Megyn Kelly’s question, “Are you too extreme?” gave Walker the opportunity to reveal a more nuanced, thoughtful, compassionate side. Such a self-revelation might have inspired party leaders to think, “Here’s our best back-up plan if Jeb Bush fizzles.” They now have to worry whether Walker might actually be a less-articulate and self-disciplined version of Ted Cruz.
.. Extremely disquieting: Doesn’t a Jeb Bush nomination inevitably reframe the 2016 election as a referendum on George W. Bush’s legacy, Iraq and all? (I should mention: I worked as a speechwriter in the administration of Jeb Bush’s brother; my wife has donated to Walker’s SuperPAC.)
G.O.P. Candidates and Obama’s Failure to Fail
And there was a good reason they seemed so tongue-tied: Out there in the real world, none of the disasters their party predicted have actually come to pass. President Obama just keeps failing to fail. And that’s a big problem for the G.O.P. — even bigger than Donald Trump.
From Trump on Down, the Republicans Can’t Be Serious
Or to put it another way, modern Republican politicians can’t be serious — not if they want to win primaries and have any future within the party. Crank economics, crank science, crank foreign policy are all necessary parts of a candidate’s resume.
Until now, however, leading Republicans have generally tried to preserve a facade of respectability, helping the news media to maintain the pretense that it was dealing with a normal political party. What distinguishes Mr. Trump is not so much his positions as it is his lack of interest in maintaining appearances. And it turns out that the party’s base, which demands extremist positions, also prefers those positions delivered straight. Why is anyone surprised?
GOP’s problem isn’t Donald Trump; it’s the voters
Trump might be a deeply clownish figure, immune to facts, evidence, and good taste — but he’s not stupid. He clearly understands, as many members of the Republican Party did before bashing immigrants became a political liability, the way to the heart of a rank-and-file Republican voter.
This, in a nutshell, is the dilemma that risks turning the GOP into a rump political party. Their base of voters is overwhelmingly white and old, cultivated by two generations of Republican officeholders who played on their resentments and fears. Now the GOP is paying the price.
.. Republicans don’t have a Trump problem; they have a Republican voter problem.