Accurate. It's difficult to argue that the mainstream US Republican isn't a populist now. Twice is not a fluke.

And ever since the 70s there's been a tension between the blocks of the Republican party: fiscal business conservatives, foreign policy hawks, and rural/religious conservatives.

After couple decades getting the final group fired up, they decided they wanted to drive. And the primary system rewarded them.

> the final group fired up, they decided they wanted to drive. And the primary system rewarded them.

I've been an outside observer of US politics for many decades, I'd characterize what happened not so much as the primary system rewarding them but more as a consummate grifter and snakeoil carpetbagger fooling them into thinking they've won.

They got fired up, they got the candidate they voted for, I'm not sure the expected rewards will follow as hoped and expected.

I think folks undersell Trump's intention to deliver. Just, to him, there's no objective reality outside of the message and the public reaction.

So he says "We'll build a wall!", then throws up a few miles of fencing, then takes some photos and says "We built the wall!", and people believe him?

That's job done.

Sure, there are a lot of interests around him, but I honestly don't think he's playing a master plan. He just lives inside messaging.