From The Washington Post, as first voting nears, Trump seems stronger. As Donald Trump and Ted Cruz soar, G.O.P. leaders’ exasperation grows. Ramesh Ponnuru on how Cruz-hating Republicans need a reality check. A brilliant, insane desperation plan to stop Trump: Help him win Iowa (and more and more). Does Donald Trump need to win Iowa? Nate Cohn on why a Trump victory in Iowa would matter so much. Dear Republican establishment: It’s too late to stop Donald Trump (or Ted Cruz).
Will Rahn on how Trump is the most electable Republican — really. Donald Trump is a highly skilled demagogue — this one chart shows it’s working (and more). Hamilton Nolan on the self-fulfilling prophecy of the GOP anger morons. Trump doesn’t understand the Bible, so why do evangelicals love him? Having failed to make America Christian, evangelical Trump supporters will settle for making it “great”. Is Donald Trump sparking a conservative culture war? While many evangelical voters revel in his anti-PC rhetoric, some religious-right stalwarts think Trump is imperiling the soul of America. Can the GOP’s big-business brand survive Donald Trump? While corporate America embraces diversity, Trumpism is moving the Republican Party in the opposite direction. Trump’s rhetoric may topple adage that there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
From Vox, Ezra Klein on what Donald Trump understands that Hillary Clinton doesn’t, and vice versa: “It’s not what you say about the issues, it’s what the issues say about you”. Peter Loge on the South Park-inspired political theory that Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are proving true.
Bernie Sanders says he’s a democratic socialist — Mark Thoma what that means. Why do so many people believe Bernie Sanders? Kevin Drum wonders. Conor Lynch on how Bernie Sanders could be the next Ronald Reagan: Believe it or not, the democratic socialist from Vermont could be a game-changer for American politics. I get Sanders’ appeal, but he’s not a credible president: Paul Starr on how Democrats have a choice between a symbolic candidacy and a real one — they should choose the real one.
