Republican operatives were blind to the political risks caused by Mr. Trump’s grift and graft. They heard how the liberal commentariat framed the problem: a crisis of criminal malfeasance, a breach in the rule of law, a degradation of the presidency. And they dismissed it as warmed-over resistance rhetoric — just with dollar signs thrown in. That is where Republicans erred. They misjudged what corruption means to ordinary American voters. These voters do not care about corruption for the reasons liberal columnists tend to, but they are no less angry. These voters see corruption for what it is: rich men getting richer at their expense. Americans hate — really, truly hate — to play the patsy: Corruption makes a patsy of us all.

 

Republicans Are Still Clueless About Why They Lost

By Tanner Greer

Mr. Greer is an essayist who frequently writes about politics and international affairs at The Scholar’s Stage.