The GOP's problem is, Trump has undone the unification orchestrated by Rove/GWB. [View all]

[DetlefK]

GWB "won" in 2000 because Karl Rove managed to get all 3 wings of the Republican Party together: the religious, the tax-cutters, the national-security hawks.

This alliance worked during GWB's reign, because the common enemy islamic terrorism united them.
This alliance worked during Obama's reign, because the common enemy Obama united them.

Except that new wings of the Republican Party appeared:
* The Tea Party, Freedom Caucus, whatever you name it, were now the crazy and rabid part of the tax-cutters.
* Obama-hatred gave birth to a whole new world of conspiracy-theories. The Alt-Right.
* And at the same time the religious wing massively lost influence, because their votes were now expendable and taken for granted. As if they have any other choice than voting republican...



Trump's election has cracked the Republican Party.
* The religious wing is desperately trying to co-opt Trump, to keep up the illusion that they matter.
* The national-security hawks (McCain, Graham...) are disgusted by Trump's incompetence.
* The fiscal conservative wing is now cracked into a moderate wing and the burn-it-down Freedom Caucus.
* The Alt-Right is now in direct competition with the Republican Party for the hearts and minds of republican voters.

There is no common enemy to unite them.
No Obama.
No Hillary Clinton.
And Trump's "my-way-or-the-highway" style of government offers no vision that could attract critics to join him.