It is difficult, while still dealing with the aftershocks of Donald Trump’s stunning victory in the Republican nomination battle, to see beyond the immediate wreckage to the conservative cause, and consider a longer view beyond this election. But there are a number of reasons to believe that this moment will pass, and that ultimately conservatism will outlive Trumpism.
To be sure, there is no denying the magnitude of what has happened. As a result of Trump’s nomination, Hillary Clinton is likely to be the next president, allowing her to entrench Obamacare and a liberal Supreme Court, and perhaps go even further with a new congressional majority. Even if she is defeated, a potential Trump presidency also means big government policies: he has promised massive infrastructure spending, and doesn’t want to reform unsustainable entitlements (unless one were to count his embrace of the liberal plan to allow Washington to set drug prices).
