Trump Is a Bust for Republicans

Rich Lowry: “Litmus tests have their role in politics. They establish an orthodoxy in a political party, and once a party has uniformly adopted a position, the chances of it eventually getting realized in legislation or executive action goes up dramatically.”

“But there is no case for making a belief in — or a willingness to pretend to accept — Trump’s lurid fantasies about the 2020 election the price for entry for winning a GOP nomination for federal office.”

“The more passionately sincere a candidate is about buying into the Trump view, the more likely it is he or she will lack mainstream appeal…”

“Trump started out promising winning and now specializes in explaining away losses. He began as a stunningly fresh presence in American politics whose act now runs in well-worn ruts. He initially brought a focus to neglected issues that people cared about, but now devotes inordinate attention to his just-so story about 2020.”