The Unequivocals

In the wake of Tuesday’s Republican rout, I wrote “Republicans Get Routed After Betraying Their Mandate.” My argument stands: Republican leaders failed the voters who gave them power. They asked for the House, the Senate and the White House. They got all three. Then they squandered the opportunity to turn a historic mandate into lasting law.

Now comes the predictable stampede to blame Trump. How convenient. The people who spent two years explaining why something couldn’t be done suddenly have absolute certainty about who caused their defeat.

There is much to learn from Tuesday’s shellacking: Republican leaders squandered their mandate and unapologetic conservatives who won offer a lesson the party cannot afford to ignore.

It’s what we must build on.

Start with the Republican leadership’s