Twitter has its detractors. It’s far easy to spend too much time on it (raises hand guiltily) especially if writing about politics or doing politics is your job. The internet, according to the new cover of Time magazine, has been destroyed by trolls, and reading those trolls on Twitter is destroying the rest of us, apparently. More positively, Twitter can be a great source of amusement, cat videos and pictures of your friends on holiday. And in the right hands it can be a terrific outlet for instant, pithy analysis of current affairs. In that spirit I encourage you to have a read of the latest string of tweets by Conservative strategist Matt Mackowiak, who is based in Austin, Texas. He has crafted a magnigicent analysis of the rise of Trump. Historians will ask for decades how the party of Lincoln and Reagan allowed itself to be hijacked by the golf-obsessed poltroon and trainee demagogue Trump. Those historians could do worse than starting with Mackowiak’s series of tweets:
1/ Neither major party has had a presidential nominee without elective or appointive office experience since Wendell Wilkie in 1928.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
2/ So it is worth exploring how the GOP got a blowhard outsider as our nominee in a winnable year when the stakes couldn’t be higher.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
3/ To understand Trump, I believe you have to analyze his fragile psyche. He knows he’s not as rich or successful as he claims. That hurts.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
4/ He cannot handle criticism, yet he proactively courts controversy. He desperately wants to be respected & that is how his campaign began.
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Plus uplifting cultural commentary— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
5/ The birther conspiracy that Trump launched in 2011 was a crucial moment for the conservative movement. We knew Obama wasn’t born in Kenya
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
6/ But for some conservatives, we liked seeing Obama being forced to answer Qs & provide documentation. Why not release birth certificate?
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
7/ The reality is Trump is clearly a racist. And this was the first sign. Obama being born in Kenya would have required a massive coverup.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
8/ It was never plausible. But the media networks covered it breathlessly. Republicans had a chance to do the right thing and many passed.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
9/ Many Republicans didn’t want to offend their base, which despised Obama for taking the country far left. But the base was wrong.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
10/ Questioning President Obama’s citizenship was a racial attack. Does anyone doubt Tim Scott or Mia Love was born in the US? Of course not
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
11/ The birther episode showed us all we needed to know about Trump at that time. He should have been excommunicated. But he wasn’t.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
12/ He started headlining GOP events, appearing on Fox and Friends weekly, talking to reporters, traveling the country. He benefited.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
13/ The conservative movement should have purged him then. He’s never been a conservative. He’s a carnival barker. He’s not a patriot.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
14/ The birther episode concluded w/ the White House Correspondent’s Dinner, which Trump attended. Trump was being celebrated in attendance.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
15/ Instead of isolating Trump, Obama made him an everyday Republican, and sharply and mercilessly insulted him. Trump was seething.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
16/ Had our movement already purged him he would have been all alone. But by then he’d made friends in the GOP and conservative media.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
17/ I believe the feeling of embarrassment and rage that Trump felt that night at the WHCD dinner is what drove him to run for President.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
18/ With the help of Sam Nunberg and Roger Stone, Trump began ramping up political activity and courting reporters.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
19/ He was outrageously given a prime speaking slot at CPAC. We had a racist, liberal, Democratic donor given a prime slot at CPAC.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
20/ Meanwhile Fox News and Breitbart can’t get enough of Trump. They love him. They become partners.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
21/ Roger Stone told me in late 2014 that Trump was very seriously considering running for President. His commitment was real.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
22/ In June when Trump announced, he may not have believed he would win the nomination, but he had many advantages.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
23/ Trump had a high floor of support immediately (20-25% right away) which vaulted him into the top tier and into the debates.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
24/ Trump had the ability to mostly self-fund, which he did to the tune of $55M in the primary. Lack of funds ends campaigns, but not his.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
25/ His high floor protected him from gaffes that would have ended any other campaign (Mexican rapists, McCain, Megyn Kelly, etc).
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
26/ That high floor (25%) was built off his celebrity, and cultivated since the birther episode in 2011. It hardened.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
27/ “Trump had to be one of us, he was on Fox and at CPAC!”
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
28/ Meanwhile Trump had forged some important partnerships, with Coulter, Ingraham, Sessions, Breitbart, Schlafly — all over immigration.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
29/ They became his surrogate operation. They became his character witnesses. They vouched for him.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
30/ Meanwhile Trump was entering the largest presidential field in history, with 17 candidates. A high floor & $55M would be a big advantage
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
31/ Trump dominated earned media in the primary, gaining an 8:1 advantage on Cruz, his strongest challenger. No one could overcome that.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
32/ Debate participation was determined by national (and some) early state polling. In the end, Perry missed out by <1% to Kasich.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
33/ Money troubles drove Perry, Walker, Graham and Jindal out. Trump didn’t have that problem. He didn’t have to spend time fundraising.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
34/ There were several moments where the party & the field could have united against Trump. Everyone wanted the alligator to eat them last.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
35/ They could’ve demanded the release his tax returns or pledged not to support him as nominee. They could’ve demanded apologies. Nothing.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
36/ Trump never would have run an independent bid. That is clear now. He wasn’t liquid enough to run and he wouldn’t have spent what he had.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
37/ I disagreed w/ Cruz’s decision to bear hug Trump early on. But I understand it strategically. But everyone had to be on board vs Trump.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
38/ Trump courted controversy to feed the beast & starve everyone else of oxygen. He killed his chances in a general election in doing so.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
39/ There was a chance for Cruz and Rubio to unite, before Florida. Run together. Rubio wouldn’t agree (is what I’ve been told).
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
40/ There was a chance after Ohio for Cruz and Kasich to unite. They wouldn’t. Both were stubborn.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
41/ Cruz’s strength was his weakness. He became a national figure criticizing the GOP, and then when he needed to unite it, he couldn’t.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
42/ The hatred of Cruz in DC contributed to this. Bob Dole said “at least you can do deals with Trump.” This was the K Street mentality.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
43/ In the end, Trump’s high floor and wall to wall cable coverage made him nearly impossible to beat. The field was too fragmented.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
44/ I believe freeing the delegates and making Trump earn the nomination on the first ballot would have ultimately united the GOP.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
45/ Trump and Manafort presumed the party would unite. They haven’t. And Trump has made that impossible.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
46/ So who do I blame for Trump? This is a long list:
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
47/ I blame:
> The conservative media whores who put ratings ahead of principle (Hannity, Ingraham, O’Reilly). Even Rush.— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
48/ I blame:
> The immigration hardliners that let one issue override EVERYTHING ELSE (Sessions, Numbers USA, Schlafly, Coulter)— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
49/ I blame:
> Carson, Santorum, and Huckabee for embracing someone they know they can’t trust on their issues.— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
50/ I blame:
> Chris Christie for proving himself to be everything his critics said he was.— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
51/ I blame:
> Fox News as a network, for failing to challenge Trump to maintain access. I blame Ailes entirely for this.— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
52/ I blame:
> The RNC has responsibility here. They never really challenged Trump & they watched a coup happen on their watch.— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
53/ I blame:
> Our voters, at least 43% of them in the primary, for choosing someone manifestly unqualified and unbalanced.— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
54/ Trump thought about running in 2012, but in the end he loved being courted and believed he was in Romney’s inner circle. He wasn’t.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
55/ But that courtship made him see himself differently in politics. He saw how Romney ran his campaign. He thought he could do better.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
56/ In the end, I blame all of us that didn’t shame Trump during the birther episode. We had a chance to end Trump as a credible voice.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
57/ Now we are stuck with a nut case nominee & Breitbart running the campaign in what will be a modern landslide. It was a long road here.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
58/ I have will help every other Republican win this year, and then help rebuild the GOP after this disaster. A purge will be needed.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
End tweet storm.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) August 18, 2016
