It used to be that, for the GOP, every election was 1980: Ronald Reagan against the weak, ineffectual Jimmy Carter. With Trump, however, every year is 1968: the cities are burning; crime is out of control; the country is divided on culture war issues; and what is needed is the firm hand of authority. In that narrative, of course, Trump is Richard Nixon, which in its way, makes sense.
The difference is that we aren’t at war this time, and our cities aren’t burning. Will the voters see the difference, or will they believe Trump and Fox News instead of their own eyes? We’ll see.