By his own acknowledgement (“I agree with the Democrats on most issues”) Donald Trump is no conservative. Ironically, however, he plays one better than most of the real conservatives in the GOP presidential field. This Instagram post, which Trump did several days ago and now is beginning to get earned media, is a good example. Trump recognized Bernie Sanders’ most basic vulnerability: he is weak. He also echoes Ronald Reagan’s “I paid for this microphone” moment:
Trump understands the mood of most Republican voters better than the other candidates, and plays to it more effectively. In reality, there is no reason to think Trump would be a strong president. On the contrary: being a strong president requires ideological consistency, which Trump lacks. But at the moment, Trump is playing the part of a conservative candidate better than any of his rivals.
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