Yes, the GOP would in theory over time, approximately a 20 year period, another generation or two, recover from Trump. The sad thing is they were already on the road to recovery. The Tea Party wing energized the base and created a fault line between the so-called establishment (more moderate) and the outsiders. These things take time; they don’t just happen: Rubio and Cruz, both former Tea Party favorites, were well-positioned to take over the leadership (peacefully, orderly, coherently, naturally) of the GOP as the next generation. The identity and basic principles of the party would remain intact and the new renovated outsider version of the GOP was poised to take the White House. Again, a bloodless revolution. Rubio, in particular, recognized the need for the GOP to redefine and expand its base appeal. Social conservatism in this model is alive and well. Trump derailed this.
Trump plays up anger to the angry base. So does Sanders. The middle and working class (a huge number of Americans) have endured years of wage stagnation and increased cost of living, loss of jobs overseas, underemployment, unemployment. They are in panic mode, and justly so. I am in this group, as are most of us. The fact that a former liberal billionaire has come along to feed off this rage and promise us populism is not surprising, if a bit ironic. The larger concern is that we now have two large, organized wings of dissatisfied, disenfranchised Americans on either extreme side of the spectrum. Black/white racism, xenophobia, hostility to Christian, Muslims. The natives are restless.
One silver lining: Trump has exposed the Tea Party’s Achilles Heel - Reaganomics - for the middle and lower classes. If we are going to save the democratic process and structure of government under the Constitution, we need to manage and incorporate these dissatisfied groups into the system and address the fundamental economic and social injustices that are fracturing us and creating such inequality, rage. We need to dislodge militant left political correctness in education, law, media, business. Go back to genuine, informed tolerance and equal opportunity - socially, culturallly and economically. And, again, we need something a little more helpful than “Reagonomics” or “socialism.” Compromise here too.
No matter who is elected - Clinton, Cruz, Kasich - they must work to the center to diffuse this tension and toward income and social equality - again, with an eye on demilitarizing the far left and far right: learn from this Trump/Sanders fiasco - recognize the damage the Obama administration has done in alienating the ‘White Lives Matter’ types and the undeniable attacks on Christianity, traditional values. Black Lives Matter and White Lives Matter are not going away. Get rid of what is creating these movements.
Trump is unelectable and must be stopped - not an option. He is unethical, incompetent, and pouring gasoline on this fire. This country’s worst nightmare right about now. Let’s ‘do Trump’ *within the system. * Properly.