Trumpism works better without Trump

Much of Bevin’s success compared to Trump’s is likely because Kentucky is much more conservative than America, giving Bevin huge majorities in the state House and Senate and an essentially powerless Democratic opposition. At the same time, the Kentucky governor appears to be a more disciplined, savvy politician than the president.

Bevin’s nearly two years in office suggest that, despite the president’s early struggles, Trump-style politics — norm-breaking and anti-institutional — could thrive even if the president does not, particularly in the growing number of states away from the coasts where Republicans control virtually all parts of government.

“He’s more in control,” said Joe Gerth, a columnist at the Courier-Journal, the Louisville paper. “He isn’t prone to Saturday morning tweet storms. You can see an end game.”