 years, begin a movement that encourages center-left and center-right voters to partner on key projects to strengthen democracy. One of these will be establishing joint tickets of center-left and center-right candidates for Presidency (think: Romney/Whitmer). This will be combined with coordination between center-left and center-right on down-ticket races to elect candidates whose #1 platform is to strengthen American democracy
          3. This will eventually result in a new party. It might be called Democrats (and far-left Progressives would spin-off and form a new party with MAGA republicans), or it might be called Republicans (and far-right MAGA would spin-off and join forces with their spiritual neighbors, Progressives), or it might receive a new name altogether.
          4. Launch a national service program, not unlike the Peace Corps, to get good-faith red-staters and blue-staters to see each other as humans and fellow citizens again, rather than assuming that each other are lazy or cowardly or otherwise evil.
          5. Reinvigorate civics curriculum in our schools (starting at grade school) to ensure that somebody like Trump never again gets close to the Presidency. That will have the additional effect of shifting the momentum away from expanded executive powers, back to checks-and-balances. That will take a generation to play out, but worth doing, as it will be what makes the previous tactics sustainable over the long-term

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          1. Vrwc002

            I really don’t care about your opinion on my tone. I never complain about others have a “tone”. Say whatever you wish the way you wish or otherwise known as free speech.

            The ideas you had fell apart immediately with the vote for Biden suicide pact.

            In case you missed it he has used executive orders to do essentially anything the communist progs want. For me a non-starter from the get go.

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        2. Hikingguy

          Stop calling people cowards. You ain't all that. My direction is to vote for Biden and every Democrat on my ballot and do my best to crush this vile 21st century Republican shitshow into the dirt. Brave enough for you, hero?

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            Ms. SSM

            While you can do this rudeness schtick this isn’t a forum that tolerates it. People do get banned and comments do get deleted. You are capable of civility clearly as our above exchange shows. So let your better angels speak on the Dispatch forums.

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    5. GregS

      You think veto proof R majorities in the House and Senate will hogtie Trump?
      I have a bridge you might be interested in...

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