The populist energy that gave us Trump could've been channeled into big reforms, but congressional Republicans would sooner indulge crack-pot conspiracy theories.

I agree @ThePlumLineGS—Ceding economic populism to Dems is a huge political miscalculationđŸ§” https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/02/17/mcconnell-trump-gop-infighting/
Opinion | As the GOP war over Trump gets worse, Democrats have a big opening

How Trumpism's descent into madness provides an opportunity for Democrats to exploit.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/02/17/mcconnell-trump-gop-infighting/
@mtgreenee gave this perfect example of this dynamic this week. One of the most bat-shit crazy members of Congress in either party, MTG is a self-styled 1776 revolutionary, and yet her big idea is... a regressive tax cut. https://twitter.com/hamandcheese/status/1361480313130668049
The GOP has no idea how to evolve past Trump. They have a super activated Trumpian base, but they can't rely on the fumes from cult of personality when that personality gives zero fucks about the Republican Party, and would sooner be on the golf course.
Whether you agree with Biden agenda or not, they're moving full steam ahead with a genuinely ambitious set of social policies that will be felt by ordinary voters, from monthly child credits to huge investments in manufacturing and infrastructure. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/11/magazine/biden-economy.html
The Biden Team Wants to Transform the Economy. Really.

In public and private, Biden and his advisers have signaled some dramatic interventions to revive U.S. manufacturing. Will they actually happen?

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/11/magazine/biden-economy.html
A few weeks ago Sen. Romney put forward an ambitious universal child allowance proposal that received acclaim from conservative thinkers across the David French to Sohrab Ahmari spectrum.

The response from some supposedly populist Republicans was ironically Paul Ryan-esque...
As I argued here, when Canada's right had its own populist movement split the party, they put the pieces back together by innovating on conservative economic policy.

Republicans now face a choice between aping Trump's style or doubling down on substance.
https://americancompass.org/event/family-feud-child-allowance-edition/
If a child allowance that parallels a program common to 20+ other developed countries is a bridge too far, the GOP is screwed. Democrats are ready to occupy the populist vacuum, and Republicans seem happy to let them.
You can follow @hamandcheese.
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