The Republican elites are in absolute shock at the meteoric rise of Donald Trump in the polls. They are stunned that he is forced to move to his events to larger and larger venues. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, often referred to “Grahamnesty” by conservatives, whined that Donald Trump is a “wrecking ball for the future of the Republican Party.”
Mr. Graham, whose supporters can probably easily be counted with the fingers on one hand, clearly has a serious case of crowd envy. He isn’t the only one. Establishment candidate Rick Perry denounced Donald Trump. Mr. Perry mewed, “I was offended by his remarks.”
Mr. Perry may have been “offended” and Mr. Graham may be begging for anyone to show up to hear him, but Donald Trump is laughing all the way to the top of the Republican polls.
The surge of Donald Trump is not a shock to anyone who pays attention to the Republican base. Mr. Trump has capitalized on the anger the Republican base towards illegal immigration and amnesty.
This anger is not new. In 2014, an unknown economics professor challenged Eric Cantor, the then-sitting majority leader of the House of Representatives. Dave Brat hammered Mr. Cantor on his support for amnesty. Mr. Cantor’s support of amnesty was a major reason many voters turned Mr. Cantor out of the House.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and former Hewlett Packard executive Carly Fiorina get it. They have started repeating the same points about illegal immigration. Most of the Republican Party doesn’t get it. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said, “Trump needs to watch his tone.”
Ms. Haley’s problem and the problem of the entire Republican establishment is that they do not understand the base they claim to represent. The base of the Republican Party is not the Chamber of Commerce, nor is it their lobbyists.
Mr. Trump is dominating the Republican race right now because he is doing the one thing the Republican establishment isn’t doing. He is speaking to the issues that are important to the base. Average Americans who make up the Republican base are fed up with illegal aliens committing crimes in America. They are tired of illegal aliens coming to America and taking American jobs. They are tired of working hard, paying their taxes only to see illegal aliens receiving welfare benefits and other entitlements that should only go to Americans.
The Republican problem goes deeper than the amnesty issue. The Republican Party establishment despises its base. Republican candidates do a great job of talking a good talk to the crowds back home, but when they get to Washington, the only voices they hear are the lobbyists.
A decade ago, the Republicans could get away with this kind of thing. No longer. One of the greatest accomplishments of the Tea Party movement has been to get conservative grass-roots activists involved again. No longer can Republicans say one thing at home and do another in Washington and get away with it. The activists are on to them.
Mr. Trump is surging because he is offering a message the base wants to hear. The establishment ignores this at its peril.
The message is simple: It’s the amnesty, stupid.
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