Steven Hayward at Power Line reminds us of the wisdom of political scientist John Marini who understood in 2016 why Trump appealed to so many everyday Americans. It's long, but there is a lot of wisdom packed therein.
It is possible that the Trump phenomenon cannot be understood merely by trying to make sense of Trump himself. Rather, it is the seriousness of the need for Trump that must be understood in order to make sense of his candidacy. Those most likely to be receptive of Trump are those who believe America is in the midst of a great crisis in terms of its economy, its chaotic civil society, its political corruption, and its inability to defend any kind of tradition—or a way of life derived from any kind of tradition—because of the transformation of its culture by the intellectual elites.
This sweeping cultural transformation occurred almost completely outside the political process of mobilizing public opinion and political majorities. The American people themselves did not participate or consent to the wholesale undermining of their way of life, which government and the bureaucracy helped to facilitate by undermining those institutions of civil society that were dependent upon a public defense of the old morality. This great crisis has created the need for a Trump, or someone like Trump, and only those who recognize it as a crisis can be receptive to his candidacy.
Marini describes the felt need for a "Culture Warrior in Chief." Hayward believes today's "someone like Trump" is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. I believe it is possible DeSantis is that guy.
