Why Trump? Because The GOP Still Likes Ike

Italian Tomatoes

Donald Trump is an unconventional candidate to say the least. Some conservatives are appalled at his heterodoxy, while some establishment Republicans are appalled at his style. So why did he get so many votes? Part of the explanation lies in the Republican party itself. While movement conservatism is important, the Republican party is a coalition of groups with practical interests and concerns. They are not happy with the direction of the country and the inability of the Republican Congress to right the ship. The situation is very similar to 1952 and the epic battle between pragmatist Dwight Eisenhower and conservative icon Robert Taft. The country wasn't working right, and people wanted it fixed. We will take a look at the 1952 GOP convention and the Eisenhower phenomenon in order to better understand the dynamics of today.