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Of all the arguments against Donald Trump, the softest has been his poor prospects for victory in the general election. True, he has consistently polled worse against Hillary Clinton than have Ted Cruz, John Kasich, and virtually every other person who ran. But polls change. And if Trump were to win the Republican nomination, it would be such an earthquake that the political order might be transformed. Clinton, moreover, has huge vulnerabilities. She lacks many basic political skills, and she is a hostage to fortune—in both the usual way, as the heir to an incumbent president, and in the unusual...

For seven months, Republicans -- myself included -- have argued against the data. The data showed that Donald Trump would be a viable candidate. Many of us presumed he would eventually fade. Many of us presumed he would eventually burn out his supporters with his gaffes, waffling and walk backs. What many of us misunderstood was Republican voter anger. There are a lot of angry people out there and they are flocking to Donald Trump. They have good reason to be angry. Washington politicians, particularly Republicans, have broken promise after promise. People in Washington seem to be doing quite well...

It's easy for me to understand why people were so favorably disposed toward Trump at first because initially, I liked him, too. I'd read and liked Trump's books, I found him to be gracious in person and I had friends who went to work for him. I also loved his charisma, his stance on the wall, his refreshing lack of political correctness, his scrappiness and his ability to just shrug off what would be career-ending mistakes for other Republican politicians. Unfortunately today, Trump looks to be completely unelectable. There are massive numbers of Republicans pledging not to vote for him...

Hartford Tea Party co-founder endorses Ted Cruz and denounces Donald Trump. As one of the co-founders of the Hartford Tea Party in 2009, I was appalled to read the statement of Debbie Dooley, claiming that Donald Trump was the choice of someone who once claimed membership in a genuine grass roots organization dedicated to upholding the Constitution, reducing the size of government, eliminating government health care and opposing high government spending. In her endorsement for Donald Trump, she claimed the following:"I have been an activist fighting for conservative principles since 1976, so I reject individuals and publications that try to...

During an interview on the FOX Business Network's Mornings with Maria, Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay lashed out against the media for protecting Donald Trump. "The media won't report what's really happening on the ground... They will not investigate Donald Trump. When have you seen a story written about Donald Trump's sleazy business practices? There's plenty of stories out there about that. The media is protecting Donald Trump either because they want him to be the nominee against Hillary Clinton or they're big buddies of his. Most of the media comes from New York and they are buddies," he...

CBS NEWS March 4, 2016 by JACQUELINE ALEMANY How Donald Trump Could Affect The GOP's Efforts To Hold The Senate Speaking on the floor of the U.S. Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid previewed what's to come this November if Donald Trump wins the Republican presidential nomination. "Republicans are supporting a man who refused to denounce the KKK," Reid said Wednesday, tearing into the "Frankenstein Party" that could nominate Trump at this summer's Republican convention in Cleveland. "A man who continues to denigrate immigrants, Muslims and the disabled," Reid said. "Donald Trump is the standard-bearer for the Republican Party." Democrats up...

In an election year dominated by bombastic rhetoric and a Republican frontrunner who makes daily headlines for controversial statements, Senate Republicans are privately debating whether some in their ranks may need to distance themselves from Donald Trump if he were to win their party's nomination for president. "You will find candidates who will have to separate themselves from the party's nominee if somebody like him is the nominee," Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX) told reporters of the prospects of Donald Trump winning the Republican nomination for President. But with Donald Trump making headlines with language and policy proposals that...

With Donald Trump set for a yuuge victory in tomorrow's Super Tuesday slugfest - oddsmakers see 80% chance of Trump being the nominee - tensions are mounting dramatically within the Republican establishment. As The FT reports, many mainstream Republicans believe Mr Trump would struggle to beat Hillary Clinton and are urgently rallying around their man Rubio with some senior Republicans saying privately that they might consider voting for Mrs Clinton if Mr Trump were to end up as their party nominee as one conservative commentator exclaimed "we are on the verge of a real meltdown in the Republican party." Trump's...

If Donald Trump ends up being our next president, I will pray that he will be the greatest president we have ever had and I will fervently hope that I'm absolutely wrong about all of my concerns. Until then (or at least until we decide on the Republican nominee), I will sound the alarm and raise my voice as loudly and clearly as I can. Do not be duped by Donald Trump! The issue is not whether he's a true Christian. The issue is whether he can be trusted and whether we even know what his real positions are. So...

Now that Donald Trump has won three primaries by convincing margins, there are at least some cracks in the wall of opposition to his candidacy within some segments of the Republican Party establishment. As Trump racks up delegates and makes it more difficult for the four remaining challengers to catch him in the race for delegates, some major GOP donors are questioning the purpose and efficacy of efforts to derail Trump’s candidacy. Bob Grand, managing partner of Barnes & Thornburg in Indianapolis, was a financial supporter and bundler for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. He hasn’t yet decided if he’s...

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has assured Senate candidates running for reelection that they can run ads against Donald Trump even if he wins the GOP nomination for president. According to the New York Times, senators attending private lunches with the Majority Leader have been advised to take the position that Donald Trump will lose badly in the general election and should prepare themselves for a Hillary Clinton presidency.

The McCain-Palin ticket's rise in the polls is giving optimism to Republican candidates down the ballot as well, helping lift fund raising and stirring excitement among supporters. Republican Party officials tracking congressional races and gubernatorial contests suggest they have seen an increase in volunteers since Sen. John McCain announced Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate Aug. 29. The following week, the National Republican Congressional Committee raised $247,382 in online donations -- double its take for all of August. The average contribution that week was $101, the low-dollar total suggesting enthusiasm among grass-roots supporters. Republican candidates across the country...

By see-dubya  •  July 29, 2008 09:15 AM What’s a disgruntled conservative blogger to do this election? A: open up the five hundredth “Lesser of Two Evils” should-I-actually-vote-for-that-squish-McCain debate, orB: Look around for some actual conservatives to back?You might not find any at the top of the ticket, but the real conservatives are out there, running for Congress all around the country. I was thinking about writing a post summarizing some of the hotter races, where some support from bloggers and local activists and small donors could make a big difference. But then some guys went and started up a whole...

 So which are the conservative candidates .... and which aren't.   CONGRESSIONAL RACES IN 2008:  Race All Candidates Amount Raised Senate John Cornyn (R) * Rick Noriega (D) Raymond Eugene McMurrey (I) Larry Scott Kilgore (R) Rhett R. Smith (D)  $15,705,320  $1,934,254  $18,308  $15,900  $0 District 01 Louis B. Gohmert Jr (R) *  $442,570 District 02 Ted Poe (R) *  $378,536 District 03 Sam Johnson (R) * Thomas James Daley (D) Wayne Avellanet (R)  $564,968  $1,400  $0 District 04 Ralph M. Hall (R) * Kathleen Ann Seei (R) Glenn Melancon (D) Kevin George (R) Joshua John Kowert (R)  $547,193  $54,487...

I've been on FR for over ten years and to my best recollection, this is only the second vanity thread I've ever posted. Like most here, I've been angry. Frustrated. Disgusted. Fed up to my eyeballs. Pick your favorite adjective to describe the lack of a good, solid conservative candidate in this election cycle. What I need now is not an outlet to vent my spleen, but ideas to help make something positive happen. I listened to Rush during the 1PM hour and he made a point that was pure common sense -- we need to concentrate on making sure...

With the departure of Mitt Romney, all conservative hopes for retaining the White House have diminished. The 2008 Republican presidential nominee will be Senator John McCain. Under the best of circumstances, retaining the White House following a two term presidency is difficult - in recent decades only Ronald Reagan was able to achieve this feat with the election of his sitting vice president, George H.W. Bush. This year, it is particularly difficult. No president in recent memory has been as despised by the left as George W. Bush. Between an expensive and unpopular war, worries over a souring economy, etc.,...

. . . Party hearty:The state Republican Party is so emboldened by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's surge in the polls that it's turning its attention -- and money -- to the down-ticket races such as lieutenant governor and attorney general. The first beneficiary of the newfound GOP largesse was Tom McClintock, the conservative GOP nominee for lieutenant governor whom the new, more moderate Arnold seems to be avoiding like the plague. He got a GOP-paid TV ad slamming rival Democrat John Garamendi. Next up was attorney general candidate Chuck Poochigian, who got a radio ad labeling Democratic rival Jerry Brown...