'Extreme tribalism' claws at the Republicans
Katie Glueck, McClatchy Washington Bureau Published 5:04 p.m. ET Jan. 1, 2018
WASHINGTON — In Washington, President Donald Trump struggles with record-low approval ratings — but 80 percent of Republicans rate him highly.
In Montana, Republican Greg Gianforte assaulted a reporter before a special congressional election, but he triumphed anyway, with Trump hailing his “great win.” And in Alabama, failed Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore was accused of child molestation, but 91 percent of Republican voters still backed him, as did Trump himself.
The tensions between a Republican base unshakably committed to the Trump party line and a broader populace that is becoming ever more disillusioned have some conservatives worried about what Trumpian tribalism means electorally and to the soul of their party as the 2018 election year opens.
“It’s not about ideology anymore. It’s about loyalty to the president,” Rep. Charlie Dent, a retiring Pennsylvania Republican, said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” “Now the litmus test has changed. The issue is loyalty to the man, to the president.”
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http://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/2018/01/01/extreme-tribalism-claws-republicans/109082420/
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