In a good article over at Noahpinion, Noah Smith gives a bit of an explanation as to why Trump has been so successful in this election. He points to a failure what he calls the three main pillars of conservatism: economic, social, and foreign policy conservatism. I agree that the Republican version of all three of these platforms has failed or no longer fits with current views (for example, Republicans and Democrats held many of the same views on social policy up until the Bush years).
I think one place Noah goes off the rails a little is when he calls Republican policy low tax, low regulation. I generally believe that the economic policy of Republicans has been much more corporatist - that it favors large institutions or powerful lobbies. He then goes on to say that "alternative policy paradigms like protectionism, socialism, and industrialism are now being openly considered." This is true, protectionism, socialism, and industrialism are being considered. The Bernie Sanders candidacy is an example of just how much traction these ideas have gained. But do we really think a world built on protectionism and industrialism is an improvement?
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