The Caddyshack Collapse of the Establishment

Townhall.com ^ | 3/10/2016 | Matt Towery

[Servant of the Cross]

Yes, I'm into my 15th month of writing that, like it or not, Donald Trump has the best chance to be the GOP nominee for president. That has left me and my analysis on the island of misfit toys! And during all of this, I've watched and chronicled about candidates who I know are well qualified, like Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, but who have fallen by the wayside.

This past week, Mitt Romney and his many friends embarked on a plan that not only failed to stop Trump in Tuesday's primaries in Michigan and Mississippi, but actually appear to have boosted his cause. Here in Florida, Romney's recorded phone messages on behalf of Marco Rubio are going over like a lead balloon. The polling numbers in the Sunshine State prior to the Thursday debate show Trump's lead accelerating.

I completely understand that to Romney and a vast majority of longtime GOP pundits, consultants and elected officials, Trump seems like the Rodney Dangerfield of politics. They likely picture Trump as the late-comedian's iconic character Al Czervik in the 1980 comedy "Caddyshack." In the movie, Dangerfield plays a successful new-to-wealth real estate developer who slings insults at snooty members of an exclusive country club, and ends up in a high-stakes grudge golf match with the club's president.

Of course, Rodney's character prevails only after the groundskeeper, played by Bill Murray, blows up much of the entire golf course, thereby pushing Dangerfield's golf partner's ball into the cup for a last-minute victory. In the instance of Romney -- spokesman for the army of GOP powerbrokers who want to stop Trump -- it is hard to choose which of the movie's characters he would play in a remake. He certainly would be well-suited to portray the image-obsessed club president...

[Daffynition]

Reince-lather-repeat.

At least they have that going for them.

[Pietro]

It’s a mirac

[gorush]

"Cruz will do what his masters want and most thinking people know that."

Your argument is weakened with fallacious statements like that. Cruz obviously doesn't do what his "masters" want or he wouldn't be as hated as he is by many Republicans in the Senate. As for what "most thinking people" know, well, good luck backing THAT statement up.

[Wolfie]

I think this is the solidification of the Establishment, and the final nail in the Middle Class coffin as the Oligarchs make their final push into imposing Third World living standards on the bottom 99%. Trump will not be the nominee (although he is the only candidate I will vote for).

[central_va]

I think this is the solidification of the Establishment, and the final nail in the Middle Class coffin as the Oligarchs make their final push into imposing Third World living standards on the bottom 99%. Trump will not be the nominee (although he is the only candidate I will vote for).

What you describe is actually a beginning, not an end. This forced impoverishment and subjugation of a supposed free and heavily armed populace is a blood sport. The Elites have forgotten that to their own demise.

[Trumpinator]

They stole my analogy!

[Trumpinator]

It was a class thing not race. Chevy Chase’s character is a WASP for example.

[ifinnegan]

“This Caddyshack analogy was at FR first .... “

Which is probably where this NR guy got it.

Nonetheless, Caddyshack was a stupid liberal movie.

Made by liberals for a dumbed down drugged out audience.

They used the the Flipper noise for the rodent.

Caddyshack, Meatballs, Stripes etc...bad movies interspersed with random entertaining skits and performances.

[Wolfie]

I agree, after a period of time, there will be blood. But we’re just entering that period of time. The masses are still too entertained to care...yet.

[tbw2]

To the GOP leadership, losing control of the base is worse than losing yet another election to Democrats.

[New Jersey Realist]

Name ONE thing Cruz accomplished while in the Senate. He went along with the majority 84% of the time. The only reason he went against them was because he knew he would be shot down. He has accomplished absolutely nothing and that is provable.

And by the way, that fake hatred toward him is all an act. He owes his supporters and he makes only God knows how many secret deals with his so-called detractors which would account for his ineffectiveness. He makes noise but little else. I can throw him further than I can trust him.

[bert]

——He has accomplished absolutely nothing and that is provable.-—

Please tell us what he has accomplished directly for Texas companies or the State of Texas needing this or that done for them by say the department of commerce or some other agency. You don’t know do you?

so basically your assertion is totally without merit

[US_MilitaryRules]

Rodney Dangerfield for President!

[gorush]

You can’t expect a guy in a minority of maybe three to accomplish a lot in the Senate. But, as a strict constructionist, he certainly espouses my viewpoint. There is a whole thread on other things he has accomplished:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3407347/posts

[GOPJ]

To Romney and his establishment allies, most voters are part of the great unwashed masses. Obviously they can't decide matters for themselves. It takes Mitt Romney to tell them that they either were naive and ignorant in having voted for Trump in contests ranging from Romney's home state of Massachusetts to southern states such as South Carolina; or that they will be duped in states like Florida. In Florida, his comments and involvement are viewed by many as condescending. That comes not just from the polls but anecdotally from my neighbors here, who weren't for Trump but are livid over Romney's action.

It's true - people in Floria - even those who aren't yet backing Trump - found Romney's comments condescending and boorish..