Republicans fear Trump could jeopardize control of Congress

[riversedge]

Last edited Wed Dec 9, 2015, 10:19 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: Politico





Republicans fear Trump could jeopardize control of Congress

Worries are growing that his rhetoric will translate into lost Senate and House seats in 2016.






Republicans have spent many years and hundreds of millions of dollars wresting control of the House and Senate from Democrats.

Now they say Donald Trump is putting it all in jeopardy.

With the Iowa caucuses just 55 days away, Republicans are beginning to see Trump as a dire threat to their majorities on Capitol Hill. And they’re warning that the GOP poll leader, who this week called for a ban on Muslims entering the country, will cause irreparable harm to the party.

From vulnerable senators to top party officials, the fear is palpable and bursting into public view. Congressional Republicans face a tough 2016 landscape even without Trump. Senate Republicans are clinging to a four-seat majority as they defend 24 seats versus just 10 for Democrats. And House Republicans are expecting to lose roughly a dozen seats in 2016. Trump’s rhetoric, they fear, could cause those losses to grow substantially.
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“It would be devastating to our attempts to grow our majority and would cost us seats,” Stivers said in an interview. Trump “would cost us seats. There are people that couldn’t win if he was our nominee.”


Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/12/republicans-fear-trump-216561

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It is all about them --as a Party --that might lose seats!!









Donald Trump's potential collateral fallout is scaring Republicans on the Hill. | Getty

[sarge43]

1. Could you check your link

I'm getting a "page cannot be found" message

Thank you

[riversedge]

15. Here you go. Also changed in OP. Thanks for heads up......

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/12/republicans-fear-trump-216561

[RobinA]

2. We Can

Only hope.

[Ford_Prefect]

3. Monstrous Mogul Mows down Majority, Megalomaniacs Moan! Theocracy Denied Cry Chosen Plutocrats!

They should be scared.


Corrected Link:[link:http://www.politico.com/story/2015/12/republicans-fear-trump-216561|

[erronis]

22. +2 for the title!

[SmittynMo]

4. Isn't this just a shame (sarcasm)

The GOP is falling apart, big time. I thank Donald for that.

I'd love to see him win the nomination, then see him pull the plug and run independent.

I can hear it now..... "Screw the pledge. I'm in this for myself".

[thesquanderer]

5. re: "It is all about them --as a Party --that might lose seats!! "

There are people in both parties whose only concern is winning. On our side, I'd say Debbie Wasserman Schultz falls into that category, but in all fairness, really, that's her job.

[Ford_Prefect]

7. Her Job is about the Democratic party winning as a whole, not only the Presidency but the Congress

And State Houses. She is far too narrow minded about her concept of victory to accomplish this.

Free Enterprise Ho! Forward the Mighty Mega Corp! You have nothing to lose but your Taxable Income!

[thesquanderer]

11. True, but I suspect she does believe she's doing what's best for the party as a whole

even though many of us may not agree! I expect that HRC supporters generally believe that a Hillary nomination would indeed be the best thing for the party as a whole.

[Ford_Prefect]

39. Her motivation does not excuse denying the rank and file a fair say in the process.

One more plutocrat does not a democracy make. It has been clear for some time that her approach to party advancement has little to do with a better future for majority of party members, regardless of their chosen candidate.
DWS is a member of the favored few and clearly believes that some animals are very definitely more equal than all the others, party rules and the Constitution not withstanding.
Put another way: What's good for DWS is good for the USA. (Al Capp knew a thing or two about how Washington is run and by whom)

[erronis]

24. Hmmmm. Alertable? Free Enterprise Ho?

Just in case, this is tongue-in-cheek, but some might take in in interesting ways.....

[Ford_Prefect]

35. My term is an adverb, as in "Westward Ho!" The noun you refer to uses 3 more letters,

and has many current accurate applications in both houses of Congress.

[erronis]

36. <grin/>

[notadmblnd]

42. I didn't read it that way

I read it to mean Free Enterprise forward and equated it to what a wagon train master would say while crossing the US. "Wagons ho!"

I think it's quite a stretch to read into post #7 that the poster was calling anyone names.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

28. DWS is only for one woman winning.

[blackspade]

6. The waaaanbulance is on the way!

This is the core of their party and a monster of their own making.

[Snarkoleptic]

8. While I would enjoy seeing Trumps coattails wreck the downballot,

I'm also fearful we'll see another moment like the time we elected an "unelectable, halfwit, b-movie actor...".

[Martin Eden]

9. The best way to retake Congress is to nominate a Dem who inspires massive voter turnout

Trump might be hurting the Republican brand, but the biggest factor in the general election depends on who we Democrats nominate.

[cstanleytech]

19. The bigger problem is people dont show up to vote for local and state elections

and thats how the republicans gained so much power and have kept it so long because by winning those elections in states where the local government sets up the voting districts they are able to gerrymander the hell out of them.

[Martin Eden]

25. That's part of the reason why Dems have done so poorly the last two mid terms

But if they're showing up to vote for POTUS they are in the voting booth and will likely check the boxes for local & state as well -- especially if the presidential candidate who inspired them urges them to do so.

[cstanleytech]

37. Its the largest part of the problem, the rest is just peanuts compared to that

and until more democrats realize that their state and local elections matter and start showing up to get the republican assholes out of office the republicans are probably going to be able to stay in power by gerrymandering the districts to hell and back.

[1StrongBlackMan]

33. True. And HRC has the (President)a Obama coalition ...

on lock.

[Martin Eden]

40. I disagree

HRC doesn't generate nearly the enthusiasm Obama did in 2008. He was swept into office with the hope and expectation that his would be a transformational presidency.

Many who voted for Obama twice (myself included along with many progressives) are very unenthusiastic about Hillary. Some won't even vote for her if she's the Dem nominee, though I will if my home state of Illinois has the remotest change of swinging to the Rethug.

In 2016 Bernie Sanders is the transformational candidate who can inspire and GOTV.

Hillary Clinton is an establishment "moderate" who does not represent the kind of change so many desperately want. Voting to keep out the obviously worse GOP candidate does not inspire the kind of turnout for a candidate people are thrilled to vote FOR.

Sure, Hillary has many ardent supporters but it's doubtful she'll GOTV across a wide range like Bernie, and she has high negatives. Many independents and some R's who would vote for Bernie will not vote for HRC. When people don't much care for either party's candidate, that's when they stay home.

[ChiTownDenny]

45. What's he waiting for?

He hasn't yet.

In 2016 Bernie Sanders is the transformational candidate who can inspire and GOTV.

[Martin Eden]

48. I don't understand the question.

The general election is in November 2016. How is it possible for anyone to have already gotten out the vote for a day that is 11 months in the future?

[Cosmocat]

10. YEP - always jumps out

how they talk about THEM, the party, we want power and darn it, this might blow that.

And, the media never, never, NEVER calls them out on it, while channeling their bullshit narratives about power hungry liberals and what not ...

Just one of a 1,000 things that makes you want to pull your hair out.

[Augiedog]

12. Republicans should be relishing Trump's candidacy. He is the culmination of Fox News' campaign

of hate and disinformation. The Republican Party has been marching to this Waterloo for 30 years. The alleged leaders of the republican caucus are trying to distance themselves from the human stain that Trump has become, with little luck. Trump is their secret id, ego and superego. They never wanted to be exposed like this. Trump is every republican and we all know it. The crazies are now running what has become the republican asylum and no matter how much Paul Ryan works out or how macho a beard he grows he will never be able to distance himself from Trump because Trump is also the ultimate Ayn Rand icon, whom Paul Ryan sees as his personal savior. The republicans created this tiger they are riding, and now they don't know how to get off without being eaten.

[Scarsdale]

13. Really?

Well, they have done SUCH a good job of running the country (into the ground) how much worse could he be? They are afraid of losing their cushy, do-nothing jobs, with full benefits.

[heaven05]

14. yeah, yeah, yeah

and I fear we have a hitler clone in the making for us and IF....the world.

[mountain grammy]

16. Donald Trump IS the Republican party,

and they all know it. Their problem is, now everyone else knows it.

[erronis]

26. Maybe he is a closet dem? I've seen him cozying up to some top dawgs.

Perhaps this is a total subterfuge. If so, I'm going to nominate the Trumpster for an Emmy and Nobel at the same time.

If not, we are all screwed if he makes it to the Oval Orifice.

[getagrip_already]

17. strong in the dark side of the Farce, he is

future difficult to read, it is

be he sith lord or apprentice, the question is........

[Gman]

18. Go Trump Go

I wish the harm was irreparable. Nothing a few hundreds of millions of dollars can't fix

[Johnny2X2X]

20. High Stakes for everyone in the country

On the one hand, Trump wins the nomination and it's good for the country because the Dems dominate the elections and we have a Dem President, with a Dem Senate and maybe a Dem House.

On the other hand, elections can be tricky and nothing is ever a slam dunk, strange things can happen, any major candidate has a chance to win. If Trump became POTUS, this would be the beginning of a dark era in human history, massive war, economic and social strife, poverty and suffering.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

30. Only silver lining is the republican party would be over.

The party's over. It's time to call it a party.

[Iliyah]

21. I really hope so

But the GOP will steal, cheat and do whatever is necessary to win.

[ffr]

23. Have to agree with much of what's been said above

Just goes to show out of touch Republicon leadership is with reality. If anything, Trump will invigorate the GOP dummy to come out and vote the straight GOP ticket years more of do-nothing insanity.

[houston16revival]

27. Clearly the Trump Campaign is Finished

though it may take months for that to play out

Republicans will turn to someone more palatable to the general public

and less controversial

We all know the list ... though I would frightfully add Ryan

[1StrongBlackMan]

34. I'm not so sure.

[humbled_opinion]

29. and in other news...

Progressives are being scolded about ensuring that we don't nominate a candidate that simply cannot possibly win..... Really? If this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, which appears to be shaping up to be, then why would anyone ever nominate the old status quo that we will have to watch like a hawk as they manipulate and change their positions on key issues? Why?

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

31. Bernie is the cure. Hillary is the poison.

[humbled_opinion]

51. and if Trump is their guy

he can't possibly win. so doesn't it make more sense for us to come together and elect a candidate that will actually change things and not play the silly political games with the Republicans....

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

52. My personal opinion? Yes!

[1StrongBlackMan]

32. HRC is doing a great job tying trump's crazy ...

to the entire gop.

This morning some talking heads were discussing how trump will impact the House and Senate races ... because the main of trump's supporters are republican leaning independents that don't typically come out to vote because they are feed up.

The consensus of the panel concluded that trump could mean real problems for the gop ... unless those folks show up in a big way.

And I thought ... now, where else have I heard that before?

[Matariki]

38. Maybe he *is* doing a performance for the benefit of his friends the Clintons

Keep on Donald, you're doing a great job exposing the rotten, corrupted underbelly of the party.

[lark]

41. They jumped the shark

and now fear it will bite them. They created these conditions, this mindless, racist hysteria can be laid right at the feet of Faux Snooze and all the repug talking heads. Trump is the embodiment of all that's wrong with this party and now they are having 2nd thoughts. Oh, it's not about the country and what damage Trump would do to us as a whole, but just what damage Trump can do to them personally. Ha! Couldn't happen to a more deserving group.

[patsimp]

43. how can we be sure that trump isn't going to tap into a public fear and WIN?

[0rganism]

44. don't worry GOP, after we get some terrorist attacks next October, you'll do just fine

maybe win the White House even

[ChiTownDenny]

46. Yup!

That's my biggest fear.

[getagrip_already]

47. his strategy might just work...

If he can get non-college whites to turn out in the same numbers as college educated (without degrading the turnout that is), he can win the electoral college with no hispanic or black votes.

It's all about the electoral college. Assuming he keeps the reliably red states red, all he needs is oh, pa, fl and one of nc or va (or an equiv number of ev's).

Those states have a healthy supply of crazy white voters. Traditionally, they turn out at a much lower rate than college educated whites, but have a much higher red voting percentage. They can conceivably flip enough swing state votes to win the pig.
And that is why he is whipping up the loons. They are his golden ticket.

He doesn't care about down ticket votes. He will deal with the congress he gets. His ego will be enough for him.

[Kennah]

49. Shhh!! Ixnay on the emocraticDay idalTay aveWay n/t

[JudyM]

50. I'm thrilled that so many young people are associating this clown with republiCons

He is just as -Con as the Tea parTeens. Bodes well for future elections.

May their whole political branch rot and fall off.

[yurbud]

53. finally, some good news.