It was clear that after Donald Trump became the Republican nominee, the GOP had two options: unite behind Mr. Trump or break out into a state of disarray. After months of Trump, an embarrassment to Republicans, parading around as their presidential candidate, the latter has occurred and now the GOP faces an uncertain fate. The rise of Trump has made many Republicans question their beliefs; his nomination, though, was necessary for reform in the party.
The party is currently composed of four different factions: the moderates, Libertarians, the Tea Party, and Christian conservatives. Over the last twenty years, these groups have drifted ever farther apart. After former speaker Newt Gingrich sought to improve Congress’s reputation by compromising with President Bill Clinton, the GOP began to build up an anti-establishment base. The Tea Party, in particular, became more extreme, while many moderates were alienated. Now, many of the Republican members of Congress are not only unwilling to compromise with the Democrats, but also are unwilling to come to accord within the greater Republican party.
If Mr. Trump wins, the Republican party will be given yet another chance to unite behind one leader. Although he has been incredibly controversial, his leadership and large following will have the chance of reinvigorating the Party. As of now, despite having a party chairman and the seat of the Speaker of the House, the GOP is largely leaderless. Currently, there is no clear direction for the party; it has digressed into an organization composed of people who simply agree to disagree with liberal ideologies.
For instance, an underlying belief of the Democratic party is that government action is needed to achieve equal opportunity and equality for all. Yet, Republicans lack their own code of central beliefs. Indeed, it seems that when I say I am a Republican, I am categorized as “from the other party”; however, that does little to clarify my ideals. I might be a Libertarian who believes it is the responsibility of the individual to satisfy one’s own needs or a conservative evangelical who believes government must intervene to prevent people of the same sex from marrying or women from having abortions. Therefore, though some beliefs will inevitably always differ within both of the parties, Mr. Trump has the potential of establishing unity that the party so badly needs.
If Mr. Trump loses — which he seems destined to do — the existing state of disarray will likely result in a breakdown or at least a complete restructuring of the Party. Though Mr. Trump has undoubtedly hurt the Republican Party’s reputation through his offensive comments directed towards females and people of other races, his loss will provide the Party with much needed time to regroup and reconfigure its place in modern-day politics. The Party’s outcome remains much less certain if Mr. Trump loses, yet it may be exactly what the party needs. The humiliation and immense anger that have accumulated in the party over the last several years is reaching a point of implosion, and Mr. Trump’s loss would serve as the catalyst to bring on the collapse and eventual reformation of the GOP.
Putting aside the argument of whether or not Mr. Trump is a suitable president, his loss is the best possible outcome for the GOP. If he wins, Trump will likely only push off the GOP’s eventual demise by establishing a false sense of unity. Many individuals are calling for an overhaul of America’s current two party system; Trump’s loss would likely serve the Republican party and the country well by acting as a source of restored faith in American politics.
