Will Trumpism Die With Trump? (w/ Margaret Hoover) | How to Fix It

Margaret Hoover asserts that Donald Trump completely owns the Republican primary process, leading to the 'trouncing' of figures like John Cornyn by candidates like Ken Paxton, despite Paxton's corruption. This indicates that loyalty to Trump, rather than traditional conservative principles or electability, is the primary currency in the modern GOP.

Ken Paxton, a 'corrupt' figure, won a primary election against John Cornyn by a 2-to-1 margin, winning all but one county in Texas, despite Cornyn's efforts to collaborate with Trump while maintaining some independence.

Hoover offers a historical perspective, suggesting that the current 'world of Trump' is tied to Trump as a singular, unique figure, rather than a fundamental, lasting shift in American political ideology. She draws parallels to the post-Watergate era, where the Republican Party was seen as 'over' but was later remade by Ronald Reagan.

Hoover states, 'I do not believe we're fundamentally in like a world of Trumpism. I think we're in a world of Trump and I think... he's a singular figure and I think he'll be gone eventually.' She references the GOP's recovery after Nixon's resignation in 1974.

The current primary system, particularly closed partisan primaries, is identified as a major barrier to electing moderate and principled candidates. Open primaries and ranked-choice voting, as seen in Alaska and Maine, allow candidates to vote their conscience without fear of being 'knocked out' by extreme partisan challengers.

Lisa Murkowski's reelection in Alaska, despite voting to convict Trump and against Brett Kavanaugh, is attributed to Alaska's top-four primary and ranked-choice voting system, which prevented Sarah Palin from unseating her in a closed primary.

Despite deep political polarization at the leadership level, there are numerous '80% issues' where a vast majority of Americans agree on policy solutions. However, these issues fail to pass due to systemic blockages, powerful lobbies, and the disincentives for politicians to act courageously.

Examples include the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which 80-90% of Americans support but is blocked by tech lobbies; banning stock trading for public officials; and closing the gun show loophole, which is a 90% issue but remains unaddressed.

The transactional approach to foreign policy has severely damaged U.S. alliances, making it difficult to act effectively on the global stage. Rebuilding these alliances is a long and arduous process, undermining America's ability to lead and shape global values.

Foreign policy experts frequently critique that the U.S. 'can't do anything without allies' and that 'allyship... gallops out on a horse and it sort of slowly trods back in.' The example of opening the Straits of Hormuz is cited as impossible without allied support.