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You said...
“So maybe it’s not an issue thing — that flavor of conservative or liberal is not part of the equation? Maybe he’s just not one of ‘them’, he’s of the wrong ‘class’? It boils down to bigotry, then. Maybe they see the biggest threat to themselves and their system would be to allow the public to get the idea that they can elect someone from outside the club — regardless of his position on any issue.”

I agree with what you said and I’ll add to what you said a little bit and tell me what you think.

Jeb was supposed to the nominee to go against Hillary. That’s why he said he would win the nomination without the base(lol). That way, even if he loses, the GOPe still wins. They can keep on doing what they are doing. Well, as we know, that hasn’t worked out that way. If there was no Trump, Cruz would be the nominee and the GOPe would go down the next in line for a candidate to back. When people are about to lose power, or even think they are about to lose power, they do irrational things. That’s what you’re seeing now. They can’t risk the possibility that Trump will upset their apple carts.

However, there’s a risk. If Trump is elected and becomes a disaster, that will entrench and embolden the GOPe.

I will say this, if there’s one person who can fight Hillary on her level, it’s Trump...lol

Okay, that makes sense to my mind ... I think you're spot on. There was something up with Jeb. I think the fix was in. And, if this year had played out like past years, all he would have to do is hang in there and he'd have been the nominee. A Bush? How tin-eared can the GOP get? (I still do worry that shenanigans are being plotted for the convention.)

I've begun seeing our federal government as a machine. The politicians have set it up so they really do not have to decide much of anything. They've invented bureaucracies that do the heavy lifting ... and those continue on regardless of the bureaucrats who come and go. Think BORG.

I think Jeb or Hillary would serve the machine satisfactorily, so, regardless of who wins and whatever letter is on their jerseys, the game continues and their world is good.

And what you say makes sense. If Trump is elected and does poorly (as I suspect most of the ruling class will make it their life's mission to bring about), they can smugly say, “see, you need the establishment to do this job. Never question us again.” Kind of like how conservatism was kicked to the curb after Goldwater.

Presumably all they really want of Cruz is to lose. I'm surprised they haven't yet turned to Kasich. I figured this was why he continues to hang in there. How embarrassing for him if they bring in Mitt rather than turn to one who is already running! On the Dem side, I figured O’Malley would stay around as a sanitized alternative to Bern or Hill — but I was wrong on that one.