1.
Moore won without Trump: Only a few days ago it was fashionable to
declare “there is no such thing as Trumpism”–there was only Trump, and
his changing positions. Trump’s voters would simply follow whichever
way their leader led — even, most controversially, into a deal with
Democrats to give formal amnesty to the illegal immigrants known as
“Dreamers,” who had been protected by an Obama executive action (DACA).
But, in Alabama, Trump said ‘Follow Big Luther’ and his base said, ‘No
thanks. We’ve found a Trumpier candidate.’ Turns out there is such a
thing as Trumpism without Trump:
2. Moore won without Drudge: This one’s more surprising. Drudge’s
website has been a rock of support for both Trump and Trump’s
underlying cause of immigration-skepticism. Given the pro-immigration
bias of the mainstream press, he’s seemed indispensable. ... But the
idea that the king of alt media could be sidelined and scrappy
Breitbart would fill the void must terrify the GOP “governing wing.”
Remember
when House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s defeat by an anti-amnesty
outsider in 2014 sealed the doom of the massive, heavily hyped “Gang of
8” amnesty? The bill had already passed the Senate, but when Cantor
went down House Republicans who valued their job security didn’t want
to go anywhere near it.
3. Bannon won: They mocked when Bannon left the White House and pledged
a vague campaign to somehow support Trump while still attacking him as
he strayed from his former populist “America First” ideas on
immigration, trade, and war. ...
4. Jared Kushner was wrong again: ...How much awful advice from his
son-in-law is the President going to take?
5. Immigration Amnesty lost big: Two weeks before the Alabama election,
some polls apparently showed a very tight race. About this time, Trump
held his infamous dinner with Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi at which
he seemed to cut a Dem-friendly deal to give amnesty to the “Dreamers”
— in exchange for a grab-bag of feel-good border security measures that
did not include his promised Wall. Candidate Moore denounced the deal.
Worthwhile:
Full Micky
Kaus