… The realities of partisan politics will compel most Republicans to defend Trump in public even as they complain about him to reporters on background. But it’s never too early to reflect on how a candidate like Trump was able to win the Republican nomination and sufficiently unify the party to achieve the presidency. After all, Trump hasn’t really changed since he began running nearly two years ago. Nothing that he’s done in office should be surprising to anyone except those who fooled themselves into expecting something different.
The democratic system works best when the same qualities that make someone a strong candidate for office also make him or her an effective leader once elected. But Republicans now face the problem that the attributes that bolster popularity within the party have become fatally misaligned with those necessary for governing success. CONT.
David A. Hopkins, Boston College