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herding cats

(19,566 posts)
Tue Dec 1, 2015, 08:31 PM Dec 2015

Wary of Donald Trump, G.O.P. Leaders Are Caught in a Standoff

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — For months, much of the Republican Party’s 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 party’s standard-bearer and imperil the careers of other Republicans.

Many leading Republican officials, strategists and donors now say they fear that Mr. Trump’s 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 party’s 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 party’s 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 party’s tenuous majority in the Senate, hand House seats to the Democrats and imperil Republicans in a handful of governor’s races.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/02/us/politics/wary-of-donald-trump-gop-leaders-are-caught-in-a-standoff.html

33 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Wary of Donald Trump, G.O.P. Leaders Are Caught in a Standoff (Original Post) herding cats Dec 2015 OP
It's too late. Even if they get rid of him, the stench in going to linger on the GOP Xipe Totec Dec 2015 #1
Your analysis is perfect. n/t Hepburn Dec 2015 #2
If you know anything about the Republicans: graegoyle Dec 2015 #31
I'm so glad you're here to edjumacate me. nt Xipe Totec Dec 2015 #32
You forgot tax cuts jmowreader Dec 2015 #33
Who is the "Republican establishment" candidate? oberliner Dec 2015 #3
It was Bush leftynyc Dec 2015 #23
I've never been so glad to NOT be a republican as I am now n/t arcane1 Dec 2015 #4
for the GOP: Liberalagogo Dec 2015 #5
You know what concerns me? cab67 Dec 2015 #6
He still may run as an independent if he doesn't win. Kablooie Dec 2015 #21
Mitt was the 1% and Moral Majority Side of the GOP houston16revival Dec 2015 #7
Serves them right, these are the results of pandering for votes. marble falls Dec 2015 #8
Stupid Idiot Republicans, thats what you get for emboldening billionaires... AZ Progressive Dec 2015 #9
Not to be confused with Donald J. Trumpet's little accounting business in Fece-By-The-Sea Gregorian Dec 2015 #10
Do Democrats have a similar problem? PeteyPal Dec 2015 #11
No. Anyone who wouldn't support HRC was never a Democrat to begin with. Don't confuse "liberals"... Tarheel_Dem Dec 2015 #14
Oh, sweet, "You're either with us, or you're against us" mentality psychopomp Dec 2015 #16
Feel free to make leftynyc Dec 2015 #24
Hillarious psychopomp Dec 2015 #29
People are able to learn and grow Shankapotomus Dec 2015 #26
Like most actual "Democrats", I could care less what you do with your "support". Tarheel_Dem Dec 2015 #27
I expected as much psychopomp Dec 2015 #28
You have a good one now, ya hear? Tarheel_Dem Dec 2015 #30
No, the Democrats dont have a similar problem because 99.99% of us realize cstanleytech Dec 2015 #18
At the very least, DWS and the Democratic establishment haven't done much deutsey Dec 2015 #25
it couldn't happen to a nicer party captainarizona Dec 2015 #12
You built that, conservatives! Adenoid_Hynkel Dec 2015 #13
Trump is already rumbling about an independent run seamonkey58 Dec 2015 #15
They know the truth about Don. L. Coyote Dec 2015 #17
Shake Down houston16revival Dec 2015 #19
polling doesn't show this Angel Martin Dec 2015 #20
Trump lost 10-12 points in a recent poll... big_dog Dec 2015 #22

Xipe Totec

(43,890 posts)
1. It's too late. Even if they get rid of him, the stench in going to linger on the GOP
Tue Dec 1, 2015, 08:35 PM
Dec 2015

No amount of Lysol or Fabreeze is going to fix it.

graegoyle

(532 posts)
31. If you know anything about the Republicans:
Sat Dec 5, 2015, 02:06 PM
Dec 2015

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.

 

leftynyc

(26,060 posts)
23. It was Bush
Wed Dec 2, 2015, 06:22 AM
Dec 2015

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.

cab67

(2,998 posts)
6. You know what concerns me?
Tue Dec 1, 2015, 08:48 PM
Dec 2015

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)
21. He still may run as an independent if he doesn't win.
Tue Dec 1, 2015, 11:45 PM
Dec 2015

That would appease the violent imbeciles and would be a lot of fun to watch.

houston16revival

(953 posts)
7. Mitt was the 1% and Moral Majority Side of the GOP
Tue Dec 1, 2015, 08:57 PM
Dec 2015

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!

Gregorian

(23,867 posts)
10. Not to be confused with Donald J. Trumpet's little accounting business in Fece-By-The-Sea
Tue Dec 1, 2015, 09:02 PM
Dec 2015

Leave it up to me to lower the conversation.

PeteyPal

(15 posts)
11. Do Democrats have a similar problem?
Tue Dec 1, 2015, 09:08 PM
Dec 2015

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)
14. No. Anyone who wouldn't support HRC was never a Democrat to begin with. Don't confuse "liberals"...
Tue Dec 1, 2015, 09:29 PM
Dec 2015

on the internet, with the Democratic party. They are two very different animals.

psychopomp

(4,668 posts)
16. Oh, sweet, "You're either with us, or you're against us" mentality
Tue Dec 1, 2015, 09:53 PM
Dec 2015

Not very becoming, friend.

HRC showed her true colors in the '08 campaign. This Democrat won't be supporting her!

 

leftynyc

(26,060 posts)
24. Feel free to make
Wed Dec 2, 2015, 06:25 AM
Dec 2015

yourself irrelevant. Your choice. I assume you already know that DU rules forbid anyone from working against the Democratic candidate in the general.

cstanleytech

(26,306 posts)
18. No, the Democrats dont have a similar problem because 99.99% of us realize
Tue Dec 1, 2015, 10:09 PM
Dec 2015

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)
25. At the very least, DWS and the Democratic establishment haven't done much
Wed Dec 2, 2015, 07:02 AM
Dec 2015

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)
12. it couldn't happen to a nicer party
Tue Dec 1, 2015, 09:15 PM
Dec 2015

When you sow the wind you reap the whirlwind. The fundos should appreciate that!

 

Adenoid_Hynkel

(14,093 posts)
13. You built that, conservatives!
Tue Dec 1, 2015, 09:26 PM
Dec 2015

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)
15. Trump is already rumbling about an independent run
Tue Dec 1, 2015, 09:41 PM
Dec 2015

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)
17. They know the truth about Don.
Tue Dec 1, 2015, 10:06 PM
Dec 2015


What they don't realize quite yet is his symptoms will only get worse as he gets older.

houston16revival

(953 posts)
19. Shake Down
Tue Dec 1, 2015, 10:27 PM
Dec 2015

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

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