A key conservative Republican thinks that Donald Trump, win or lose, has exposed a serious problem with conservative Republicanism.
Rich Lowry, editor of the National Review, says that "the right had become too beholden to these old clichéd policies and rhetorical tropes associated with Ronald Reagan ... everyone thought that there was this kind of sturdy house of Reagan and everybody had to occupy a room within it and ... genuflect at the door. And Donald Trump didn’t do that. He basically shook the structure and the whole thing sort of fell down which goes to the fact that conservatism had not updated itself to deal with the new realities on the ground."
Speaking to ABC News' Jonathan Karl and Rick Klein on Powerhouse Politics Podcast Lowry addressed the many Republican lawmakers who have flip-flopped on their Trump support.
"I think a lot of these folks have gotten in trouble and kind of disgraced themselves because they haven’t staked out one position and have just stuck with it," Lowry said. "I don’t pour contempt on anyone who realizes all of Trump’s failings and just says ‘this is a 51-49 question and I am with Trump.’ I respect that entirely. But it’s a little hard to respect the people who didn’t endorse, then endorsed, then un-endorsed, then re-endorsed. If that is where you state of mind is just ... don’t say anything. Just shut up."
Lowry also said Rep. Paul Ryan’s speakership is definitely in trouble.
"He has a major target on his back. I don’t know if they will get him this time but his life will be like [John] Boehner’s going forward. There will be a constant threat."
Lowry was asked which Republicans are the best positioned for a White House run in 2020.
One candidate would be “Ted Cruz who literally, every hour of the day, is plotting how he actually grasps the brass ring next time around," Lowry said. Others would be Sen. Tom Cotton and Sen. Ben Sasse, candidates who “represent opposite poles of how you deal with Donald Trump," according to Lowry.
So how about Ohio Gov. John Kasich?
"I think Kasich would be in the same spot he was this time around and someone who in theory would have a lot of appeal in a general election but actually has to win Republican votes to get there and he demonstrated no capacity to get there in 2016 and I don’t see how it would be any different in 2020," Lowry said. "But the fact is if he were running he would probably be winning by 10 points."
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