Wary of Donald Trump, G.O.P. Leaders Are Caught in a Standoff
Source: New York Times
WASHINGTON For months, much of the Republican Partys establishment has been uneasy about the rise of Donald J. Trump, concerned that he was overwhelming the presidential primary contest and encouraging other candidates to mimic his incendiary speech. Now, though, irritation is giving way to panic as it becomes increasingly plausible that Mr. Trump could be the partys standard-bearer and imperil the careers of other Republicans.
Many leading Republican officials, strategists and donors now say they fear that Mr. Trumps nomination would lead to an electoral wipeout, a sweeping defeat that could undo some of the gains Republicans have made in recent congressional, state and local elections. But in a party that lacks a true leader or anything in the way of consensus and with the combative Mr. Trump certain to scorch anyone who takes him on a fierce dispute has arisen about what can be done to stop his candidacy and whether anyone should even try.
Some of the highest-ranking Republicans in Congress and some of the partys wealthiest and most generous donors have balked at trying to take down Mr. Trump because they fear a public feud with the insult-spewing media figure. Others warn that doing so might backfire at a time of soaring anger toward political insiders.
That has led to a standoff of sorts: Almost everyone in the partys upper echelons agrees something must be done, and almost no one is willing to do it.
With his knack for offending the very constituencies Republicans have struggled with in recent elections, women and minorities, Mr. Trump could be a millstone on his party if he won the nomination. He is viewed unfavorably by 64 percent of women and 74 percent of nonwhite voters, according to a November ABC News/Washington Post poll. Such unpopularity could not only doom his candidacy in November but also threaten the partys tenuous majority in the Senate, hand House seats to the Democrats and imperil Republicans in a handful of governors races.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/02/us/politics/wary-of-donald-trump-gop-leaders-are-caught-in-a-standoff.html
Xipe Totec
(43,890 posts)No amount of Lysol or Fabreeze is going to fix it.
Hepburn
(21,054 posts)graegoyle
(532 posts)You should realize that the only important things are guns, god and gays and evil liberals. Democrats might protest vote; Republicans do not. They show up.
Xipe Totec
(43,890 posts)jmowreader
(50,562 posts)oberliner
(58,724 posts)There doesn't appear to be one.
leftynyc
(26,060 posts)He has an enormous war chest and that's where all the big money went. They didn't want what happened in 2012 to happen again - they were hoping for an easy primary with little drama so they could set their sights on Hillary. It hasn't worked out that way for them due to Donald. Now I see the establishment moving towards Rubio.
arcane1
(38,613 posts)Liberalagogo
(1,770 posts)cab67
(2,998 posts)If Trump is the nominee, he won't win. But can you imagine him actually conceding the election?
I can't, either.
In fact, I can't envision him even conceding the nomination.
There isn't much Trump can do about it. He'll bluster, and he may threaten legal action. He'll say the results were rigged - by the establishment, by foreign powers, by ISIS, by whoever. He'll raise the specter of voter fraud. But there won't be much he'll actually be able to do.
It's his followers I'm worried about. Having heard some of them, I honestly think they'd be perfectly willing to use violence to make their point.
Kablooie
(18,637 posts)That would appease the violent imbeciles and would be a lot of fun to watch.
houston16revival
(953 posts)Trump is the 1% and the Big Business Casino Side of the GOP
It's going to be hard for them to hide from either one
The GOP needs a front man no linked to either extreme
Whoops!
marble falls
(57,144 posts)AZ Progressive
(3,411 posts)Gregorian
(23,867 posts)Leave it up to me to lower the conversation.
PeteyPal
(15 posts)With DWS and the DNC stacking the deck for Clinton, aren't they alienating many constituents who may not vote. All those Democratic congressmen,senators and state and local candidates are making their reelection questionable.
Tarheel_Dem
(31,236 posts)on the internet, with the Democratic party. They are two very different animals.
psychopomp
(4,668 posts)Not very becoming, friend.
HRC showed her true colors in the '08 campaign. This Democrat won't be supporting her!
leftynyc
(26,060 posts)yourself irrelevant. Your choice. I assume you already know that DU rules forbid anyone from working against the Democratic candidate in the general.
psychopomp
(4,668 posts)You think I'll be "irrelevant" because I don't support your dear Hillary? Okay, whatever.
Shankapotomus
(4,840 posts)Don't be a grudge holder.
Tarheel_Dem
(31,236 posts)psychopomp
(4,668 posts)Tarheel_Dem
(31,236 posts)cstanleytech
(26,306 posts)that all the Republican who are running are giant douchebags and any of them would in the end be far worse for this nation than any of the current Democrats running.
deutsey
(20,166 posts)to salvage what little confidence I may have once had in them.
I do hope that Trump's ascendancy ends up doing what these clowns can't seem (or, more likely, are afraid) to do: galvanize a broad coalition of popular support around the Democratic nominee.
And not just to win the election (which always seems to be their only objective), but to govern the country with bold leadership and a real vision of how to address the myriad threats and challenges we're all facing after decades of Reaganite bullshit.
captainarizona
(363 posts)When you sow the wind you reap the whirlwind. The fundos should appreciate that!
Adenoid_Hynkel
(14,093 posts)They loved, loved, loved the Birther King when he was smearing our president, even gave him a weekly commentary slot on FOX.
Now that's he's overpowered them, they have no idea what to do about the Frankenstein's monster of a campaign.
seamonkey58
(19 posts)if he "isn't treated fairly" by the RNC. I think he'll do that if he doesn't get the nomination or if his polling drops due to attacks by the Repub establishment (which they have announced to be starting). This would be almost as good as being the nominee because he'd pull a percentage of Republican votes away from the nominee. Even 5 - 10% would cause a Democratic electoral landslide. And many of his followers might stay away from the polls in protest, too.
L. Coyote
(51,129 posts)What they don't realize quite yet is his symptoms will only get worse as he gets older.
houston16revival
(953 posts)He's trying to shake down CNN to pay him to join the next debate
So he'll shake down the GOP to pay him to go away
Angel Martin
(942 posts)there is no statistical difference between Trump's national polling vs Hillary/Bernie and the rest of the GOP gang.
http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2015/11/gop-has-clear-top-4-clinton-dominant-for-dems-general-election-tight.html#more
big_dog
(4,144 posts)but it could be on outlier