The Beltway hosted a dueling set of Republican conferences this past weekend, which perfectly highlighted the party’s struggles: the Conservative Political Action Conference, taken over by former President Trump; versus Principles First, put on by center-right and never-Trump organizations.
Trump triumphantly declared his takeover of the party complete, saying things like “We will never go back to the party of Paul Ryan, Karl Rove, and Jeb Bush.” Reports say Principles First featured a defeated tone, with attendees wondering if the party will even survive.
And yet, among all registered Republicans, it is far from clear that Trump has irreversibly taken over. My estimates, along with surveys asking whether voters are more loyal to Trump or the Republican Party, show that roughly 30 percent of the potential Republican electorate falls into the Trumpian non-cons camp, who are more concerned with power and control than policy. They seek to win votes by stoking anger and using bigger government to protect existing power structures. That leaves two-thirds of Republicans as possibly moveable. CONTINUED
Natalie Jackson, National Journal
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