So, it's come to this: forget defeating Democrats; the GOP must defeat Trump.
Trump’s defeat is now a matter of Republican survival. The candidate himself, as the debate demonstrated once again, is small, petulant and out of his depth on policy. And Trumpism apparently regards the speaking of Spanish as un-American, contemplates one of the largest forced migrations in human history and spreads destructive, unscientific nonsense about childhood vaccines. The summer of Trump has been a season of toxicity, ugliness and racially charged resentment.
It would take a heart of stone not to laugh. GOP 'intellectuals' like Gerson are in panic-mode. And the solution?
...Republicans now require not just a serious, policy-oriented reformer, but someone with the exceptional political skills to remove Trump’s new layer of political damage. Any successful GOP candidate will need to be the anti-Trump, rejecting the language and philosophy of Trumpism as offensive and fundamentally at odds with the ideals of the party they represent.
In 2016, the GOP’s greatest challenge may not be overcoming the Democratic nominee, who is likely (as of now) to be weak and wounded, but overcoming the worst ideas and tendencies that have emerged in their own party.
And where, pray tell, does Gerson think that this savior, this 'anti-Trump', is going to emerge from? Today's GOP? Here's a nickel, bud: buy yourself a clue.
The irony (clearly lost on Gerson) is so thick, you can spoon it up like peanut-butter.
Gerson is addressing the Republican Party he wishes existed; Trump is addressing the Republican Party that actually exists. A party that has reached this stage of abject degeneracy and nihilism thanks, in part, to the unstinting efforts/shameful silence of mopes like Gerson.
For years, clucks like Gerson have been pandering to the worst instincts of the Republican base--the xenophobes, the racists, the crackpots, the anti-science bible-bashers, the 'birthers' and the all-purpose illiterate goobers.
For years, the Republicans have been putting their spurs to their 'base' -- on abortion, on immigration, on gay rights, on women and on race. In the mean time, the GOP focused on what really concerned them: tax-cuts for the rich, corporate welfare and military follies overseas.
I guess they thought that the goobers would never catch on. But they have (sort of).
And now guys like Gerson are shocked, shocked that the 'base' turn out to be suckers for Trump's brand of demagoguery. The goobers know that they've been played for mugs, and now they want some payback. Trump promises them everything ('unbelievable, fantastic, great, the best') while promising them nothing ('we'll be looking at that').
What are Jeb! and co. offering? More tax-cuts for the rich? Even the goobers have worked out that 'trickle down' means they're being pissed on.
Gerson is like a man who fills his house with dynamite, gasoline, kitchen matches and whiskey, invites The Three Stooges round for a party and is then astonished when the whole place goes up like the Fourth of fucking July.
Cry me a river, asshole; your tears are exquisitely delicious.