i'm not sure why you would think that, the first primaries are still a long way away. all brooks is doing is whining about not being able to have conservative republicanism without the embarrassment of trump. he did a lot of the same after it became painfully obvious to a lot of folks how stupid w was (post katrina). the focus of the gop has not changed, they are just saying the quiet parts out loud now. and like most good authoritarians, they are also using a lot of bluster to make any opposition to them seem pointless, but that has been going on since gingrich/limbaugh, all that is changed is the ugliness/visciousness of modern american conservatism is being put front and center.