Free Republic
Browse · Search
GOP Club
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Stopping Trump: The Nuclear Option
The Politico ^ | February 25, 2016 | Jeff Greenfield

Posted on 02/26/2016 8:09:07 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

Here's what Republicans would need to do to stop their own front-runner--and what they'd destroy if they failed.

It wasn't so long ago that the political universe was licking its collective chops over the prospect of a contested Republican convention, a delegate fight that went all the way to July without a nominee. Now, with Donald Trump notching his most decisive primary win yet--and looking to pick off several more on Super Tuesday--we're hearing that the contest will be over by the Ides of March. That means Trump could walk away with a nomination that almost no traditional Republicans ever wanted to see happen.

What could stop him? So far, his opponents have barely made a dent in The Donald. There's a good chance the race will be over unless the Republican Party establishment and its conservative core do something that neither party has ever done: gather the forces, pool their money, and train all their collective firepower against their own front-runner....

(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...


TOPICS: New York; Campaign News; Issues; Parties
KEYWORDS: 2016election; election2016; greenfield; greenfieldtrump; jeffgreenfield; newyork; politico; trump
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-120 next last
To: goldstategop

I am not sure how it would “destroy the party.” I think it’s just going to cower while Trump becomes a tower (I’m a poet don’t ya know it).


21 posted on 02/26/2016 8:21:39 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
Trump could irrevocably undermine what the party says it stands for

What GOP nominee over the past 28 years has embodied what their party claims to stand for? Answer: none of them. Zero. Hence, anger and frustration. Hence....the rise of Trump.

22 posted on 02/26/2016 8:22:23 PM PST by Mr. Mojo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Sybeck1

No need to recruit him, Cruz has always been establishment elite.


23 posted on 02/26/2016 8:23:18 PM PST by jospehm20
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
After 2/3 of they way though ... that is a buckshot strategy, not a nuclear strategy. Which mean they only likely have buckshot, or a whole lot of retired pols calling him names and each tossing a handful of stones.

Where is the nuke in that? (not questioning you 2ndDiv - questioning the headline.)

24 posted on 02/26/2016 8:25:37 PM PST by tinyowl (A equals A)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SubMareener

I finally got over and read that piece at CT and I must say, it is thought-provoking. It requires me to give the RNC and GOPe credit for being more cunning that I’d figured, but it may be correct.

It certainly makes sense that Rubio was a means to an end, not the end itself. He sticks out like a sore thumb by any criteria for Presidential candidates.

It also makes sense that Christie’s defection to Trump may be more devastating than most of us knew. The fact that they kept it a secret (without even a hint of a leak) is significant, as if they knew they were handling political dynamite.

Anyhow - everyone should read it.


25 posted on 02/26/2016 8:25:58 PM PST by bigbob ("Victorious warriors win first and then go to war" Sun Tzu.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Sybeck1

It’s posts like this that really disgust me.

Cruz is just about the only senator in 100 years that has walked in as a freshman and immediately taken on the leadership.

But, like a leftist, far too many Trump supporters will make a public statement like yours that is the direct opposite of the observable facts. Truth be damned - rational analysis be damned - just throw any old turd, repeatedly, and hope it sticks.

Well I think Trump is probably going to win. And I suspect he is pulling a Jimmy Carter. And every time he sticks it to us I’m going to mock you and others who posted like you on this forum for the next 20 years - assuming there is still a United States by then.

If Trump turns out to be a great president - you can return the favor.


26 posted on 02/26/2016 8:28:56 PM PST by TheTimeOfMan (Three Percenter - Cruz/West)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: All

I see Trump and Cruz as roughly equal threats to the establishment and the traditional GOP. They are on different paths but those paths are not sanctioned by the party. Carson would also be quite a blow to orthodoxy. So that leaves them with Rubio and Kasich. Rubio is a bit of a maverick compared with Kasich so I imagine they will pull for Kasich as long as they think there’s any chance, while also encouraging Rubio.

Personally, I think Cruz is the better bet. With Trump, there is too much uncertainty as to actual philosophy and while he might rip up the party, he might also fail to deliver on core conservative promises implied. I think that Super Tuesday needs to be a time of sober reflection — which of the non-establishment candidates is really most likely to deliver the sort of fundamental change without also introducing unwanted elements of chaos or disorder?

For me, that question is self-evident. I would even rate Carson ahead of Trump in terms of probability of principled conservative change in America. But this point of view may get drowned out in the stampede to an obvious front runner. Just be sure you know where the front runner is going, in case you don’t want to go along.


27 posted on 02/26/2016 8:30:41 PM PST by Peter ODonnell (Right now, I'll take any candidate with the letter U in their surname, but no other vowels ideally)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: jospehm20

Mitch McConnell?

Is that you ?


28 posted on 02/26/2016 8:32:15 PM PST by lonestar67 (Trump is anti-conservative / Cruz 2016)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: faithhopecharity

Perhaps the GOPe will hive off to form a third party.


29 posted on 02/26/2016 8:33:28 PM PST by arthurus (Het is waar. Tutti i liberali sono fThis is shaping up to be an election between Mussolini andeccia.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

This GOP is setting records for primary and caucus turnout.
The GOP has more people and more money involved in their primary then ever before.
The GOP is setting records for ratings ... people are watching, interested, and informed.
The people are involved, and most importantly they are showing up on election day.

On the surface this should be a dream season for the GOP.

The problem is that the GOP doesn’t find the answer ‘acceptable’ when the people actually take their time and go vote.

The power brokers and K St money crowd must cling to power. If we the people don’t follow them like good little lemmings then we must be defeated - at all costs.

Hence my enjoyment of the chaos...


30 posted on 02/26/2016 8:34:02 PM PST by BlueNgold (May I suggest a very nice 1788 Article V with your supper...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: HiTech RedNeck

And your feet show it.
—Longfellow
Nyuk nyuk nyuk


31 posted on 02/26/2016 8:35:15 PM PST by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: TheTimeOfMan

Sadly if you look at Trumps history of NO CONVICITIONS, there very well may not be a United States after 4 years.

Trump is a religion to some on this site....so very sad.


32 posted on 02/26/2016 8:35:17 PM PST by mrpotatohead
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: lonestar67

I am just going by Cruz’s approval/endorsement of Rubio and the fact that McConnel and company are going all out to stop Trump. They do not have to worry about stopping by Rubio or Cruz, they are already establishment.


33 posted on 02/26/2016 8:36:16 PM PST by jospehm20
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: Sybeck1

They recruited Cruz last night, he got his 30 pieces of silver, and will now slither away..


34 posted on 02/26/2016 8:37:36 PM PST by heights
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: bigbob

bigbob you are so right we DON’T want what the republican party is today, did they do one thing about the IRS coming after their conservative base... NO, did they do one thing to defund Obamacare.... NO, did they do one thing to defund sanctuary cities.....NO, did they do one thing to defund PP......NO, have they brought one thing forward regarding Benghazi.....NO, have they done ANYTHING to support their base in anyway....NO!!!!! These BASTARDS still have NO CLUE how pissed off their base is!!! They’re STILL trying to shove someone down our throats to their liking not ours!!!! I hope to hell Trump is MORE THAN the PAYBACK I was hoping for, I hope EVERYONE of them are beyond choking GO TRUMP!!!!


35 posted on 02/26/2016 8:41:54 PM PST by Kit cat (OBummer must go)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: jospehm20

“No need to recruit him, Cruz has always been establishment elite.”

Daddy brought something to the table back in the Cold War.

Count on it.


36 posted on 02/26/2016 8:41:56 PM PST by Psalm 144 (El jefe Trump, si! Los dos cholos, no!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

This “nuclear option” isn’t going to happen seeing as how Trump is beginning to get GOPe endorsements and Rubio isn’t inclined to backstabbing or the constant anger necessary for such a run. We are going to have Trump as the nominee and if the core establishment isn’t careful, a second President Clinton and a dictatorial corruptocracy.


37 posted on 02/26/2016 8:42:34 PM PST by JimSEA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: arthurus

where all 300 of them can vote for themselves


38 posted on 02/26/2016 8:42:39 PM PST by faithhopecharity ("Politicians are not born, they're excreted." Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 -- 43 BCE))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: Helicondelta
This nonsense will only harden the support for Trump.

Exactly right!

39 posted on 02/26/2016 8:42:55 PM PST by Mr Apple ( [islamic poster odds said he won't be posting at FR as of Jan.16, 2016] Oh, you're back odds??)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: faithhopecharity
If Mr. Trump secures the nomination, he won’t just “work with the GOP’E”... he’ll flush them

Also exactly right!

40 posted on 02/26/2016 8:45:06 PM PST by Mr Apple ( [islamic poster odds said he won't be posting at FR as of Jan.16, 2016] Oh, you're back odds??)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-120 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
GOP Club
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson