What do Republicans gain by keeping Trump in power rather than Pence?

[yurbud]

They clearly aren't going to pick up any swing votes with him in office and will be get their clocks cleaned in 2018 midterms.

If they replaced him with Pence, he would rubberstamp most if not all of the same things Trump would, it would take most of the steam out of the calls for special prosecutors and other investigations, and Pence is boring enough that it could deflate a lot of protests.

Are they just afraid of his hardcore base of low information voters? Are there some big fish donors that insist on keeping him? Is it that he is so damn stupid, they can get him to do reckless things and not realize how he could end up paying for it himself?

What is their calculus that makes keeping Trump look like a good idea?

[Madam45for2923]

1. Embarrassing to go after a Repub Pres. Admitting they F.Ued. Probably they r Blackmailed by Tango

[yurbud]

11. Tango?

[Madam45for2923]

14. Tangerine Farter in Chief

[no_hypocrisy]

2. And a general malaise and apprehension about pissing off the core Trump supporters.

They like Pence. They love Trump.

Republicans can't look active or complicit in removing Trump.

Now OTOH, if he RESIGNED, the republicans would be off the hook. ("Here's your hat. What's your rush?&quot

[tanyev]

3. That's the part I don't get.

Of course, if they did it too soon they would have Trump's rage and vengeance to contend with. Maybe they want him to screw up so badly that he is either glad for a way out or he's lost so much credibility that his raging is irrelevant.

[yurbud]

13. once he's removed or they even start the proceedings, his rage will be irrelevant

[Madam45for2923]

15. He is a vengeful person . He'd release all the kompromat on everyone & try to destroy everything

[yurbud]

17. Does he have any? Besides that he donated to everyone in the past & what favors he got in exchange?

[Madam45for2923]

18. I think so. He records people. Russia has "kompromat" that means Trump has access to it too

In the past he used blackmail to stop people suing him by finding info on their lawyers.

Plus Russia also hacked Republicans last year.

[yurbud]

21. on the other hand, it couldn't happen to nicer people...

[Madam45for2923]

23. Yes! LOL! Problem for us too b/c means we are in crazy & vicious circle situation.

[yardwork]

4. I think they're weighing this and if Trump continues, they will impeach.

[PJMcK]

20. Really?!

An impeachment begins in the House. Do you really think Speaker Ryan will begin this most political of actions? What in his past has shown you that he has the kind of fortitude required for this?

Remember that the Freedom Caucus prevented a vote the first draft of the Republicans' health care bill. They represent the hard-right wing of the party, a demographic that still stands by Trump. But even if the House voted for impeachment, the trial would be held in the Senate. What in Senator McConnell's past has shown you that he has the spine required for this?

Sorry, yardwork, if my comments sound snarky. I have absolutely no confidence in the Republican-controlled legislative branch and their leaders. They have consistently put their party and their priorities before our country. I expect them to continue in their un-American activities.

[yardwork]

22. Don't misunderstand. If they do it, it will be self-serving.

Right now, Trump being president is helping the Republicans dismantle everything decent and good about our country. But if his behavior becomes a net liability to the Rs, they will label him a Democrat, toss him aside, and continue with President Pence.

[Feathery Scout]

37. I think they will strike a deal with Trump. No more investigations into finances if you resign NOW

[Proud Liberal Dem]

38. As if their investigations right now are particularly invasive.

[Feathery Scout]

39. Trump doesn't want to look like a loser. And he hates the job. Kushner will negotiate the deal...

...with Ryan behind closed doors and nobody will know until it is announced.

All current and future investigations over.

Trump steps down due to stress of job.

[Hortensis]

5. They get to keep their seats, maybe. 45 still has extremely

strong support among those who voted for him.

According to 538, only 3% regret voting for him. Among the rest, no matter how they much they're starting to worry that they've backed a loser, almost all would do it again tomorrow. Con officeholders cross them at their peril.

[Phoenix61]

6. They would have to admit they were wrong

And, even worse, they would be tacitly admitting Hillary was a better choice. All their Hillary bashing for the past umpteen years, the cries of Benghazi, but her e-mails, lock her up would be seen for what it was. Their difficulty is their are already toast. If they leave Twitler in office he will destroy the party. If they impeach him, that will destroy the party. They've got the tiger by the tail and can't let go.

[LonePirate]

7. Yes, they are afraid (of losing) his hardcore base of low information voters.

His base is the Republican Party. Without them, nobody is left to support Ryan, McConnell and the other bloodsuckers. 45 could start a new political party and his supporters would immediately follow him, leaving the current Reoublican Party as an empty shell of its former self.

[GBizzle]

8. An early retirement.

[DinahMoeHum]

9. They are riding a tiger and now cannot get off.

n/t

[lostnfound]

10. Trump more expendable? If investigation catches a couple dozen, trump would issue pardons to all?

They are starting to beat on the "lifelong democrat" meme as well.

I don't know but they aren't showing much bravery right now.

[RDANGELO]

12. legislative agenda

The time it would take to get rid of him, would delay passing the health care and tax legislation. After they get these things passed, I think you will see the Republicans abandon him.

[yurbud]

16. you would think they'd figured out the health care one at least is a suicide mission

taxes are a little harder for people to understand so it could sneak under the radar.

[mucifer]

19. I do wonder if some of the investigating will incriminate pence.

[yurbud]

25. that should be an incentive to dump Trump sooner rather than later

[Corgigal]

24. Ryan and McConnell

Believe they are smarter then trump, all they have to do is tell him how great he is and pat him on his head. They think they can handle him long enough to use him to grab the Republican Party dream of rich people owing even more of this country they don't need.

God forbid Trump figures this out. He has loyalty to none. He will take them down too. They are just playing with fire. Hell, he's in his 70s, he might take us all down.

[Sancho]

26. Pence is dirty too....

It's a house of cards.

[C_U_L8R]

27. Misdirection

While the loudmouthed Trump clown has everyone's attention,
the GOP is busy stuffing their pockets and amassing power
as fast as they can. And no one's stopping them.
They never had it so good. Republicans will look back
on these gravy train Trump days with fond memories of
taking away people's rights and getting rich in the process.

[onecent]

28. Think about how much more Drumpf could do in the next

months....every day SOMETHING IS AMISS......People are confounded.....and it's not going to improve.

I DON'T WANT PENCE UP THERE EITHER.....Maybe they could admit Drumpf by his family....haha

[bigtree]

29. Pence wouldn't survive a Trump ouster based on treason

...subversion.

[duncang]

30. Mercer's, bannuts, britefart etc

They are afraid of that funding machine add the russians propaganda arm that was put together to get him elected. During the primaries, election and the transition if a repub spoke out they got swatted by the machine who elected him. His threats of getting primary challengers against anyone who spoke against him. Paul ryan when he withheld his endorsement at first all of a sudden britefart comes out with a article saying he was really a Muslim since he had a beard once. Ryan knew they had the machine to spread it far and wide. Ryan knew the repub base would fall for any fake news. They have been conditioned for it. When he endorsed dipshit the story just faded off in the sunset.

[rock]

31. Optics

They would have to admit that a republican (by their decree) turned out to be a real stinkeroo!

[WinkyDink]

32. You'll notice Ford was not subsequently elected.

[ananda]

33. Their own asses.

Many of them are colluders and profiteers.

[hack89]

34. They are afraid Trump voters will walk away and not vote. nt

[mcar]

35. Their base

The R base is composed of Trump fanatics. Get rid of him, you lose them.

[tinrobot]

36. They're keeping him as a scapegoat for later.

I suspect once they destroy healthcare and pass their tax cuts, they'll cut him loose.

Then they'll blame him for all the bad things. They may also claim they're patriots who saved the country.

[Doremus]

40. More than likely Russia has information on more people than just Trump

The Senate Majority Leader and Speaker of the House for instance.

Russia couldn't care less about the future of the Republican party. In fact the more disruption and disarray the better from their standpoint.

[yurbud]

42. my wishful thinking: Democrats make a deal with Russians dump your load of info on Repubs...

and we'll call off the color revolution & terrorist dogs and figure out a way to trade and co-exist that works for everybody not just Wall Street or some combination of countries opposing us.

[SticksnStones]

41. The overall scorecard

The will have had then, two presidents removed for trying to fix elections to our one, who got impeached but not removed for lying about having sex deemed inappropriate.

I think when all is said and done, the republican brand will no longer appeal to an entire generation of new voters.