Whether Trump wins or loses, Republicans’ conservatism has hard days ahead

How the Donald Trump phenomenon ruined the Republicans

This presidential election year has been unique. To some, it has been inexplicable. To some, it has been evil. But there is no denying the fact that this presidential election has marked a transition in the life of America - both internally and externally.

The United States is too powerful a country to decline, as many are fearing after seeing the rise of a candidate like Donald Trump but this phenomenon, before anything else, speaks about the very transition in America's life.

Republicans are targeting Obama over George Bush's errors

The Trump phenomenon meant that the conservative movement in the US is not in a perfect shape. Thrust on interventionist foreign policy that the Republicans have been emphasising over the years along with the economic cost associated with it have not brought what matters the most for the common American - peace and prosperity, at least in the last 10-15 years.

The consequences of the failure of the Republicans' project had a profound impact when the GOP itself was in power last time. Today, when after a hiatus of eight years, the party's controversial candidate Trump targets Barrack Obama who succeeded Republican George W Bush, it doesn't reveal the true picture.

Whatever Trump says today about the Obama regime hurting America is misleading. He should say the same more about the debacles of the previous government that his own party had led in the 2000s.

Democrats have been doing a lot of 'firsts', what about the Republicans?

But the Republicans have tried to hide the political failure of their own regime under a social conservatism aiming at the skin colour of Obama. But following the sense of emancipation that Black America had with the rise of the first black president, it was never a wise step to walk backwards.

The same applies to Hillary Clinton. Like Obama, Hillary also has the chance of creating another history by becoming the first woman president of the US and make America's liberal project worthwhile. As against these feats of the Democrats, what have the Republicans achieved in real life?

Individual Trump himself ruined the Republicans

Trump was seen as the symbol of the Republicans' conservative White movement's reaction to the rise of a black president. Politically, it can still be considered okay for the Republicans are known for that conservatism.

But as time progressed, the crass individual in Trump sidelined the political that spoke about the Republicans' conservatism and made the entire Republican Party look like a joke.

In other words, the Republicans already had a floundering ideological position in an America where the blacks can also become the president now and Trump's reckless behaviour made things even worse by derailing the entire party. How much the party has to do now to regain its touch in American politics?

How much confused is the hawkish Republican mind now?

Trump also showed how much confused is the hawkish Republican mind now. The interventionist foreign policy that the GOP has always backed did not fetch any profit to the Americans over the last decade and half.

President Obama, as a logical conclusion of his predecessor's adventurism, did not take up similar projects even if there were opportunities, like in Syria.

Now, the likes of Trump are not very sure who to hold responsible. They contradict themselves on supporting or opposing one or the other American war abroad. They try to put the blame on Obama instead knowing fully well that Obama had done what was required on the day so that America did not suffer more.

The "We should have gone to war but shouldn't have" position of the Republicans speak volume about the damage that the Bush administration had done to their credibility. The effect is seen today when Trump tries to do a balancing act on war as a state policy. There is a call to see Russia through soft eyes but China through hard lenses. Makes any sense?

Whether Trump wins or loses this election, Republican conservatism has perhaps reached its ultimate days. There is now a need to think something afresh or the liberal heart of America will just dump the worn-out politics.

OneIndia News