海角大神

This week鈥檚 much-anticipated summit between Donald Trump and Paul Ryan has laid bare the fundamental question of the 2016 presidential race: What does it mean to be a Republican?

House Speaker Ryan, the nation鈥檚 highest ranking GOP official, hews to the party鈥檚 longstanding platform of fiscal and social conservatism: low taxes, small government, free trade. Mr. Trump, the party鈥檚 presumptive nominee for president, is a populist 鈥� issuing big promises of jobs and health care for all, protectionism on trade, and dramatic measures to curtail illegal immigration.

The clash of ideology (as well as style) has thrown the party into contortions as its establishment wing tries to make peace with the 鈥淭rump wing鈥� and produce a unified force that can beat Democrat Hillary Clinton in November. It鈥檚 clear, after Thursday's meeting, that the formation of the new Republican Party is a work in progress. Ryan still hasn鈥檛 endorsed Trump. But the two principals, at least, have begun a dialogue.

鈥淚 do believe that we are now planting the seeds to get ourselves unified, to bridge the gaps and differences,鈥� Ryan said at a press conference after the meeting.

It now seems likely that Ryan will endorse Trump sooner or later. Members of his caucus, one by one, are falling in line. His counterpart in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, is already on board with Trump. If nothing else, opposition to Mrs. Clinton is the party鈥檚 glue.

To some Republicans, the range of disparate views within the party is even a positive 鈥� a sign that the party is indeed a big tent.

Commentator Pat Buchanan, a populist precursor to Trump who ran for president three times, sees a GOP with three wings: the 鈥淭rump folks,鈥� who are populist and nationalist; tea-party and other hard-line conservatives, in the mold of Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas; and the moderate-conservative establishment.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 see any inherent, great contradiction which should cause a slice of the Republican Party to leave and vote for Hillary Clinton,鈥� says Mr. Buchanan in a Monitor interview. 鈥淓very coalition has stresses and strains, but I think that the Republicans have a potential majority coalition.鈥�

Other observers note that political parties evolve over time, and on rare occasions go through a process of realignment. At one time, it was the Republicans who were the larger-government, pro-tariff party, only later becoming the party of small government and free trade.

鈥淎 number of people are writing about the death of the Republican Party in apocalyptic terms,鈥� says Michael McDonald, a political scientist at the University of Florida, Gainesville. 鈥淏ut we鈥檝e had two strong major political parties since 1860. I doubt that the Republican Party will crumble.鈥�

Professor McDonald sees Trump as more the center of a 鈥渃ult of personality鈥� than one who can force big, systemic changes in the party coalition structure.

But the reality is that Trump has earned almost 11 million votes in the primaries, and has brought many new voters into the GOP 鈥� voters the party will need in November and beyond. And Trump knows he will need the other wings of the party in order to win the presidency.

Still, as Ryan suggests, the dance toward some form of unity has only begun. It鈥檚 clear that significant policy differences remain. And both men are using language artfully in an effort to create an appearance of comity while pulling each other into their respective camps.

On Thursday, Ryan spoke repeatedly of the Republican Party鈥檚 鈥渃ore principles鈥� in his remarks to the press, suggesting that Trump is part of a larger 鈥渨e鈥� that adheres to a common philosophy.

鈥淲e discussed the core principles that tie us all together 鈥� principles like the Constitution, the separation of powers, the fact that we have an executive that has gone way beyond the boundaries of the Constitution, and how it's important to us that we restore Article I of the Constitution,鈥� Ryan said, referring to the constitutional provision on the powers and limits of Congress.

The speaker may have been reflecting concerns that a President Trump, after a career as a CEO who answers to no one, might play fast and loose with the boundaries of executive branch power. Ryan didn鈥檛 go into specific policy differences, but acknowledged they鈥檙e there 鈥� and noted that Republicans don鈥檛 have to agree on everything.

Trump, speaking later on Fox, said he 鈥渄idn鈥檛 mind鈥� going through a slow process of party unification, but then highlighted issues that he cares passionately about 鈥� including two that put him at odds with the GOP establishment: immigration and trade.

鈥淚 feel very strongly about border security, I feel very strongly about trade, I feel very strongly about building up the military,鈥� Trump said on Fox鈥檚 鈥淗annity.鈥� 鈥淎nd to a large extent, I think Paul is there also. So we鈥檒l get there, I鈥檓 pretty sure.鈥�

Trump鈥檚 rally cries for a 鈥渂ig, beautiful wall鈥� on the southern US border, to be paid for by Mexico; a temporary ban on Muslims鈥� entering the US; and big tariffs on Chinese imports have excited his supporters and alarmed party leaders over both tone and substance 鈥� Trump鈥檚 assurances that 鈥淧aul is there鈥� notwithstanding.

Trump has also voiced support for a higher minimum wage (decided by the states), for Planned Parenthood (except for abortion), and for transgender rights over the bathroom issue.

In short, the journey toward a unified party could be long, and if the ultimate answer is to 鈥渁gree to disagree鈥� on major issues, true unity may prove elusive. Trump reportedly said behind closed doors that he did not aim to change the party鈥檚 platform. That could mean a nominee who holds one set of beliefs and a party that stands for another.

But the platform isn鈥檛 the be-all and end-all of a party鈥檚 identity. Remember, in 1996, GOP nominee Bob Dole famously said he hadn鈥檛 read it. The platform is meaningful to core activists, not to voters, who see the presidential nominee as the party standard-bearer.

And to some longtime, faithful Republican voters, that鈥檚 the issue: A party headed by Trump and suddenly standing for Trump鈥檚 views may be hard to swallow. Whether Ryan and Co. will be able to coax him into becoming more 鈥減residential鈥� and more widely acceptable on policy to all wings of the party is one of the great questions of the 2016 race.