Trump is clearly not wedded to any idea of smaller government, or frankly any limits on government. And that’s the key. The real obstacle to the Pragmatic Centrist Agenda — as presented by not only No Labels, but also pundits and politicians of many stripes — is probably the Constitution: its irritating checks and balances, and its curbs on the power of the majority. So archaic!

This is the mantra, and the true belief of this odd slice of the American political class: that we could all solve problems if we set aside ideology and just stopped bickering. Just below the surface here are condescension and and a whiff of fascism, two Trumpian traits…

This includes calls to end “bickering” when Congress debates an issue like taxes, or spending and the national debt. But here’s the thing: Liberals, conservatives, moderates, libertarians and populists all actually disagree on things. Debating and fighting is how a democracy resolves these issues. Trump and the No Labels crowd think that debate is dumb and a waste of time.

Trump’s fascistic strains are fairly obvious. He objects that preacher Rafael Cruz “is allowed to say” certain things, he calls for press crackdowns, killing innocents who are related to terrorists, and forcing military officers to break the law. The Pragmatic Centrists have a more hidden fascistic streak.