What others say: Moving forward, Trump will need to provide answers

And so it ends for the GOP — in Indiana, the heartland, and in May.

Not in a brokered national convention. Not with much drama as it turned out. Just the last two opponents of the businessman who would be president, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, acknowledging that the Stop Trump movement has been, well, stopped in its tracks.

And thus ends Part I of the most improbable political campaign in recent American history by a man who turned his signature brand of provocation against no fewer than 16 rivals for the Republican presidential nomination and came up victorious.

In politics it is often all about the moment, and Donald Trump managed to capture the moment for voters — voters with fears and anxieties about the economy, about the world around them, and about the inability of Washington to do anything about any of that to make their lives better.

In this latest contest the thrice-married Trump even won the votes of more evangelical Christians than Cruz, the pastor’s son.

There may well be some morning-after remorse among any number of folks, especially those who berated the rest of the field as RINOs (Republicans In Name Only), clearing the field for the ultimate RINO himself — a man whose loyalty to the party — and its principles — has always been about as precarious as the next primary.

Principles? Trump don’t need no stinkin’ principles. He’s Trump, right?

And that, in the general election, may be his biggest advantage — especially against one of the most unprincipled Democrats ever to wear that particular label. The unpredictability of the Trump juggernaut will simply drive Hillary Clinton and her well-heeled campaign crazy.

But eventually the name-calling and the hate-mongering, if continued over the course of the next six months, will grow wearying. Angry and fearful voters will begin to look not simply for someone who stokes their fears, but for someone who has answers — answers that amount to more than “trust me, I’m great.”

The Trump campaign Part II will have to provide those answers.

— The Boston Herald,

May 4

More in Opinion

Alex Koplin. (courtesy photo)
Opinion: Public schools do much more than just teach the three Rs

Isn’t it worth spending the money to provide a quality education for each student that enters our schools?

Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks to reporters at the Alaska State Capitol on Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Letter to the Editor: Law enforcement officers helped ensure smooth, secure energy conference

Their visible commitment to public safety allowed attendees to focus fully on collaboration, learning, and the important conversations shaping our path forward.

Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo
The present-day KTOO public broadcasting building, built in 1959 for the U.S. Army’s Alaska Communications System Signal Corps, is located on filled tidelands near Juneau’s subport. Today vehicles on Egan Drive pass by the concrete structure with satellite dishes on the roof that receive signals from NPR, PBS and other sources.
My Turn: Stand for the community radio, not culture war optics

Alaskans are different and we pride ourselves on that. If my vehicle… Continue reading

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) delivers his annual speech to the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: Sullivan, Trump and the rule of lawlessness

In September 2023, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan established his own Alaska Federal… Continue reading

UAA Provost Denise Runge photographed outside the Administration and Humanities Building at the University of Alaskas Anchorage. (courtesy photo)
Opinion: UAA’s College of Health — Empowering Alaska’s future, one nurse at a time

At the University of Alaska Anchorage, we understand the health of our… Continue reading

U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, address a joint session of the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: A noncongressman for Alaska?

It’s right to ask whether Nick Begich is a noncongressman for Alaska.… Continue reading

Boats return to the Homer Harbor at the end of the fishing period for the 30th annual Winter King Salmon Tournament on Saturday, March 23, 2024 in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Opinion: Funding sustainable fisheries

Spring is always a busy season for Alaska’s fishermen and fishing communities.… Continue reading

Gov. Mike Dunleavy holds a press conference on Monday, May 19, 2025, to discuss his decision to veto an education bill. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: On fiscal policy, Dunleavy is a governor in name only

His fiscal credibility is so close to zero that lawmakers have no reason to take him seriously.

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, speaks in support overriding Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of House Bill 69 at the Alaska Capitol in Juneau, Alaska, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini/Juneau Empire)
Capitol Corner: Finishing a session that will make a lasting impact

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman reports back from Juneau.

Courtesy/Chris Arend
Opinion: Protect Alaska renewable energy projects

The recently passed House budget reconciliation bill puts important projects and jobs at risk.

Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, speaks in support of debating an omnibus education bill in the Alaska House Chambers on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024 in Juneau, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Capitol Corner: Choosing our priorities wisely

Rep. Justin Ruffridge reports back from Juneau.