It was late last year when former Florida governor Jeb Bush mused that he might have to “lose the primary to win the general [election]” in 2016. Bush’s oddly phrased point was that rather than try to appeal to the most conservative voters in the GOP base, he’d instead hew to the center. That would spare him the inevitable awkwardness of running to the hard right in the primary, and then “etch-a-sketching” his way back to the center during the general election.
Yet, several months into the primary season, Bush seems to have jettisoned his strategy before he could even implement it. Aside from his wan countenance, which some see as evidence of “moderation,” and his minor heresy on Common Core, Bush is running pretty much as a down-the-line conservative, trumpeting his record cutting taxes, defunding Planned Parenthood, and blaming Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for the sorry state of Iraq. Note to pundits: wearing glasses and speaking softly does not a RINO make.
There is, however, one candidate who has implemented the Jeb strategy: Donald Trump. While he’s been widely derided by liberals for his tough stance on illegal immigration, many of his positions stand markedly to the left of the rest of the GOP field. He’s defended Planned Parenthood; trumpeted his early opposition to the Iraq war; and supported a wealth tax. There’s a cunning political logic at work here: Because of his tough position on immigration and his take-no-prisoners aura, Trump can count on the continuing support of some on the hard right, including among talk radio hosts. But, at the same time, he can appeal to the general electorate; Trump’s support for taxing the rich, for example, is wildly popular in every segment of the population except the GOP base.
It remains to be seen whether this strategy will work, of course. After all, Trump could very well lose the primary before he has a chance to lose the general.
