Title says it all. Openly breaking with Trump is political suicide for a Republican, but if he can’t get on the ballot…
I’m speculating, but I’d guess lots. Mainly what we might have called “establishment Republicans.” They’re all too cowardly to say it out loud, but I think lots of them see Trump as likely to lose the popular vote for the third time in a row, and also the electoral college. And even if he wins, it’s four more years of instability and chaos. The country club Republicans don’t like that part.
So, not the MAGA true believers like Boebert and MTG (and their ilk). They’ll go down with the ship.
I’d guesstimate at least one-third. By handing it off to the courts, they can get rid of Trump without being perceived as “complicit” in the eyes of Trumpers.
That sounds about right.
Former Republican
Raises hand.
Convictions on criminal charges will also see more willing to back away from supporting him .
Quite a few, trump now rules by fear. If you cross his you get death threats and get voted out.
I believe it when I see it. Haven’t seen it yet.
It was the nihilist vote that put Trump over the top in 2016. A ballot disqualification or a conviction will just energize that lot. Winning a presidential election with a write-in campaign for someone they are told they can’t vote for is just the kind of challenge that turns those people on.
-amounts to a third party candidate, and when has that ever succeeded at the national level? At most, the Republican vote is split and the election goes to the 'Dems. I suppose it comes down to how many are die-hard Trump Or Nobody voters delusional enough to think he can win without being on the Republican ticket; or whether their hatred of Biden is enough that swinging the election to the 'Pubs is more important.
I was implying that there will never be enough Republicans relieved by the disqualifications for a non-Trump GOP candidate to win the general election. They need the nihilists to win, and the nihilist are going to write in Trump.
This. If the courts bring him down, they can secretly breathe a sigh of relief without any blood on their hands while publicly blaming those damn, dirty democrats for his demise. It’s a win-win for them essentially.
Okay, but as I said which is stronger- their hatred of the Democrats, or their support of Trump (and level of denial that that’s the choice)?
But it’s not their support of Trump or even hatred of Democrats that drive the nihilists; it’s the chaos. Right now the GOP is a coalition of Conservatives and people who just want to burn it all down. Neither has the numbers to win a national election without each other’s support. So far, Republicans have been willing to tolerate a lot of chaos in exchange for power. That’s their only road to victory.
What “Republicans” are we talking about here? Republican primary voters? Vanishingly few. Even those who are inclined to support an alternative candidate would be outraged to see Trump disqualified by fiat.
Republicans in Congress? Almost all of them. Because it would let them make political hay screaming frothing outrage at his being disqualified while knowing that now they won’t have to deal with his bullshit as President.
I mean, Republicans were the first to float the idea that Trump was disqualified, and have been involved in so much of this. So, yeah, I’m sure they want him gone.
It wouldn’t surprise me if only the “Freedom Caucus” actually hopes he’ll stick around.
I doubt it. They’re only as loyal to Trump as Trump is loyal to them. They’ll ride on Trump’s train as long as it works to their benefit. The second it stops benefitting them, they’ll turn on him.
I’ll go out and say that the Supremes don’t want 4 more years of Trump as they will be sidelined and/or replaced. King Trump will only tolerate a supreme court that does his bidding.
I don’t care how many of them are secretly wishing for any fucking thing. That has no effect on any thing.
How many of them are speaking out about the obvious?
Yes, secretly wishing has about as much effect as thoughts and prayers. The real question is how many Republicans are secretly working on ensuring Trump isn’t the 2024 nominee.
It’s not like the Republicans lack experience in rigging election. And it would be easier for them to rig the primaries than the general election. So if the party leaders decide Trump will cost them the election, they’ll make sure he doesn’t win the primaries.