The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age

    Will Republicans Unify Behind Trump?

    By ocean-kat on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 2:09pm |

    While no one knows how a person will vote there have been many polls where significant minorities of republicans state they will never vote for Trump in the general. There is a growing number of main stream republican leaders disavowing Trump.

    "Chris Christie's endorsement of Donald Trump is an astonishing display of political opportunism. Donald Trump is unfit to be President. He is a dishonest demagogue who plays to our worst fears. Trump would take America on a dangerous journey. Christie knows all that and indicated as much many times publicly. The Governor is mistaken if he believes he can now count on my support, and I call on Christie's donors and supporters to reject the Governor and Donald Trump outright. I believe they will. For some of us, principle and country still matter." - Meg Whitman

    First, former Gov. Christie Whitman says she's planning to vote for Hillary Clinton if Trump gets the nod. She's keeping her options open, in case we find out something new and horrible about Hillary. But that's her plan now:

    "You'll see a lot of Republicans do that," Whitman told me. "We don't want to. But I know I won't vote for Trump."

    Stuart Stevens the chief strategist for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign said, "Every Republican, from elected officials to super volunteers to leaders of the party, must ask themselves what it will mean for the GOP and, vastly more important, the country to play a role enabling this hateful man."

    “For many Republicans, Trump is more than just a political choice,” said Kevin Madden, a veteran operative who advised 2012 nominee Mitt Romney. “It’s a litmus test for character.”

    Madden, like some of his peers, said he could never vote for Trump. If he is the nominee, Madden said, “I’m prepared to write somebody in so that I have a clear conscience.”

    There are more quotes and articles by prominent republicans out there. And every day I see more joining the anti-Trump side. Party leaders disavowal of Trump will not change the minds of Trump voters nor will it sway every republican who voted for Bush, Rubio, etc. in the primary. But it will solidify the resolve of republicans uncomfortable with Trump and sway the minds of some who are on the fence.

    For all these reasons it seems likely to me that the republicans will not unify behind Trump and that a significant minority will sit out in the general or even vote for Hillary.

    Comments

    One hopes they vote for him the next 2-3 weeks and then back away. Then again, it's hard to see they're going to rally behind Cruz or Rubio either. I'm still kind of expecting Romney to pop back up, but after the GOP threw a dozen plus candidates at this primary, that'd just highlight how bankrupt they are. Looking good.


    by PeraclesPlease on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 3:43pm

    Yes, it's likely that a significant minority of Trump voters will not vote for a non Trump alternative if he doesn't get the nomination.

    This is not an argument for complacency. These anti Trump endorsements and articles in the primary won't mean much if those republican leaders don't continue to speak out against him in the general. We still don't know how this will play out and I'll be worried until the votes are counted.


    by ocean-kat on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 4:31pm

    The Republicans demonized, blacks, Latinos, and Gays to appeal to angry white voters. They cannot pretend to be surprised by Trump's supporters. The GOP welcomed the angry white voter. David Duke sees kinship with Trump. The GOP played the same game with Barry Goldwater. The core nature of the GOP is to appeal to racist whites supremacists. The GOP makes friends with xenophobes.

    Republicans have pretended to be Christian, yet like Trump, they do not hear the words of kindness and equality in the Bible. The so-called Evangelicals are voting for a pretender who cannot properly name  the books of the Bible. They are religious frauds. Republicans will tell you how much they love the unborn child, yet will cover up the poisoning of an entire town. They laugh at the plight of the poor. They hate immigrants including those trying to escape death. They wanted to send hungry children back to die. Republicans are not religious. They are bigots and racists without honor. They look like us, but they are evil.They laughed when Obama was attacked by the racists.

    Donald Trump is the modern Republican Party. The majority of Republicans will support Trump. Do not delude yourself that the Republicans will not accept a bigoted religious fraud as their leader. Watch the vote tomorrow, and see how many states Trump wins.

    You had better recognize the nature of the enemy.

    Edit to add:

    Go down the GOP line,

    Who has a message that would give hope to a non-white non male voter that they would be safe under a GOP President and Congress 

    Who isn't hopeful that Democrats will choose court replacements?

    The GOP has nothing to offer if you aren't a white male.


    by rmrd0000 on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 4:36pm

    To be sure rmrd. I'm not saying that a majority of republicans will reject Trump. Clearly that is not so. But Trump has crossed so many lines and gone so far beyond the wink wink nudge nudge common in the republican party that there is open revolt against him by the more moderate elements. If that continues it seems likely that a significant minority of republicans won't vote for him.


    by ocean-kat on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 4:42pm

    I hope that is correct


    by rmrd0000 on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 5:07pm

    ME TOO!


    by Richard Day on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 11:35pm

    Unfortunately, there's another side to the this equation.

    About 20 percent of likely Democratic voters say they would buck the party and vote for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in a general election, according to a new poll...A smaller number of Republicans say they’d vote for Clinton — about 14 percent.


    by Michael Wolraich on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 4:58pm

    That is so weird.  Democrats are so weird.


    by Michael Maiello on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 6:43pm

    That is the anti Hillary vote. That 20% seems to be holding in polling.  We know there are lots of Republicans that have a deep dislike for Clinton but there is also Democratic voters that feel that way towards Clinton.  This isn't Sanders supporters having hissy fits but voters that have come to dislike her through her career for various reasons. This could have a drag on turn out if she is nominated.  


    by trkingmomoe on Tue, 03/01/2016 - 7:43am

    While racism, misogyny, fear, and the desire for an authoritarian strong man are central themes in the republican party they don't have an exclusive copyright on those values.Strap in tight, it's going to be a rough ride.


    by ocean-kat on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 8:13pm

    By the way, if Trump is the nominee, my guess is that the Republicans do unite behind him.  Trump will make a few nice statements to give cover to those he vanquished and there are more authority lovers in the party than there are John McCain & Co. members, Bush family members and Todd Whitmans to worry about.  Those who resist will be reminded that with Scalia dead, it will only take the Democrats one more term to take the court away for a generation.  Big picture, Trump can lose Kagan.

    Heck, Republicans defecting to Hillary Rodham Clinton might well hurt our cause as their support will open her up to further attacks from the left.


    by Michael Maiello on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 7:37pm

    I hope not. I'd like to think there are still some republicans with honor and integrity. I'd like to believe that when Meg Whitman said, "For some of us, principle and country still matter" that she actually meant it. I guess we'll see.


    by ocean-kat on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 9:23pm

    The people who I'd expect to show "honor and integrity" now all had something to do with building the Tea Party in the first place.  I trhink they sold out a long time ago.  And... great.  Let them have Trump and back Trump. Hillary will slice and dice him.


    by Michael Maiello on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 9:44pm

    What is happening this election especially among Right Wing pundits, power brokers and funders is probably unprecedented. Trump has already stripped them of  their power and influence and if he is elected they will pay for their panicked and elitist rejection of the Peoples choice.

    Working people of all political descriptions are fed up with politics and the parasites that feed in that cesspool. What the pundits and their ilk do,  support HRC or continue to try to undermine Trump will probably have little effect on who votes for Trump  because  many people have rejected being lead by these parasites and actually have a choice this time.

    The fact that people may be able to destroy the power and influence of both party elites and their minions in a single election is truly amazing but both party elites are doing their best to guarantee their own downfall.


    by Peter (not verified) on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 9:41pm

    Yes, this seems plausibly correct.

    If Trump has, indeed, neutralized his party elites (and they were particularly weak headed into this, had it not been Trump it might have been Cruz), then those people have only one hope for relevance:

    Eat crow and kiss Trump butt.

    And... they will.

     


    by Michael Maiello on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 9:46pm

    The media did not undermine Trump, they promoted him. Trump was best buddies with the anchors on "Fox & Friends" and "Morning Joe". Trump did not have to lay out large amounts for advertising the so-called news shows used him to boost ratings and therefore gave him free advertising. The media created Trump.

    Edit to add:

    On the other hand, the media coverage of Hillary has been negative since the beginning

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brittany-l-stalsburg-phd/hillary-clintons-...

    And This

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-boehlert/-clinton-campaign-coverag_b_...


    by rmrd0000 on Tue, 03/01/2016 - 9:44am

    It has become almost hilarious watching the Democrats play the butt-hurt meme of irresponsible negative  media, as if the media's purpose should be to promote their tainted candidate, you'll have to go to PBS for that type of rubbish.

    I have seen little positive reporting on Trump in any of the media but he seems to comprehend that the medium is the message and that any coverage, good, bad or indifferent gives him exposure which has driven his rise to the top in this race. Trump's attack and giving the finger to Fox News, the conservative media powerhouse, may be the most brilliant political move ever attempted and it worked, his numbers and wins keep rising.


    by Peter (not verified) on Tue, 03/01/2016 - 11:27am

    You seem to live in a bubble regarding how Trump was treated

    "Fox & Friends" had a weekly segment on Monday with Donald Trump

    http://www.mediaite.com/tv/newt-gingrich-trump-is-the-candidate-fox-frie...

    Until the David Duke interview "Morning Joe" was a pleasant place for Donald Trump to spend the mornings

    http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/02/joe-scarborough-finally-tu...

    ​Trump was handled with kid gloves.

    Regarding butt-hurt, the only ones feeling butt-hurt are the ones who have given up hope, cause life is going on and people are taking action. If your not involving in anything and just typing criticisms from your chair, your butt probably does hurt. For those involved and working for a candidate, or doing activities to help others are in no pain

    BTW

    The candidates you say are tarnished will wipe the floor with the Donald in November (either Democratic Party candidate)

    http://time.com/4242667/2016-poll-clinton-sanders-could-beat-trump/

    Finally here is the head of CBS admitting that Trump his good for CBS ratings and business

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/les-moonves-donald-trump_us_56d52ce8...


    by rmrd0000 on Tue, 03/01/2016 - 2:37pm