Current Republicans are now Trump Socialists

In crisis we tend to be socialists. Trump was never an ideological Republican. In fact in late 1990s he considered himself as a Democrat (he said it on Larry King Live show on CNN). He is an opportunist politician who took the path of GOP (As Republican party is called) to come to power. Now unlike a Conservative Republican he has no qualms about signing a $2 trillion spending bill as long as it gets him reelected in an election year.

Look at the $2 trillion spending bill just passed. The unprecedented rescue package has extended Unemployment Insueance for 4 months, would give direct cash payments to 90% of Americans, and provide a $367 billion program for small businesses to keep making payroll while workers are forced to stay home. 

All these would have been anathema to Conservative Republicans. Under normal circumstances the GOP and the Right wing conservative media would have gone mad with all these provisions on this bill many features which would make Bernie Sanders who advocates democratic socialism proud. You would have to point gun to their heads to make them agree with the Democrats whom they had no qualms branding them as socialist or for the worst a Communist. It needs to be reminded that the same Republicans opposed tooth and nail to Obama's $750 billion stimulus spending in 2009 are supporting a similar yet much larger price tag of $2 trillion.

Now the so called Conservative Republicans are conspicuously silent on this gargantuan amount of $2 trillion spending which is more than the annual GDP of at least 6 countries in the world. They have to, given the extremely high popularity of Trump with the Republican base. 

In American electoral system, not just the President but any Senator or House of Representative has to go through the nomination process through Primaries where the Party's base votes. So, if Trump says his obedient base not to nominate a particular Republican, that candidate is toast. (It is akin to anybody going against Modi telling the BJP not to give ticket to someone). Any Republican defying Trump is tantamount to inviting political death.

I have nothing against the Republican party. It is the Grand Old Party, the party of Lincoln. I have great friends who are Republicans. But the party has been hijacked by Donald Trump. The current breed of Republicans have become his lackeys (even before this crisis). It is no more your father's or grandfather's Republican party. It is Trump Party where Trumpism has it's way - Republican or Conservative principles be damned.