The Move to Populism

The rise, fall, and hopefully another rise of the GOP

By Darryl Weng

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Today, the GOP seems to lose its grip with its voters - seemingly immoral. Some say the GOP has gone “whiter” and radicalized. But one generalization is true: the Republican Party of today has turned populist.

Back then, however, the Republican Party was very, very different. Before the 21st century, conservatives turned their party into a coalition of those who were distasteful of the Democratic Party’s dealings with Vietnam, Cuba, and the Soviet Union. At the time, conservatives were full of literary minds, prominent economists, and accomplished political thinkers. One would never call a conservative a “populist,” for they were the educated. They became symbols of the anticommunism force in the U.S and brought back values that many religious American families resonated with. Conservatives even challenged certain American beliefs and morals that were, in fact, a facade for ulterior motives, boosting the GOP’s reputation as realists and - ironically - new & refreshing from the Democrat establishment.

Yet, by the 2000s, educated immigration and technology brought new youth, culture, and radical ideas. Suddenly, with the Soviet Union dissolved, and a new generation blessed with the internet, conservatives began to lose an identity - they began to lose their platform. The Democrat establishment had regained their platform, bringing new and inspiring figures like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. The new generation of Americans immediately fell in love with the liberal agenda of the Democrats - the idea of less poverty, better healthcare, more money, and compassion. The conservative mindset of the economy was forgotten, and no one seemed to mind the rising taxes, cost of living, and - interestingly - worse healthcare. Not to mention, the American government spending was reckless - preying on middle class Americans to cover up its mistake. And, yet, in the midst of all the economic ruin lay continued enthusiasm among Americans, reviving movements of gay rights, abortion, and more that became absorbed into the liberal agenda.

And then, the 2016 Presidential Elections came. It was a shock to everyone - the Republicans, the Democrats, and Americans. Donald Trump took the national stage and targeted the common working class man of America. He championed the miners, the factory workers, and those who made a living for the sole purpose of putting food on the table. The upper middle class, most of the wealthy, and the poor were appalled. No man had ever talked so blunt, so dull, and so precise. American art and literature could barely stand the man. Trump said what he wanted - abandoning political correctness and finding absolute dislike from the moral American. And, yet, the Republican Party had been restored to its mighty state, reigning over the nation with renewed confidence and passion. Trump restored Republican Party importance and reinstated its agenda of the century - America First. Americans dealt with other nations in fair treaties and pressured belligerents with economic power. American citizens were priority, and illegal immigration was confronted successfully.

But, Trump also caused a slight demise in the GOP. He split the party - leaving conservatives of the National Review Era squawking at Trump solidifying his image as a champion of the working class. Due to widespread cancel culture, media establishment, and dislike of Trump’s character, many Americans were dissuaded from supporting Trump. Those who did support either became quiet or found themselves labeled as radical. Those who spoke out in support of Trump tended to cast an image of the stereotypical America First supporter - a midwesterner wearing a MAGA hat. Outside of GOP footholds like Texas and Florida, committed GOP voters seemed to be old, white folks, contributing to the idea that the Republican Party had become “whiter” when, in fact, there has truly been a rise in black, hispanic, and asian voters among the GOP.

The turn to populist tactics after Trump is leading today’s Republican Party to continue to be branded by the Left as out of touch with the current generation of Americans. The reality is opposite, but lack of tact among Republican politicians to reinforce their image of strong men and women, military veterans, and true conservatives(in part due to the rise of “RINOs”) is not helping them gain much voters among our generation of Americans. Does such a strategy resonate with working class and self-made Americans? Sure. But it certainly does not garner support among many upper and middle class Americans who have time to develop therapeutic mindsets that prefer moral, upright, and compassionate politicians.

If Republican politicians wish to gain back the House in the coming months within areas of heavy Democrat presence, they must completely abandon any image that seems out of line with the moral mindset of many Americans. Social media is the most efficient and quickest way to promote and renew a proper image, especially now that Twitter is experiencing a transition of management thanks to Elon Musk(quite interesting how the prospect of free speech causes Democrats to go ballistic on Twitter). While taking advantage of the numerous pitfalls of the liberal agenda that we see today, Republican politicians should continue to bash at the Left - a simple reminder to everyone of the consequences of voting for left-leaning politicians. Adding to the list should be promoting community activities as much as possible; the bigger the better. As the goal is gaining as many voters, there should be very few meetings with committed voters, and a high amount of meetings with people who would likely be swayed by a simple commitment by politicians to show up to a community event. Emphasis on issues like education where Republicans clearly win on could easily turn the tide.

There are a plethora of ways to increase voter support, even with limited funding(as is often the case with GOP candidates running in Democrat majority areas). If the Democrats can rise up from their irrelevance and minority status, then so can the Republicans.