Republicans are stuck in three yesterdays – E.J. Dionne Jr./WaPost

“But all of the former president’s rivals are struggling to dethrone him because they still have not come to terms with the other side of Trump, which was innovative. He moved past Reaganism. He co-opted the tea party, drawing its supporters in by echoing their nativism on immigration and backing tax cuts, without embracing its anti-government message in full.

“Unlike most Republicans, Trump speaks the language of frustration experienced by Republicans who no longer believe the promises of global capitalism and (never mind Trump’s own corruption) don’t trust the cozy relationships between lobbyists and GOP leaders in Congress.

“A man who had no business being president secured the GOP nomination in 2016 precisely because he understood, as his opponents didn’t, that many in the rank and file did not want to hear about cuts to Social Security or Medicare, hated NAFTA and other trade agreements, were skeptical about the Iraq War, and longed for an economy in which those who did not attend college could count on a decent living.”

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