Fear and loathing is striking congressional Republicans faced with the distinct possibility of Donald Trump as their presidential nominee.
“My party has gone (expletive removed) crazy,” says South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who called Trump a “nut job” and maintains that the billionaire businessman would inflict as much damage to the GOP as the iceberg did to the Titanic.
Republicans share a palpable fear that Trump would alienate Hispanics, minorities, independents and women, driving them to vote Democratic in November and costing the GOP the presidency, its Senate majority and suddenly competitive House seats. With the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, the ideological balance of the Supreme Court for decades also is at stake.
GOP incumbents clearly understand that the only option is to run a flawless campaign.
“My campaign is going to be about who I am and what I’ve done,” said Rep. Ryan Costello, R-Pa., a freshman facing a potentially tight re-election race in the Philadelphia suburbs. “And regardless of who the candidate is, I’m going to seek to build my own record and carry my own message in a very personalized way.”
Trump tightened his grip on front-runner status with a win in Nevada this week and secured the endorsement on Friday of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a jolt to his campaign ahead of Super Tuesday voting. Top rivals Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are scrambling for wins that could upend the race.
In accepting Christie’s backing, Trump insulted Rubio and 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney.
Trump “is offensive to an overwhelming majority of people in my district the way he’s offensive to me,” said freshman Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo. “Donald Trump does and says things that we teach our children not to do.”
On immigration, the New York businessman has vowed to end birthright citizenship, build a wall on the Mexican border financed by Mexico and potentially deport millions of immigrants living here illegally. Not surprisingly, 8 in 10 Hispanic voters have a negative view of Trump in a recent Washington Post/Univision poll.
That could cause significant problems for Curbelo, whose South Florida district is majority Hispanic and promises one of this fall’s most competitive congressional races.
“Most people understand that Donald Trump is neither a true Republican nor a true conservative. So I think people view his candidacy in isolation, and they’re going to support other candidates they happen to agree with or believe in, regardless of party labels,” said Curbelo, who’s backing Rubio after initially endorsing Jeb Bush.
To be sure, some congressional Republicans see a possible silver lining, uncertain about the consequences of a Trump nomination. They point to record turnout in GOP caucuses and Trump’s appeal to middle-class workers, including a traditional Democratic bloc — labor.
“Donald Trump is, I think, tapping into an energy that is bringing more people out to vote,” said Rep. Jeff Denham, whose northern California district went for President Barack Obama twice. “You’ve got a lot of first-time voters. You’ve got some new energy. I think it’s a different turnout model.”
Republicans are expected to easily hold their commanding House majority of 246-188 with one vacancy. The Senate is far tougher as Republicans, with a 54-46 advantage, have to defend 24 seats to the Democrats’ 10. Seven of the Republican seats are in states Obama won twice — Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Illinois, New Hampshire, Iowa and Florida.
In the House, Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole says the challenge will be winning in some two dozen districts where Obama won in 2012.
“Trump being unconventional may not hurt you as much in the places that are normally at risk in an election year,” Cole said. “He will attract some Democrats.”
Rep. Charlie Dent, a moderate Pennsylvania Republican who has endorsed Ohio Gov. John Kasich for president, said Trump may be better for down-ballot Republicans than Cruz, whom he called an “inflexible ideologue.”
“A presidential nominee who’s ideologically inflexible represents a greater challenge in the Northeast than a nominee who’s ideologically malleable and scattered, which is Trump,” Dent said.
In fact, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said it may be possible to work with Donald Trump in the White House.
Graham doesn’t see it that way.
The GOP, according to the unsuccessful presidential candidate, has its best chance in years to win the White House as Democrats are likely to nominate Hillary Clinton, who has been damaged by questions about her trustworthiness. But his party is about to blow it, he said.
“The most dishonest person in America is a woman who’s about to become president. How could that be? My party has gone (expletive removed) crazy,” Graham told an audience of lawmakers, journalists and congressional aides at the Washington Press Club Foundation’s annual dinner Thursday.
Said another South Carolinian, Rep. Mick Mulvaney: “I think Lindsey and a lot of people in the establishment wing of the party are looking around and saying, ‘What the hell is going on?’ ”
(AP)
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5 Responses
1. Trump’s profession is as much an actor as a businessman, and he can change his character just as easily. His selling point to his supporters is his tone (vile anger), not the specifics of his platform. He is the most adaptable candidate since the rest are running based on their record and their platform.
2. It isn’t all clear whether a Clinton/Sanders landslide will have “coattails” since the traditional Republicans will focus on Congressional races (and especially is Sanders is running, the Democrats will have the same problem). I tmight lead to an increasingly independent Congress.
3. This could be the beginning of a breakup of the political, unlike any since 1820 (the “era of good feeling” though this might be the “era of bad feeling”).
One thing we know until now is, that the system is caroped
it’s not working
Those congressman that are complaining are just talk no action. Wear were they by the Iran deal
Were were they by they by Obama care. And speaking about
about of anger yes were all angry there’s gridlock in congress nothing is getting done. At least with Trump things will get done because he’s a doer. And finnaly what if Trump could manage for the
yeshivas the mush wated for school vochers. Think about that.
It’s not “anger” as is thrown around. It’s his superiority over political correctness norms, over media, and most of all hiss openness.
What has not been mentioned is Herr Chump now also has the endorsement of the KKK.
AP (Associated Palestinians) has provided its twisted report as usual and has selected all the most Leftist pseudo republicans to comment. Lindsay “Gramnesty” Graham and Dent are 2 of the most Leftist and irresponsble members of the Republican party.
Trump is leading everyone by far because he knows what America has been reduced to by the current administration. Illegal immigrants are more important than citizens and criminals, violent gangs and those with incurable diseases are being welcomed in to destroy the current fabric of America.
Only Trump has been brave enough to demand the halt of the Muslim immigration where a great number of them are violent Jihadists that will perform mass attacks on innocent Americans as they have already done. Americans are losing their jobs and their companies due to the current corrupt government being led by the minority Democrats and their traitorous Republican Rino slaves with master Rino Ryan at their head.
Real Americans want America back and don’t want to sink into 3rd world status as we are now under the current corrupt leadership.
Clinton has blatantly lied to the American people and does not believe milsa davida ligluyey velo mishaker. She has severely violated the confidentiality of her email and has left exposed the most sensitive state secrets to all our enemies. There could be no worse candidate for president.
Trump is not perfect but he has the right ideas about the things most important to America much more than any other candidate except Cruz.