April 28, 2011

Trump and the GOP Establishment

By Steve McCann

Donald Trump is not only causing heartburn within the halls of the White House but throughout many of the well appointed offices of the Republican hierarchy in Washington D.C. For the first time since Ronald Reagan nearly hijacked the Republican convention in 1976, the Republican establishment is being challenged. (A personal disclosure: I have met Donald Trump on a number of occasions. During the late 1980's my consulting company worked for his casino operations in Atlantic City, N.J.)

The conventional attitude along Connecticut Avenue and K Street has been, and still remains to this day, that the most important attribute of being a Republican and an opposition party is to challenge on a most civil basis the agenda of the Democrats while remaining within the social circle and invitation list of the so-called movers and shakers in Washington. However, this is a company town whose only industry is the government and the overwhelming attendant businesses of lobbying and the media. Thus the city is controlled by the Left who tolerate those conservative intellectuals and pundits who easily break bread at the de rigueur restaurants and social occasions with the Democrats.

The disdain of the Left in Washington D.C. for the conservatives and Republicans is palpable and they have no compunction of doing to or saying the most vile things about their opponents. Having lived around and done business in the area for most of my life, it has always amazed me how easily and comfortably someone of a conservative bent who, after spending only a few years within the Beltway, slips into the conventional mold and is changed forever while denying it is happening to them. That is why, regardless of who occupies the White House or controls Congress, the country has continued to slid into it's current precarious state. When the Democrats are in charge the process accelerates, when the Republicans are in charge the process slows but moves inexorably forward.

When someone like a Donald Trump comes along or the Tea Party movement becomes a serious threat the wagons are figuratively circled to protect the status quo. Donald Trump has caught traction because, unlike the establishment Republicans, he is willing to damn the torpedoes and move full speed ahead by saying what so many in fly-over country are thinking and saying about the state of the country and its leadership. Is he a populist? Yes, at the moment he is. He is in full, but undeclared, campaign mode to capture and dominate the headlines. Are some of his pronouncements over the top? Yes they are, but they are provoking thought and discomfort for the establishment.

He is aware that in America's celebrity driven culture in order to defeat the well developed cult of personality that is Barack Obama, an opponent must be able to tap into that well-spring of national recognition and thus be able to attack the President regardless of what may be said about him in return. Trump is mindful that he too is an established media and culture figure that can compete with Obama on his turf.

Would Donald Trump make a good President? I do not know. I do know, based on my personal experience, if I had to choose between Trump and all of those listed as potential Republican candidates plus Obama to sit down with the Chinese to negotiate trade and exchange rate issues or to sit across the table from Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer over spending or tax issues, I would unhesitatingly chose Trump. I know and have great confidence in his ability to win those confrontations. On social issues, I am not so comfortable with him; however, unless the country pulls out of this financial nosedive and begins an powerful economic growth cycle while cutting spending, social issues become secondary as the country will fail.

The Republican establishment needs to get over itself and stop with the name calling and derogatory insinuations regarding Trump or any other candidate. It is up to the primary voters to decide and if they choose Trump because of his bombastic approach or any other candidate for their attributes then any one of them will be far better than the current occupant of the White House. It is beneath all of us to mimic the name calling of the Left in regards to our people regardless of our personal opinions.