Can The GOP Reconcile With Trump?

So, it appears that there will be no contested convention as Ted Cruz and many other Republicans had hoped. I have to admit, although Ted Cruz would not have gotten the required delegates (1237) to win the GOP nomination, I was surprised that he dropped out of the race so suddenly. I figured he and John Kasich would stay in to prevent Trump from reaching the magic number. But that all goes out the window now...

So, now we have to start thinking about what comes next. Trump will have to inevitably pick a running mate. It's hard to imagine who what accept this role considering the people that Trump has pissed off along the way. Disagreeing on policy is one thing, but some of the insults that were routinely hurled during the campaign are hard to overlook. For instance, I can't imagine "Little Hands" Rubio or "Lyin' Ted" or "Jeb the Momma's boy" agreeing to ride on Trump's coat tails. 

The most talked about two VP candidates for Trump right now are Ben Carson or Chris Christie. Trump has managed to remain cordial to both of these guys, even when they were opposing candidates. Carson is respected by almost everyone. However, he has publicly said that he wouldn't really be interesting in running as Trump's VP. Christie, on the other hand, might be a little more obtainable. The New Jersey governor has been by Trump's side since announcing his endorsement for him back in February. And while some view Christie as a liberal Republican, he could possibly attract some of that coveted crossover support. 

Another option would be to choose a female running mate. Yeah, yeah, I know we should be picking people based on gender or ethnicity, but politics doesn't work like that. In addition to saying the things that people want o hear, elections also boil down to appealing to certain voter blocs. And Trump could probably stand to score a few points with women voters. A female running mate night help soften Trump's image to some degree. But I'm not quite sure who would be available. Sarah Palin has overstayed her welcome in the political arena, becoming more of a caricature than a legitimate spokesperson for the GOP. So, although she supports Trump, I think bringing her along would be a total disaster. Another name that I've heard mentioned is Meg Whitman. The former Ebay and current HP CEO would certainly make an attractive fit for a business mogul like Trump. But would she really want all of the inevitable chaos that would come with the task?

Some of the other possible VP's that I've heard are Newt Gingrich, Allen West and Condoleeza Rice. I have always liked Allen West and wished that he would someday run for President. So, Trump could do himself quite a favor by choosing a guy like that for VP.

As the campaign continues, another uncertainty is whether or not the majority of Republicans will get behind Trump. Some prominent members of the GOP has already voiced that they will not support Trump. For instance, the Bush's (Jeb, George W, and George H.W.) said that that will not support or vote for Trump. If this trickles down to the Republican constituency, it would all but guarantee a victory for Hillary Clinton in November. After sitting out the last presidential election, will they really open the White House door for another ultra-liberal Democrat?

The Republican party is at a real crossroads right now. When a contested convention was a possibility, things would certainly gotten a little dicey. But now that Trump is definitely going to be the nominee, the Republicans have some serious thinking to do. If they sit this one out and make Hillary our 45th President, I think it will set off a mutiny within the GOP. As a gesture of frustrated protest, I would expect to see many Republicans jump ship and register as Independent or 3rd Party.

As I've said before, the Republicans only have themselves to blame for all of this. Many have complained about candidates that were too politically correct and that were afraid to take the gloves off. And then here comes Trump with unfiltered abandon. While he might not be the candidate that everyone had hoped for, he is the last man standing out of a field of seventeen. With that being said, maybe if the Republicans wouldn't have flooded the initial campaign with so many candidates, another more "acceptable" choice may have risen to the top. So, in my opinion, there were many mistakes along the way. But if they decide to sit out the general election, the biggest mistake may be left to come....

kw

South Carolina's GOP Debate

Last night's Republican debate was a slightly modified version of what we've seen in the past. The ninth GOP debate, which took place in South Carolina, pitted the usual suspects against one another for several rounds of political jabbing.

The familiar bickering between Jeb Bush and Donald Trump seemed to escalate to the next level. Trump took several shots at Bush for his shortcomings as Governor of Florida. This is something that you ight expect from a rival candidate. However, Trump also criticized other Bush family members. He pointed out that the Twin Towers came down under George W. Bush's watch. And another time, he essentially insulted Jeb's manhood by saying that his mother, Barbara Bush, should be running for President. 

Trump also sparred with Ted Cruz. At one point, he accused Cruz of spreading false rumors in South Carolina and he followed up by calling Cruz a nasty guy. And when Cruz called out Trump for his positions on abortion, Trump abruptly responded in true Trump fashion by saying, "You're the single biggest liar. You're probably worse than Jeb Bush!"

Ouch!

Cruz fired back by saying that Trump, if elected President, would appoint liberals to the Supreme Court. This, of course, was initiated due to the recent death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

The subject of judicial appointments was thoroughly discussed in last night's debate. The death of Scalia will definitely create more political turmoil as we get closer to the end of Obama's second term. The loss of the most conservative member of the Supreme Court is a heavy blow to the Republicans. The Court is now divided evenly between liberals and conservatives (assuming that you consider John Roberts a conservative). So, with the expected appointment of another liberal by President Obama, the scales of justice could easily tip to the left. It will be interesting to see exactly how extreme Obama will go on this one. The Republicans will fight tooth and nail during during the election process to delay the appointment to after the election. Should Hillary or Bernie win in November, it will likely be a moot point. But hold onto your hats, this one's gonna get a little crazy.

Declaring a winner form last night is kind of tough. Although Trump made some good points, his abrasiveness continues to be a concern, especially in a southern state like South Carolina. At times, John Kasich and Ben Carson pointed out that the bickering, in-fighting and negative campaigning were only doing unnecessary damage to the GOP. While it might be true, it's the political world in which we now live.

With South Carolina's election in less than a week, the polls currently show Trump and Cruz taking the top spots while Rubio trials in third. With a lot of evangelical votes in play down South, I wouldn't be surprised to see either Cruz or Rubio take South Carolina. Ben Carson might get a fair share of the vote, but he lacks the fire power needed in today's dirty political arena. 

Say what you will about the GOP campaign but it's never boring.....

kw