Donald Trump has set a new standard for presidential behavior. It is defined in this editorial. Some things may have been left off, and more will likely need to be added. It will be hard for any Republican president to live up to this standard in the future. Donald Trump has lowered the bar to a level never before seen in our history. As the standard bearer for the Republican Party he has redefined what it means to be a Republican. His cheerleaders in the Republican Party have aided and abetted him, either actively or passively. It has been a team effort to lower the standard of presidential behavior.
The new presidential standard described in this editorial has not only re-branded a once credible political party it has re-branded America. Trump's Herculean efforts to "Make America Great Again" has set a lower standard for our nation. He has redefined democracy and the ideals that have we have worked for centuries to establish. Our brand as a global leader has also been re-defined. Nations that have trusted us, and have relied upon our leadership in global affairs, have been confused about our direction as we adjust to Trump's new standards of presidential behavior.
Other presidential hopefuls will have difficulty repeating Trump's success in capturing the presidency. Trump understands the motivations and thinking of millions of Americans. He speaks to them every day by sending out tweets to 29,000,000 followers. They believe that Trump will fulfill the promises that he made to them. They also believe that Trump's efforts are thwarted by elites who he has defined as the enemy of the people. He cannot fail. He can only be prevented from achieving his goal of "Making America Great Again" by the actions of elites who have ganged up on him and lie about the real direction of his policies which favor the elites that they despise.
The Republican Party leadership faces a difficult problem as Trump lowers standards for the presidency. They can't win elections without the votes of Trump true believers. While he is president they have a rare opportunity to make America even greater for the nastiest segment of America's elite. That combination, of the worse segments of American society, may be a winning combination. After all, what good is a political party that does not win presidential elections? The risk that Republicans take with that strategy is very high. Its success requires the party to reject the ideals that appeal to Americans who have a higher standard for the presidency. A political party that bases its strategy on appealing to the lowest common denominator in society will eventually collapse. A political party that is led by a president who has become the butt of jokes on TV in America and in Europe faces a dim future. It cannot endure.
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