What Donald Trump Shares With Ulysses Grant

Abraham Lincoln was fielding complaints about General Ulysses Grant.  The commander of Union forces in the east was engaged in a series of slugfests with Confederates and the body count was astronomical.  Reporters were labeling Grant a “butcher”.  Despite the bloodshed he pushed forward and Lincoln was impressed.  “He fights!” was the response.  The President had been disappointed by a series of cautious Generals.

Grant, alternatively, would take huge losses and continue the pursuit of the enemy.  A more cautious approach could’ve extended the war and the death toll for several more years. 

The strategy employed by Grant eventually forced the surrender of Robert E. Lee, the man who had vexed the more powerful Union for nearly four years.

Over the course of the last 5 years I’ve often considered the Lincoln quote when addressing a broadcast audience and explaining the rise of Donald Trump.  He may be in exile but some in news media suggest his image is only growing stronger among his supporters.  You can read more from Politico by clicking here.

The Grant analogy isn’t lost on other writers.  This link from the Washington Examiner explains Trump is popular with most Republicans because he fights.  Listen, I’ve been hosting radio talk shows going back 27 years.  I’ve heard the lament from conservatives.  Where is the man (or woman) with the spine to stand up against liberals and sweeping cultural change?  It sure isn’t Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush or John Kasich.  Trump’s bumptious style may be grating for many but he was the first Republican in decades to grasp the want of the GOP base.  The last?  I’m old enough to remember this exchange!  It vaulted Ronald Reagan into the hearts of millions.

The Republican establishment can learn or fade away.