Sam Tanenhaus, Columnist

Race, Sex and 2016's 'Relatable' Candidates

It's not about their egos. It's about shifting American values.

July 14, 2015 at 3:39 PM UTC

Sam Tanenhaus, the author of “The Death of Conservatism” and “Whittaker Chambers,” is working on a biography of William F. Buckley Jr. He was editor of the New York Times Book Review from 2004 to 2013.

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When Scott Walker announced his candidacy on Monday he joined one of the most crowded and diverse presidential fields in modern history. This has its carnival aspects -- as with the furor over Donald Trump’s provocative statements on immigration and crime. Trump's rise in some polls and the large audience he drew in Phoenix on Saturday have alarmed Republicans and conservatives, while delighting Democrats and liberals.

But even Trump’s remarks have resonated for a reason. They are rooted in the Republican Party’s current struggle to adjust to sweeping changes in the national identity -- or identities.