The Republican Party is a Burning Building With No Exits

“Trapped in a burning building with no exits.” – William Hague, on members of the Eurozone, 1998 and 2011

As the presidential campaign careens toward November 8, the events of the past week brought the above quote to the forefront of my mind, but as a descriptor for the Republican Party. To keep the metaphor, Trump (with some help) has locked the doors on the membership and set the party ablaze. Especially here in Virginia, escaping means broken glass and a lot of cuts.

Oddly enough, it started with a decent night for the party. Most Americans – especially Virginians – agreed that Mike Pence had the better of Tim Kaine on Tuesday night (for Virginia Republicans, it was a reminder of “the petty politician who tries too hard, falls flat, accomplishes nothing, and fails to resonate”, or, as we used to call him, Governor).

The bloom vanished from the rose as it became clear Kaine’s attempt to lead the GOP ticket into an ambush ahd succeeded. Yes, Pence deflected Kaine’s onslought of Trump clanger, but he didn’t defend them, giving the Democrats the perfect excuse is dredge them all up again. Any belief on Tuesday night that Pence had stopped the proverbial bleeding for the GOP was gone by Wednesday morning.

Then came the weekend.

I won’t rehash Friday itself, one need only read Shaun’s takes on that. It’s the reaction of the Republican Party here in Virginia that I must address, with such deep sadness.

To be fair, there are many who have come forward, offered full-throated criticism of Trump, and even called for him to step down as nomine. Even if that is practically impossible, it’s a decent start. Yet few, if any, here in Virginia (as far as I know) have taken the logical step that our Editor-in-Chief has done, and abandon him for another candidate (or, in his case, two candidates).

It should be patently obvious to every Republican in America – and especially in Virginia – that Donald is neither fit to serve as President of the United States nor capable of thwarting Hillary Clinton’s effort to win the right to serve. Donald Trump will not defeat Hillary Clinton. He does not know how, and even if he did, he lacks the discipline to do it.

I would argue that only Gary Johnson can beat Hillary Clinton now: he alone is on the ballot in every state; he alone has the record in office that would reassure most center-right Americans (especially on domestic policy); he alone can speak for freer trade. One need not agree that Johnson could beat Clinton without Trump in the way; no one can seriously argue the Trump can defeat Clinton now.

And yet I would guess that nearly all of us here at BD, scattered throughout the Commonwealth as we are, know Republicans – from potential candidates to precinct captains – who are trapped between what they know is right and the ridiculously heavy hand that is the Party Plan’s insistence that no Republican official provide outright opposition to a GOP nominee. I could discuss the nuttiness of the “loyalty clause” in detail, but this morning I recognize that it is merely the symptom of the disease I discussed in the party earlier.

Only now, the disease metaphor no longer works. That implies time to address, and the possibility of a cure. That vanished this weekend, especially last night when Trump doubled-down on his policy-free campaign, providing hardly any specifics on any policy while throwing mud and mendacity in industrial-scale quantities.

In fact, his forays into policy actually made things worse. His health care answer revealed the traditional Republican incoherence on health care (a preference for markets, which is good, with no real way of implementing them, which is not). His tax discussion fixated on the “carried interest” deduction, which hardly anyone understands – and where one could argue that he is actually in the wrong.

Last yet worst, on Syria, Trump flatly disavowed Pence’s views, throwing his own running mate under the bus.

Folks, the Republican Party will not recover from this. It will forever be known as the Party of Trump. Indeed, Trump himself did more to shore up control of the party (and keep a future audience for Trump News) than to win the election. He has turned the Republican Party into a loss leader for his plan to monetize his base…

…and, typical of Trump, he’s making someone else cover the loss.

It’s not too late for individual Republicans, though. The building is burning, but the collapse won’t come until November 8. Sure, shards of glass hurt, but it’s better than roaring flame.

There is no water coming to save the GOP. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: put the Party Plan behind you by leaving the party. Help be a part of the new center-right opposition. Get out now.