The establishment has declared war on Trump, after coming to terms that he actually could win the nomination. No word yet how Democrats feel about this declaration.
Imagine the race on the Republican side is frozen in the polls from now until January with Donald Trump on top and Ben Carson a close second. Down the list is the establishment favorites including Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, unable to gain any traction or land serious punches against the frontrunners. That is the very scenario which several conservative and Republican-aligned political groups are planning for should the need arise. The crux of such a plan would include wall-to-wall negative advertising against Trump in the early primary states.
More: 2016 Election Central
“The Republican establishment, for the first time, is saying, off the record, this guy can win,” noted Joe Scarborough on MSNBC Monday morning. “I’ve heard that from everybody. I don’t hear anybody saying he can’t win the nomination anymore.” …/
Which could lead to an extraordinary scenario in which GOP stalwarts go to war to destroy their own party’s likely nominee.
That’s right, take Joe Scarborough’s word for Republican establishment.
Prepare for the 10,000 points of light offensive, to co-opt a GHW Bush phrase:
“I don’t think Trump can withstand 10,000 points of smart negative in Iowa and New Hampshire,” says one veteran Republican strategist who is not affiliated with any campaign. “It would force him to spend money. That’s when this starts to get real for him.” (“Points” refers to gross ratings points, a way of measuring TV ad buys; 10,000 points would be a really big buy, meaning the average viewer would see an anti-Trump ad many, many times.)
says [Club for Growth] McIntosh. “There are a large number of donors and political activists who want to do it.”
So someone has to do the dirty work. And someone has been planning — and no doubt creating — ads for their eventual onslaught. Translation, this could get real ugly, real fast. But ugly for the most part on the establishment side.
Indeed, other sources inside the RNC say chairman Reince Priebus has stressed to staff that they must stay out of candidate fights.
More: Washington Examiner
So then, let the bombardment begin. Well, since I wrote my main objection to Trump here before, it is now a moving target. On one hand there is Trump, on the other there is the establishment status quo. (the guys who blew almost every opportunity over ten years.) All bets are off. Want to consolidate Trump support?
Now if/when that onslaught starts, like others, I’ll oppose establishment RNC elites, which surely they must have factored into their calculated battle plans. This means that all their negative ads they run just could cause more negative scrutiny of the establishment.
Funny how these guys weren’t prepared to go to battle over the debt or over Planned Parenthood funding, or the Iran nuclear festival. But dammit they must take a no-holds-barred stand against Trump. Now he’s just a bridge too far. It’s almost comical.
However, when they force the criticism toward the estabo elitists, well it will only help Trump. So if that is the case, score one for the Donald once again. I guess that will make me a de facto defender of Trump. Cheers GOP. Watch your own Party torpedo itself.
(I don’t think you declare war without really going to war…but that’s just MHO)
Right Ring 
Bull, the elites would rather see Hitlary president than Trump. Hitlary isn’t going to disturb their sloth truck. Could it be any clearer all those rat bastards care about is getting someone (commie or repuke) that will continue the DC member gravy train? I don’t see how.
Trump has a shit load of money and I guess it will come down to (in part) how much of his own cash he is willing to spend to offset the elite gestapo coming after him. Of course a big part will be Trump’s ability to attract more support from others as they drop out.
His current base is secure. Now can he secure folks that right now are supporting other candidates or are undecided?
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Dave, good analysis. Reminds me of O’Reilly’s interview. He actually ask Trump, “what is your plan to get people to like you more?” LOL What a question, uh? DT said the more they get to know me the more they like me. (typical Trump — answer was better than the question) But forget why we aren’t liking the establishment.
What’s the estabo doing to get people to like them, they aren’t. But these idiots really underestimate how pissed off we are, or the anti-establishment sentiment. So will they underestimate the Hill-raker? Certainly.
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But will the how pissed off we are out vote the how much more will you gimme?
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Good question, have plenty doubts. Is that where Solomon splits the baby?
Maybe rename it the Gimme Party. (registration would explode.)
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And what if there had been some place to sell the split parts back then? Issues we got to deal with in now times, what’s different now in the mind of mankind? Not readers here of course.
I always wanted a GMC Jimmie, so maybe I’d join the Gimme Party for one. Nope. 🙂
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Actually thinking back it was a International Harvester Scout I wanted. It could pull eye teeth. That was many years ago when made in America for real.
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[…] War on Trump — spoiler alert […]
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Bull, I’ve been reading about this and I think an onslaught of negative ads will just piss the people who support Trump, off.
You probably also read Garnet’s article about Trump not sticking with things, but so far I don’t see him trying to get out of this.
OK, GOPe go to war with Trump and you go to war with us, the people who are fed the hell up with the wimpy ass candidates you try to shove down our throats every election cycle. Hillary will win and there will be those who say, “no problem, we’ll just vote her out in 4 yrs”. Well how well did that work for you jerks who stayed home?
Like Obama she’ll be in for 8 years. Nobody will try to impeach her for any lawless acts she tries to commit, and by then the country will be Argentina or Cuba.
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