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Primary Concerns Episode 5: Conservatism’s Crossroads

Will Party consensus shift in a way that makes it more electable and amenable to compromise?

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This week in the primaries, Donald Trump planted his victory flag in three more states, while Bernie Sanders kept at Hillary Clinton’s heels by logging an unexpected win in Michigan. New Republic senior editor Jeet Heer joins the show from Toronto, Canada to discuss the results and share some insight into what our fair neighbors to the north think of America’s election saga. 

But first, host Brian Beutler welcomes David Frum, senior editor at The Atlantic and chairman of Policy Exchange, to discuss the conservative movement at this moment of upheaval. How is Donald Trump going to transform the Republican Party? Can the GOP be wrested free from the grip of Fox News and its ilk? And as the reform conservative movement grows, will Party consensus shift on issues like immigration, taxation, and health care, in a way that makes the party more electable and amenable to compromise? Take a listen to find out.

Further reading:

  • The great Republican revolt, by David Frum for The Atlantic
  • Why Bernie Sanders is the anti-Trump, by Jeet Heer for the New Republic
  • How Trump is forcing conservatives into an existential crisis, by Brian Beutler for the New Republic