… In many other democracies parties, not voters, select candidates. In these other democracies, we do not see more radical candidates, like Trump, rise to prominent positions within the party because members of the party fall in line behind party leaders. …
The U.S. two-party system has no room for a niche radical-right party. And the Republican Party’s candidate selection rules make the GOP — the actual party itself — weak. That weakness unlocked the door for Trump. Now the GOP must watch a potentially uncontrollable candidate define what their party stands for, rather than doing it for themselves. CONT.
Darin Self (Cornell), The Monkey Cage