After the departure of Bannon and the epic flip-flop on nation-building in Afghanistan, Matthew Yglesias wonders what the point of a Trump presidency is, if you are a Reactionary. If Trump is going to govern as an inept and corrupt orthodox Republican, what practical benefits does he have to offer his base? Wouldn’t they be better off with Mike Pence, or even Jeb Bush?
From a purely policy perspective, the question makes perfect sense, but the fact is that for Reactionaries, style is substance. Trump throws them red meat every day. He makes them feel appreciated. He reminds them constantly that he is on their side in their battles against minorities, foreigners, and pagans. For them, every outrage, and every breach of protocol, is just more proof that he is not the kind of establishment politician who has been selling them down the river.
In short, Trump is gambling that he can screw over his base with tax and benefit cuts as long as he consistently shows them love. It will probably work. It has, so far.