# How will the GOP establishment try to kill the Trump nomination? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 11, 2016, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812 "2016-02-11T13:39:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812/41 "2016-02-11T20:51:03Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Yes, that’s the problem – how to torpedo Trump and Cruz both? Because, [many Pubs purely despise Cruz.](http://www.salon.com/2016/02/11/even_gopers_cant_stand_ted_cruz_mike_huckabee_unloads_on_texas_senator_calling_him_a_low_life_and_a_sleazy_politician/) President Clinton or Sanders would have to deal with Pub opposition – but Trump or Cruz would have almost as much trouble with his own party. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812/42 "2016-02-11T20:53:04Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Well why do you think the donors differ from the general consensus? Because they are rich like Trump and know that he’s putting on a show. I think many of them agree with him, but they don’t like the idea of a candidate they can’t control with their money. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812/43 "2016-02-11T20:57:56Z")
I was under the impression that the wealth comparison between the Kochs and Trump is basically like owning all the beer, wine, weapons and aviation industries instead of being a sign flipper for Wells Fargo. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812/44 "2016-02-11T21:04:18Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > This. I can’t see how the Adelsons, the Kochs and the SuperPACs would allow the clown to get the nomination. I’ll also point out that endorsements from house & senate reps is ZERO. Trump has [no established political backing whatsoever](http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-endorsement-primary/) at this point. All the money the Adelsons, Kochs and SuperPacs throw at him only makes the people voting for Trump love him even more! And even with all that money they can’t prevent people from showing up and the polls and casting a ballot for him. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812/45 "2016-02-11T21:11:24Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > All the money the Adelsons, Kochs and SuperPacs throw at him only makes the people voting for Trump love him even more! And even with all that money they can’t prevent people from showing up and the polls and casting a ballot for him. They could outright buy him, his property, his trademark, promise to publish a new useless book and he’d be off to do the same things. And didn’t the Adelsons donate to Cruz? That was the measly $2,700 maximum, but they haven’t endorsed Cruz. In casinos, the Adelsons are the Biltmore Estate, Trump is an OTB office in the Bronx. So if anyone thinks there’s a connection there, I’d seriously bet against it. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812/46 "2016-02-11T21:11:30Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Because they are rich like Trump and know that he’s putting on a show. I think many of them agree with him, but they don’t like the idea of a candidate they can’t control with their money. And besides . . . _sniff_ . . . The Donald is just too, too vulgar. _shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812/47 "2016-02-11T21:12:44Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > I was under the impression that the wealth comparison between the Kochs and Trump is basically like owning all the beer, wine, weapons and aviation industries instead of being a sign flipper for Wells Fargo. Well even if he’s a junior member, he’s still in the 9 zeros club. However, he does parade around in the most unseemly manner. I figure they mostly think he’s a clown. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812/48 "2016-02-11T21:25:32Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Why? Don’t you want a few Pubs to start supporting your candidacy if you’re running for the Republican nomination? If five or ten past supporters of Fiorina or Christie switch their support, it could start a snowball in your favor, influencing the establishment voters. He’s got Palin. That’s about as establishment as he wants to get right now. I can’t tell you how much schadenfreude I am experiencing now that the monster they created is coming around to bite them in the ass in the form of Trump. Part of me is wondering if Trump is just punking everyone. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812/49 "2016-02-11T21:32:52Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > The Koch brothers are adamantly opposed to Trump. All they’d have to do is pick one of the other candidates … Haven’t they done that already? I thought Rubio was their boy. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812/50 "2016-02-11T21:34:27Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Well even if he’s a junior member, he’s still in the 9 zeros club. However, he does parade around in the most unseemly manner. I figure they mostly think he’s a clown. If the banks decided differently, he certainly wouldn’t be in the 9 zeros club. 🙂 The Kochs could buy him and his patents outright without selling one of their estates. I’m sure [Trump University LLC](http://www.nationalreview.com/article/421236/donald-trump-university-scam-candidate-2016) is going cheap. I grew up 55 miles from Atlantic City in the 80s & 90s. Some of my friends were even dopey enough to go to a three hour “how to get rich” seminar NOT hosted by Trump, of course, paid $50 bucks and no, they aren’t real estate moguls, I assure you. Every day was a new tabloid headline. He certainly made the front pages when the bankruptcies happened. All this from given money. Probably not a good resume item when dealing with the super-duper rich. The Kochs, Adelsons and SuperPACs are serious influencers of the base or establishment voters. I can’t see how the wealthier of the wealthy would be satisfied by a president saying, “Congress is stupid!!!”, “I’ll fix it!!!”, without any real plans on how to do things, mainly because he’s not a politician, or even a “true” republican. He’s an old rich kid. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812/51 "2016-02-11T21:36:27Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Haven’t they done that already? I thought Rubio was their boy. Yeah, but there’s a difference between having money and spending it wisely. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812/52 "2016-02-11T21:49:20Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > He’s got Palin. That’s about as establishment as he wants to get right now. Nope. [She’s endorsing Cruz as of the 4th.](http://www.satiratribune.com/2016/02/04/sarah-palin-changes-endorsement-to-ted-cruz/) > [@From Article](#): > > Palin told the Alaskan Times, “After deep meditation while hunting me some moose, I decided Ted Cruz is the real man for the job. It’s hard for me to admit, since I’ve only been wrong once or twice in my life, but I have to do the right thing and put my support behind Ted. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812/53 "2016-02-11T21:50:30Z")
The Kochs are but all the [super donors](http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/04/a-guide-to-the-billionaires-bankrolling-the-gop-candidates/391233/) aren’t that crazily above Trump’s net worth. You know, I kinda forgot how many of these big donors pumped up the Tea Party. Makes me start hoping for that proverbial dead hooker in Cruz’s hotel room. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812/54 "2016-02-11T22:06:54Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Why? Don’t you want a few Pubs to start supporting your candidacy if you’re running for the Republican nomination? If five or ten past supporters of Fiorina or Christie switch their support, it could start a snowball in your favor, influencing the establishment voters. Trump’s supporters feel betrayed by the establishment. Despite all the big talk, Obama won reelection, we still have Obamacare, he’s letting the immigrants flood in, and they are on the verge of taking our guns. Yeah, I know it’s not true. But getting endorsed by the establishment won’t help him at all. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812/55 "2016-02-11T22:16:47Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > Unpledged delegates. - There’s a chunk of senior party officials that can vote for whoever they feel like at the convention. Effectively Trump needs to win **more than 50%** of the delegates in primaries to win on the first ballot if they overwhelmingly oppose him. For Trump even a bare majority of pledged delegates is not necessarily enough. And this would do it if it were Trump versus the establishment candidates. But we’ve got Cruz in there also - and Cruz is going to do a lot better in the southern states than he did in NH. Cruz and Trump together might be a majority, even with few or any unpledged delegates. (And Cruz would get some in Texas, I think.) And if the establishment goes blatantly against the primary results, Trump will feel released from any non-3rd party pledges. (I don’t recall if his promise not to run is currently in force.) I think the plan was to get behind Rubio. The establishment columnists were all writing about how he was going to win in the end. But unless he really recovers the last primary might have finished him - his Oops moment. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812/56 "2016-02-11T22:16:48Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Trump’s supporters feel betrayed by the establishment. Despite all the big talk, Obama won reelection, we still have Obamacare, he’s letting the immigrants flood in, and they are on the verge of taking our guns. Yeah, I know it’s not true. But getting endorsed by the establishment won’t help him at all. You forgot to mention the fear of Obama declaring himself King For Life on his last day in office. 😃 Still, I don’t see why endorsements wouldn’t help. Endorsements from candidates suggests that the Sens/Reps/Governors think it’s fine that the Trump will be in charge of their money and their supporters’ money. That’s a huge loophole to me. Clearly the super rich don’t want THAT! But if a few endorse and it snowballs into even 30 or 40 endorsements, that could sway the non-rich fence sitters towards a Trump nomination. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812/57 "2016-02-11T22:36:19Z")
I think they will try to **buy Trump off**. With ca$h. And I think they will fail. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812/58 "2016-02-11T22:40:42Z")
Really? “Here’s some free real estate. How about thousands of shares of our stock at a fraction of the price? We’ll finance your next casino, or hotel, or office building.” He’d jump at a free helicopter. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812/59 "2016-02-11T22:55:29Z")
Forbes put Trump’s net worth at 4.5 billion dude. Don’t downplay his wealth quite so much. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812/60 "2016-02-11T22:56:10Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > You forgot to mention the fear of Obama declaring himself King For Life on his last day in office. 😃 > > Still, I don’t see why endorsements wouldn’t help. Endorsements from candidates suggests that the Sens/Reps/Governors think it’s fine that the Trump will be in charge of their money and their supporters’ money. That’s a huge loophole to me. Clearly the super rich don’t want THAT! But if a few endorse and it snowballs into even 30 or 40 endorsements, that could sway the non-rich fence sitters towards a Trump nomination. Hey, he’s a billionaire, right. How can you think he won’t be good with your money. Just don’t talk to the people who lost on his bankrupt ventures. If you endorse an active politician, you might expect something in return even if he loses - a bill for you, his vote supporting one of your bills, some money for your state. If Trump loses he has no left over political power, no supporter network, no proteges, no machine. And you piss off the establishment who does have power. Palin is out of it, so she had nothing to lose by endorsing Trump. And I think getting in bed with the establishment might turn off more voters than it turns on. So I doubt he is spending a lot of effort in getting endorsements, though he’d take someone who comes to kiss his ring by which I mean ass. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-establishment-try-to-kill-the-trump-nomination/745812.md?page=4)