As election day draws near, and polling continues to indicate a solid victory for the Hillary campaign, the voices within the conservative ranks of American politics are calling out for a new political party. And those voices are growing louder. After repeated betrayals by so-called Conservative Republicans on issues important to true Conservatives, along with the nomination of Donald Trump as the Republican nominee, the base of the GOP may have finally reached the breaking point.
Even conservatives in media not named Sean Hannity are openly promoting the idea. Jonah Goldberg of National Review recently predicted that if Trump continues to exert his toxic influence after November 8, “we are going to see a new party emerge.” And over at the Wall Street Journal, columnist Bret Stephens wrote, “If I can’t get my Grand Old Party back, I’d rather help build a new one.”
While such an idea has been pooh-poohed in the past, a growing segment of the GOP is running scared.
In Utah, where unaffiliated candidate for president Evan McMullin stands a very real chance of beating Trump and Hillary, Republican officials are concerned that even if McMullin doesn’t win the state, his threat to the party establishment could become greater in future elections. For example: if Orin Hatch decides to reverse his decision to retire in 2018 and run for re-election, would he survive a direct or third-party challenge from a much younger, and probably more likable, McMullin after successfully throwing down the gauntlet against the two-party establishment?
Trump and his surrogates could contribute to the new-party momentum; not by their support, but by their opposition. Trump, who appears ready to leverage his losing campaign to form a new TV network or political party, has frequently voiced his disdain for conservatives. And so-called conservative TV and radio personality, Sean Hannity, has openly declared his intention to indict the “Never Trumper Jerks” who openly opposed the New York Liberal for their crimes against “Trumpanity.” In that environment, the decision to start a new party gets even easier.
At Conservative Review, columnist Daniel Horowitz clearly explains why Conservatives will need a new party after the election, and he concludes it with a question: “for how much longer will (Conservatives) continue doing the same things and expecting different results?”
I get the feeling that the answer is . . . not much longer.
David Leach is the owner of The Strident Conservative, your source for opinion that’s politically-incorrect and always “right.” His articles can also be found on RedState.com.
His daily radio commentary is nationally syndicated with Salem Radio Network and can be heard on stations across America.
