NYT "Talk Radio Is Turning Millions of Americans Into Conservatives

[JHB]

16. Before it was "the core of Trumpism" it was the core of Republicanism...

...and that's because "Trumpism" isn't a real thing, it's merely a continuation of four decades to Republican grievance politics that "institutional" conservatives and "both sides"-media people (i.e., people who should have seen this coming a long time ago) have slapped a term onto to wash their hands of their own blindness and culpability.

The Republicans have been on this precise trajectory since Rush rallied Republicans to full-on resistance to Bill Clinton after Poppy Bush lost to him. (And moving sharply in this general direction for even longer.) Lost, in part, because foamers like Rush crucified him for being a weak approximation of an actual fiscal conservative for going back on his "read my lips" pledge.

Think Republicans being afraid of Donald's tweets is anything new? It's just a continuation of how any Republican who disputed Rush or even just downplayed his importance was on his show within 48 hours trying out for the Olympic back-pedaling team. "Oh, no, Rush, I never said anything like that. The lying liberal media took my words out of context, just like you always say. You're a swell guy!"