Posted on 12/30/2015 9:14:51 PM PST by VinL
After months of obstinate denial and simmering dismay, Republican elites are soberly coming to the conclusion that 2016 may be the year the raucous insurgent faction of the party finally topples the usually sturdy mainstream contingent in the presidential race.
The twin renegade candidacies of real estate mogul Donald Trump and junior Texas Sen. Ted Cruz are packing the potency and endurance to be plausible ultimate victors of the primary – an outcome deemed doubtful by wide swaths of GOP leadership just a few months ago.
[READ: Countdown to Election 2016: The State of Play]
The success of their campaigns is being enhanced by a divided slate of traditional candidates from the wing of the party known collectively in Washington – and derisively outside of it – as "the establishment."
There's also a palpable lack of urgency among party chieftains and mainstream campaigns to do anything about it. With just a month before balloting begins, there are few calls for unity and little sign of a grand coalescing in order to halt the march of the outsiders. Instead, there's a budding sense that if the voters decide 2016 is the year to tear the scab off, upend history and remake the party, so be it. 151229_report.gop_quote
"There's no question he could be the nominee. Donald [Trump] has defied all political expectations for the last 150 days," says Scott Reed, the chief political strategist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Bob Dole's 1996 campaign manager. "Say what you want about the process, it always does pick the best candidate in the end – for the cycle."
To be clear, there are still those who cling to the notion that it's more likely historical forces will eventually push the trajectory of the race back toward a mainline candidate. But gone is the widespread conviction that Trump or Cruz could not possibly stand in Cleveland in late July as the party's standard-bearer.
"Everything that's happened has defied expectations to this point, so it's just like, 'My gosh,'" says Florida Republican National Committeeman Peter Feaman, when asked for his primary forecast. "It's such a wild year. I've been wrong for months."
The candidacies of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush have not been most stifled by Trump or Cruz, but instead by each other.
Most Republican primary contests over the past two decades have featured a more conservative challenger attempting to upend an establishment favorite, from Pat Buchanan against Bob Dole in 1996 to Rick Santorum against Mitt Romney in 2012. Over time, it could again whittle down to that binary choice. But never has the establishment faction been more divided among so many options and without one who looks convincingly stronger than the rest by this late point in the race.
"I think it would be better if all the Republican players got behind one candidate. But that's what a democracy is all about. It's not a beautiful thing in form, it can be messy," says Bart (more at site)
The twin renegade candidacies of real estate mogul Donald Trump and junior Texas Sen. Ted Cruz are packing the potency and endurance to be plausible ultimate victors of the primary – an outcome deemed doubtful by wide swaths of GOP leadership just a few months ago.”
Gosh. I just love this sentence!!!!
I don’t blame you. It’s a real switch up to what the party has been pulling on us for 24 years or so.
May heaven preserve and protect future President Trump. We want him at the helm of state, we need him to lead us with his fresh ideas, we need an exceptional man for these troubled times. May 2016 smile upon him.
Best bloviating blowhard post of the day
Right?!?!?!?!?!
Well, how about them apples? Speechless TPTB have reached that conclusion, but still await whatever dirty tricks they have hidden up their sleeve. TRUMP/CRUZ, congratulations - you made them cry ‘uncle’ Nice going fellows, now let’s take it on to the top! WE CAN WIN THIS THING!
He has shown he is willing to say anything
Brawl Breaks Out In GOP Race, Below The Trump Tier foxnews.com ^ | December 30
Posted on 12/30/2015, 8:39:45 PM by Helicondelta
Now, with Trump training his focus on Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, the rest of the pack is fighting to rise above.
The latest round involves Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
Iowa Intrigue: Huckabee and Santorum Backers Reportedly Plotting to Help Rubio Against Cruz
New York Magazine's Daily Intelligencer ^ | December 30, 2015 | Ed Kilgore
Posted on 12/30/2015, 9:28:12 PM by 2ndDivisionVet
Seems to me that all the lower rung candidates are in a circular firing squad mode.
How obvious is this.
The GOPE over did the “splitter strategy”. In the primary for 2012, the Republican field was all about conservatives knocking each other out, and so the Establishment guy ran the field by Florida!
This cycle the field may be large, not all even viable, but look at ALL the Establishment boys lined up knocking each other out, splitting the vote, very little cross-over, and TRUMP is smoking the field with nothing but the authentic version of the conservative message!
The rest want to stay in policy weeds, because they thrive there. Voters are in no mood to be bored with academics.
“Unlike other articles where the GOP-e ridicules the chances of Trump and Cruz, here GOP-e types accept that Trump or Cruz have the inside track”
Yes.
But it still doesn’t know how to do the math that belies its premise that the establishment candidates are behind because their votes are split.
They are still losing if they add them all together.
Now in the upper stands drinking mimosas and sunrises waiting for the announcer to declare, "They're off!"
Doesn’t the phrase “horse race” mean two contestants are close? “Surging Ted” is so far behind that he can barely see Trump’s tail. “Horse race?” What horse race?
Trump defies gravity.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.