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PoliticsThe Town VoiceBalanced 

 

Early Party Unity Hazardous for Trump

By Arlon Staywell
RICHMOND  — 2016 —   To put things very simply so that everyone has a good chance at participating; Donald Trump is a businessman, John Kasich is a politician, and Ted Cruz is a lawyer.  They can each do other jobs of course, but they are best at one thing.

The Republican Party has been struggling especially over the last decade for an identity with three interests sometimes labeled "fiscal," "national," and "social" conservatives.  The most obvious rift in the party lately is over the size or scope of government.  That is obvious to the trained observer.  It is far less obvious in the campaign rhetoric.

The United States has a bicameral legislature, and a markedly "two party" (de facto if not de jure) system.  The exact nature of each chamber and party can be difficult to identify.  In the distant mists of history, legislatures divided into sections, usually two, thus are "bicameral."  Groups of people divided into parties.  Among the earliest divisions was wealth.  Tradition was another thing that divided groups of people.  It was not always the case that the people with the most wealth understood the traditions best, whatever their advantages in that regard.  It is even less clear today in the United States whether wealth, tradition, or some other trait characterizes the chambers of Congress and the political parties.  Of course the chambers are defined in the Constitution and great wealth is not listed as a requirement for either.  The parties define themselves, or at least they try, or at least some in them do.

Donald Trump's victory in the Indiana primary gives the impression that the Republican Party is unifying.  It's the same party that struggled so long with "different" types of conservatives.  It's the same party Mitt Romney failed to lead to the White House.  There's nothing wrong with unity ordinarily, but it isn't country wide unity, it's only party unity, if it's even that.  That could be a disadvantage in the general election.

While he is new to politics, none of his political ideas are especially his own or "new" except perhaps to himself. Two ideas he would claim and few others would claim are considered ridiculous and unenforceable by people with experience in government.

The irony about Ted Cruz is that he probably is the lawyer you did need to get rid of the doctor you don't need.  Donald Trump might sell you yet something else you don't need because he has a talent for that.  John Kasich will probably make one of the best speeches at the convention if he gets a chance to speak.

Donald Trump is not a theologian and no major world religion is the enemy of the United States.  Some people have noticed that sin is a problem, but when government tries to solve that it seems to make it worse in some cases.