David Lipton: Trumping Daniels’ lesson

I am reading “Josephus Daniels, His Life and Times” by N.C. State professor Lee A. Craig. In 1894, Daniels witnessed Republicans gain control of the U.S. congress resulting in a Democrat split between farmers, populists and various radial groups and the more conservative elements in the party.

Daniels, a former editor and publisher of The N&O, was a protege of William Jennings Bryan and learned of the strategy to reunite the Democrats by encouraging the politics of class, anger, resentment and fear. Daniels applied Bryan’s strategy in North Carolina by “playing the race card” to “foment a movement by that could regain control of the party.”

Later Daniels learned that “drumming up a movement based on anger and leading it responsibly were different tasks; and the former was easier than the latter.”

Donald Trump created a movement within the Republican Party by capitalizing on middle-class anger, fear of immigrants and hatred of Hillary Clinton that propelled him to the Republican nomination for president. There were hints at the Republican National Convention about leadership difficulties based on such a movement.

Does Trump have the wherewithal needed to provide responsible leadership for the Republican Party and for all Americans?

This story was originally published August 3, 2016 at 4:14 PM with the headline "David Lipton: Trumping Daniels’ lesson."