Courtesy of Mish.
Waiting for a Volunteer Mouse
Recall the tale of the mouse who had a brilliant idea to tie a bell on a the cat’s tail so they would know when the cat was around? The mouse who hatched the plan called for volunteers. No one stepped up.
And so it is with the Republican party. Everyone sees the need to take on a cat named Trump, but no volunteers can be found.
Cat and Mouse Game
The New York Times phrases the cat and mouse game this way: Wary of Donald Trump, G.O.P. Leaders Are Caught in a Standoff.
For months, much of the Republican Party’s establishment has been uneasy about the rise of Donald J. Trump, concerned that he was overwhelming the presidential primary contest and encouraging other candidates to mimic his incendiary speech. Now, though, irritation is giving way to panic as it becomes increasingly plausible that Mr. Trump could be the party’s standard-bearer and imperil the careers of other Republicans.
From Our AdvertisersMany leading Republican officials, strategists and donors now say they fear that Mr. Trump’s nomination would lead to an electoral wipeout, a sweeping defeat that could undo some of the gains Republicans have made in recent congressional, state and local elections. But in a party that lacks a true leader or anything in the way of consensus — and with the combative Mr. Trump certain to scorch anyone who takes him on — a fierce dispute has arisen about what can be done to stop his candidacy and whether anyone should even try.
That has led to a standoff of sorts: Almost everyone in the party’s upper echelons agrees something must be done, and almost no one is willing to do it.
“You have to deal with Trump berating you every day of the week,” explained a strategist briefed on the thinking of both groups [hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer and another led by the industrialists Charles G. and David H. Koch].
“I think it would play into his hands and only validate him,” said Senator Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee. “A ‘Stop Trump’ effort wouldn’t work, and it might help him.”
Triumph of Trumpism
Financial Times writer Edwards Luce proclaims Trumpism has Triumphed, Whoever Wins the Republican Nomination.
Sinclair Lewis, the American novelist, is supposed to have said: “When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross”. It has long been easy — far too easy — to write off Donald Trump as a self-promoting celebrity with little chance of winning the White House. His chances remain low (Nate Silver, the guru of election data, puts them at 10 per cent, which is nevertheless five times more than when he started). But our lens is still too rosy. Whether Mr Trump defies the odds, or eventually fizzles out, is beside the point. The outrageousness of his success has paved the way for others to try. Mr Trump’s invective has disrupted the character of US politics. It will be hard to change….
