Matthew Continetti, writing at the Washington Free Beacon, examines the fate of traditional conservatives in state- and congressional-level primaries—as well as the long-term implications for the Republican party and conservative movement.
Read an excerpt below:
Senator Rob Portman of Ohio is not exactly Mr. Personality. He’s not a culture warrior or a populist firebrand. He’s a soft-spoken wonky Baby Boomer interested in budgets, finance, and taxes. He won’t be seen with Donald Trump but welcomed former boss George W. Bush to a private fundraiser last month. Also, he enjoys a significant lead over challenger Ted Strickland. Democratic campaign committees have cancelled Ohio ad buys in a sign that they have lost faith in Strickland’s chances. Portman’s biggest fear now is of an anti-Trump wave that brings down Republican incumbents across the country. He’s worried less about his Democratic opponent than he is the Republican nominee. It’s another oddity of the 2016 election. Mainstream conservative down-ballot Republicans are doing surprisingly well in an environment roiled by populism and nationalism. They certainly haven’t been upended by anti-incumbent sentiment. It wasn’t a crusading ideology but local dissatisfaction and redistricting that lost primaries for House Republicans Tim Huelskamp, Renee Elmers, and Randy Forbes. The populist, anti-trade, anti-immigration candidates taking on mainstream conservative incumbents have all lost. Whatever is driving Republicans to support Trump has not helped his imitators.
Read the whole thing here.
