I can’t think of a U.S. election since the Civil War where neither of the main candidates has been either conservative or Republican. Until now.

Donald Trump never properly pretended to be a conservative but, until last week, he was notionally a Republican. True, he had come late and maliciously to the GOP. The party was, if you like, the victim of a hostile takeover. Still, he seemed content to use its structures and demand the support of its officers.

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