These days, itвЂ™s easy to find an eminence front вЂ¦ often fueled instead by partisan zealotry.Д¬itizens for Responsible and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is an eminence front. The term, вЂњeminence frontвЂќ is more broadly about people who use bling, power, name-dropping, and all the false trappings of a con to put on a front that they are someone different and better than they really are. Of course, that Who song was purportedly about a drug fueled party and the phonies who attend, dressed to kill, wearing bling, and hiding their true identities as they run from reality.

ItвЂ™s a put on вЂ¦ as The Who famously sang. ItвЂ™s a put on, itвЂ™s a put on, itвЂ™s a put on He will once again wear the false garments of moderation.Hey CREW вЂ¦ вЂњCome вЂ¦ and вЂ¦ join вЂ¦ the вЂ¦ party вЂ¦ dressed to kill. Kasich will be the GOPвЂ™s presidential nominee that year. If progressive activists manage to turn back the Trump threat this year, they should spend a few brief moments celebrating before turning their attention to the 2018 midterms and especially the 2020 election. As President, Kasich would lead the same assault on progressive principles that George W. The only other Republican of stature who has the ability to come across as a rational person despite embracing irrational policies is Massachusetts Governor Charlie BakerвЂ“and for obvious reasons, the GOP is not going to nominate anybody from the Bay State anytime soon.Д¬onservatives moved this country to the right in part by thinking several elections ahead progressives must do the same. Kasich is the only prominent Republican who can be sold to the masses as a reasonable candidate in 2020. If Trump fails big this year, expect the GOP establishment to take aggressive new steps to make sure that a Trump-style candidate is successfully stymied the next time aroundвЂ“and that a more marketable right-winger gets the GOP nomination. Kasich may not be as charismatic as Reagan, but he has the same seductive ability to convince those unaware of his track record that heвЂ™s a man of compassion and concern. This is the real reason Ronald Reagan is worshiped as a second Jesus on the right he was successfully able to convince a majority of the American electorate that he was looking out for them, all while implementing an economic vision that funneled wealth to the very top. The Republican PartyвЂ™s dream has always been a presidential candidate who can serve the interests of the 1 percent while appealing to the emotions and aspirations of the 99 percent. Kasich understands the power of packagingвЂ“and itвЂ™s a talent Republicans will fully utilize four years from now, assuming the GOP comes up short this year.

If still-likely GOP nominee Donald Trump loses spectacularly on November 8, whatever is left of the Republican establishment will turn to Kasich as their only hope to avoid losing a fourth consecutive presidential election in 2020.ДЄ rather frightening subplot in the drama of the 2016 campaign is KasichвЂ™s skill at convincing casual political observers that he is a throwback to the long-lost days of non-reactionary Republicanism, despite the abundant evidence that Kasich is a hardcore conservative ideologue. Ohio Governor John Kasich shouldnвЂ™t feel sad if he is forced to suspend his campaign after this TuesdayвЂ™s Republican primary in Wisconsin.

Eminence front