If I had the booze and antacid concession for RNC Headquarters, I’d be rich enough to run for President myself.
Resistance is futile. Prepare to be marginalized.
After Romney’s speech, John McCain issued a statement “[echoing] the many concerns about Mr. Trump’s uninformed and indeed dangerous statements on national security issues that have been raised by 65 Republican defense and foreign policy leaders.”
McCain’s statement was less scathing and personal than Romney’s. But, now the last two Republican nominees are on record telling people not to vote for Trump.
Wow, if Romney had shown this much personality in 2012. It might have changed things. He was always so wooden and boring.
“The KKK supports you, and Mitt Romney doesn’t.”
“See? I’m not an establishment Republican; I’m a rebel against them!”
“So you’re less like Mitt Romney, and more like David Duke.”
“I’m obviously not like Romney. I don’t know anything about Duke; is he a rebel?”
“Yeah, you could say that.”
Not sure that’s how that works.
This is a really good point. It would work to kill the very thing that put Trump in the position he is in.
No, it would help him. He’s viewed as part of the establishment and there’s also the little fact that Trump just kicked the shit out of his brother.
I hate to sound eliist, but, well… yeah. Trump’s supporters are unsophisticated people who are responding out of fear. He uses simple words for that very reason.
Everyone babbling about Trump being horrible is missing the point that their words are largely being received by people who already agree. If the GOP wants Trump to not be nominated what they need is for the non-Trump opposition to give up except for one candidate.
If you want potential Trump voters to not vote for him, blather like “…if we make improvident choices…” is not going to work. What will work are simple things like “Trump is lying to you. Trump will not build a wall, that is a lie. Trump will cost you your job. Trump doesn’t care about you, he just wants to steal government money.”
Bachmann, then Perry and Huntsman dropped out after Iowa and New Hampshire, respectively.
Gingrich, Paul, and Santorum were still running in all the races through this date. It was a somewhat different lineup, admittedly; 13 states had participated–Texas hadn’t voted, but both Florida and Michigan had, and the Super Tuesday of 2012 had not yet occurred. (That was on March 6th, and Romney took 38% against the same three opponents.)
There were basically four serious candidates through Super Tuesday; Romney, Gingrich, Santorum, and Paul. While Romney was the front runner it was, like now, not a clean sweep; Santorum won three states and Gingrich won Georgia.
I knew there were a multiple of candidates, but I couldn’t remember how many there were at that point; certainly not the same high number that the current GOP crop has had to deal with.
Thanks to both of you for the info!
ETA: By the way, I predict that this speech will have no effect on Trump’s campaign.
Looks like John McCain has jumped on the public bandwagon of denouncing Trump. These guys (the two past party nominees) didn’t come out of the woodwork without some prompting from the GOP leadership. Desperation comes with its own unique smell. This will not bode well for Rubio or Cruz. This will further incite the Trump base and potentially a broader group of conservatives that are completely fed up with past failed candidates like Romney and McCain.
If he didn’t already have it, this is a lock for Trump now. Lord help us all.
I agree that the impact on the primary will be negligible.
There was an interesting moment in Trump’s Tuesday victory speech in which he said something about uniting the GOP. It was the only line that didn’t get any applause.
It’s a mistake to dismiss this as having no effect. This is a BIG deal. And it also lays down a scorched earth marker: #nevertrump is for real. They will do whatever they can to deny Drumpf the nomination, and then if that fails, mount a third party “true Republican” ticket to deny him the presidency.
[Here’s Trump’s rebuttal to Romney’s speech:
They seem to be rolling out all sorts of Republicans to publish anti-Trump pieces. The Times ran one the other day by an evangelical who worked for GWB who attacked Trump in terms that would make Bernie blush.
I don’t see a third party campaign by the establishment happening, because that would tend to screw the Senatorial nominees. If their attempt at a brokered convention fails, the question is whether they give a pro forma endorsement and sit on their hands or do something more active against him. Or do they knuckle under so that they’d still have influence even if they do win. Like Christie. Which hasn’t seemed to work out well for him.
Anyone who would listen to Romney is anti-Trump anyway. And those who don’t probably think he lost for being too liberal.
Your saying the GOP leadership would rather have Hillary as POTUS, than Trump?
By who? You? Be still my quivering heart. :rolleyes:
Romney has already been marginalized by conservative, Tea Party, and Republican voters. OTOH, the lame-azzed, king-making, media outlets and Democrats seem to have a collective thrill running up their collective leg at the mere sound of Romney’s voice.
I think he has a pretty good idea that Trump won’t release his 2009 returns for much the same reason that he didn’t if he releases any at all.