In contrast, Trump, who once dabbled in third-party politics, came to understand it would be easier to commandeer a major party. The financial crisis had only accelerated the decline of trust in institutions, including party establishments. As a result, he could be the vessel for the economic and cultural anxieties of blue-collar white voters who had been steadily migrating to the Republican Party for decades.
So long as these macro-trends hold, the case for a Trump dynasty or lingering Trump influence is stronger. But the current state of the Bush dynasty is a lesson that all politicians ultimately have to work with a changeable electorate.
The fragility of dynastic politics can even be seen when a presidency ends well. Barack Obama left office with a 57 percent job approval rating and remains highly popular within the Democratic Party. Had Michelle Obama entered the primary campaign before Joe Biden, she might be walking off with the 2020 nomination today. (She might walk off with it were she to enter the race now, although I have no expectation she will do so.)
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