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Donald Trump is now the Republican Party's establishment-lane candidate
WP ^ | February 17, 2016 | Philip Bump

Posted on 02/18/2016 3:40:42 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster

Donald Trump is now the Republican Party's establishment-lane candidate

By Philip Bump February 17 at 9:47 AM

If you look at past polling, we've reached the stage of the year where past presidential primary winners had largely already been identified. On Feb. 17, 2004, John Kerry held a huge lead among Democrats that he'd keep. In 2008, Barack Obama and John McCain each led his party on this day, and would keep on leading until their conventions. The year 2012 is the only exception, with Rick Santorum having seized the GOP lead from Mitt Romney -- and Romney seizing it back two weeks later, for good.

In each of those years, we had more primary elections under our belts than we do now, but, with the exception of the 2008 Democrats, we also had less stability. Donald Trump will have led in Real Clear Politics' polling average nationally, save a day or two when he was tied with Ben Carson, for precisely seven months this Saturday -- the day he is likely to win South Carolina's Republican primary on a perhaps-unstoppable run to the nomination.

How'd he do that? Weirdly enough, by becoming the choice of the Republican center -- the group that was supposed to be trying to pick among Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie right about now.

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


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: donaldtrump
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1 posted on 02/18/2016 3:40:42 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
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To: TigerLikesRooster

2 posted on 02/18/2016 3:46:11 AM PST by jpsb (Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied. Otto von Bismark)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

That’s why they are throwing all their support behind him!!!

Seriously, can anyone else detect the latest media meme? Trump is the establishment choice? It is stunning how obviously in-sync they all are. And blatantly displaying it like never before.


3 posted on 02/18/2016 3:50:25 AM PST by Mr. K (Trump/Cruz 2016)
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To: Mr. K

Does this mean that National Review and Red State would be behind him, too? That would be interesting.


4 posted on 02/18/2016 3:55:46 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
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To: Mr. K

this guy lost me with his 2012 analogy to this year....at this point in 12, Newt was taking the lead and went on to win SC by more votes than were cast in Iowa and NH combined. The guy is making an analogy and can’t even get his premise right.


5 posted on 02/18/2016 3:57:43 AM PST by C. Edmund Wright (WTF? How Karl Rove and the Establishment Lost...Again (Amazon Best Seller))
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To: TigerLikesRooster

100% Bulls***.


6 posted on 02/18/2016 4:15:52 AM PST by TTFlyer
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To: TigerLikesRooster

The establishment hates Cruz, but they fear Trump.

Pray America wakes


7 posted on 02/18/2016 4:32:31 AM PST by bray (Trump/Palin 2016)
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To: jpsb

The article re-defines the word “establishment” out of existence.
When Karl Rove, John McCain, Mitch McConnell et al give him their blessing, then I might say Trump is establishment.


8 posted on 02/18/2016 4:35:13 AM PST by Migraine (Diversity is great -- until it happens to YOU.)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Inviting the coyote to invest the hen-house. Don’t think so.


9 posted on 02/18/2016 4:40:47 AM PST by AndyJackson
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To: TigerLikesRooster
I'm a Cruz supporter, but I do not consider Trump to be the Establishment candidate. Will he make a pitch for their support when he sees an opening? Sure. Will he sometimes tailor a position to earn freinds or at least avoid enemies as he did with ethanol in Iowa. Yup. Does he work with and cooperate with big league movers and shakers in both economic and government spheres? You betcha.

But he is not Boehner, McConnell, Pelosi or Reid. He's Trump. His own animal. The Establishment powers don't like him because they believe he will hurt Establishment candidates down ticket. His priorities (as expressd in the campaign) are not their priorities. The consultant class REALLY doesn't like him. The media are using Trump news dfor ratings instead of getting more money from ads from a dozen candidates.

That doesn't make him the best candidate. It doesn't make him a good guy. It doesn't make him Establishment either. We are not going to get our heads around this phenomenon until we willing to be truthful about it. Trump, Cruz and Carson are three different flavors of anti-Establishment.
10 posted on 02/18/2016 4:50:49 AM PST by Dr. Sivana (There is no salvation in politics)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Trump the Establishment candidate? LOL. I guess this is making lemonade out of lemons for the GOPe. In other words, when rape is inevitable, lean back and enjoy it.


11 posted on 02/18/2016 4:50:54 AM PST by kabar
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To: TigerLikesRooster

New CBS national poll show Trump lapping the field at 35/17 and beating Cruz big with moderate Republicans and by 5 with very conservative Republicans. It’s over Cruzers.


12 posted on 02/18/2016 4:54:52 AM PST by jmaroneps37 (Conservatism is truth. Liberalism is lies.)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

TRUMP: I WAS PART OF THE ESTABLISHMENT

http://dailycaller.com/2015/08/12/trump-i-was-the-establishment-video/


13 posted on 02/18/2016 5:04:24 AM PST by RasterMaster ("Towering genius disdains a beaten path." - Abraham Lincoln)
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To: bray
Ted and Heidi are pretty devious DC insiders who stabbed there fellow crooks in the back.
They dislike him because there is an honor between these fellow Senate Front Front man and Ted threw them over to peddle some lame- phony outsider PR campaign

Goldman Sachs Teddy and Heidi are the favorite Bought OFF
hacks with a Wall Street Crony Capitalist.

https://www.crowdpac.com/blog/cruz-clinton-wall-street

Ted's Top sugar Daddy , Robert Mercer owes the IRS 6 to 10 billion in back taxes for illegal trades .
Mercer needs to WH to make that Tax Bill go away.

14 posted on 02/18/2016 5:13:36 AM PST by ncalburt ( Amnesty-media out in full force)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Geez Louise.

First he’s a democrat, now he’s GOPe.

Is it me, or has the silly season become even more so?


15 posted on 02/18/2016 5:16:30 AM PST by AFreeBird
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To: RasterMaster
Hello that has been Trump's point all along !

He stated these DC snakes like Cruz are always begging for money and
selling themselves for kick backs !

Goldman Sachs Teddy is the number Wall Street Male hustler !

Ted has sold himself to a NY Hedge Fund Billionaire- Tax Cheat !

16 posted on 02/18/2016 5:19:42 AM PST by ncalburt ( Amnesty-media out in full force)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Strange title...nothing to do with the article.

My comment would have been like others here: If Trump were the Establishment choice, and the Establishment had virtually all of the tickets to the last debate, why did the Establishment boo Trump and cheer Bush?

I figured they were trying some reverse psychology on his, like telling your little kids to scream as load as they can and get muddy...which makes them say to themselves that it’s now fun, since mom won’t be getting mad.

Anyway, the article points out something important - when you take out the hard right (very conservative and Tea Party voters), Cruz’s support is only 10%...he cannot even reach the middle of the Republican Party, he’ll have a heck of a time reaching the middle of the country in November, should he get the nomination.


17 posted on 02/18/2016 5:21:44 AM PST by BobL (Who cares? He's going to build a wall and stop this invasion.)
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To: jpsb

The comic makes me recall the famous Network comment:

I’m mad as hell and I am not going to take this anymore.

I think the Trump thing has really tapped into that vein. It transcends ideology. It happens when those who were told for years they had the power to change things in their vote and have seen it be nothing but a tranquilizer. If he had run as a dem, he would have been not as successful as he could not have over come The Machine over there. In the GOP he has a somewhat better chance to win the nomination and election yet will face such a fierce battle with the legislature he probably will not be successful without resorting to Obama like tactics to get his ideas through. That is unfortunate. On the other hand, at least we should not have another few terms of a dem anti american liberal.

He has laid out what he broadly believes and that is in someone who is a nationalistic patriot. To him, everything is a deal up to the point the otherside wants the win win. He will not go there. He is not a social conservative IMO, at best he leans in that direction but is mostly live and let live. On abortion, I believe he is not pro abortion, rather he would rather it be a state issue and not something he wishes to personally address. I have problems with that but his stances on trade, immigration, and his being self funded make me lean in his direction. If there was a party called Nationalistic Pragmantises he would be in it.

Someone has to blow up the DC cesspool of insider graft; I don’t see any other on the horizon with the will to do it.


18 posted on 02/18/2016 5:23:06 AM PST by Mouton (The insurrection laws maintain the status quo now.)
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To: ncalburt

Your premise falls flat. Cruz took out a secured loan which was paid in full. Trump took out several times that, to the tune of BILLIONS secured by junk bonds and has yet to pay it back. Trump has also bragged about paying off politicians with bribes and his business is built on kickbacks and tax dodging. Who is the crony capitalist? That’s your guy, fool!


19 posted on 02/18/2016 5:26:56 AM PST by RasterMaster ("Towering genius disdains a beaten path." - Abraham Lincoln)
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To: ncalburt

That is sacrilege. You are not supposed to say anything negative about Saint Cruz.

Politicians talk and Capitalists do.


20 posted on 02/18/2016 5:35:26 AM PST by bray (Trump/Palin 2016)
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