Trumpisim Demolishing Intellectually Serious Conservatism?

The American Conservative’s Rod Dreher offers a balanced, logical analysis of the phenomenon that is Donald Trump.

Mr. Dreher asks, “Does Trumpism enliven our political life with zest and unpredictability, or does it diminish our political life with unthinking emotionalism and shallowness?… Trumpism and its popularity are demolishing intellectually serious conservatism. And yes, the GOP and the conservative establishment made that job easier for them by the way they have governed.”

Rod, cites a comment from a reader, who points out, “it is not clear what Trump supporters actually want, besides a wall between the US and Mexico, and what that represents about immigration. It doesn’t sound like they want smaller government, but rather a government that doesn’t work against them. Do they want a more isolationist US foreign policy? You might think so, given Trump’s criticism of the Iraq War, one that I certainly share (the GOP’s refusal to come to terms with the Iraq catastrophe is a good reason not to trust it). But beneath that “make America great again” bluster is some big-stick swagger.”