To GOP Racism is fine; just not for presidential frontrunner

images-3

Romney — suddenly discovers Trump’s a fraud

This is a passage from the main front page story in today’s Wall Street Journal under the headline “GOP Chief Sees Long Fight Over Trump”: 

“While Mr. Trump has a big lead in convention delegates, many party elders and strategists, alarmed over his ascent, are redoubling efforts to deny him the nomination. At the least, they are seeking to force a battle at the July convention in Cleveland.”

Under that scenario as people who follow politics know, if Trump hasn’t won the 1,237 delegates before the convention, there would be a floor vote. After the first round some pledged delegates become freed up; and should no nominee emerge in the second round most delegates are free to support any candidate — meaning, if the GOP honchos’ plans work out, Trump would be ditched.

Trump, of course, understandably, won’t just stand by. He’s already said his supporters wouldn’t react kindly. (This is a not-veiled threat by Trump that he would encourage his supporters not to support the GOP nominee if he’s muscled out).

The same Wall Street Journal article elswhere continues: “About two dozen operatives, elected officials, donors and Republican activists met in Washington last week to discuss how best to stop Mr. Trump. The group also considered the possibility of a third party bid, though a person in the meeting said the consensus was to first try to stop him at the convention. Some officials believe a third-party candidate would only clear a path for the Democrat to win by splitting the GOP vote.”

What’s remarkable isn’t that the GOP is desperate to make Donald Trump, their own party’s frontrunner disappear but the hypocrisy behind the whole effort.

Trump was a welcome member of the GOP crew, even after he declared his candidacy by procliaming that Mexican immigrants were drug dealers and rapists.

He only became a problem when he Started winning — and kept winning; and it became evident he could become the GOP nominee and cost them the White House and even some senate seats.

In denouncing Trump recently,  Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP candidate earlier this month claimed Trump was a “phoney” and a “fraud “; more importantly, and this speaks volumes, he noted that polls show Trump would lose to  Hillary Clinton.

Maybe Romney believes he could also be tapped at the convention; Ted Cruz, John Kasich, and even Paul Ryan and Marco Rubio are eyeing the prize.

No; Republican leaders don’t care that Trump is a racist — they’re just apalled that their potential nominee makes no effort to conceal his obnoxious views, which they in fact have no problem with and even share.

By uttering his views loudly — or taking his time before rejecting ex-KKK leader David Duke’s endorsement — Trump becomes toxic; Republicans, after all have to give the appearance of being tolerant. They can’t win only by the White vote alone anymore.

Racism and playing the race card has always been the GOP’s m.o. 

Where were these concerned Republicans when the Tea Party was holding rallies with posters of Obama depicted as a cannibal? Where were they when in 2009 Rep. Joe Wilson interrupted Obama’s state of the union address with “you lie”?

Where were they in 2010 when Newt Gingrich claimed Obama’s “Kenyan anti-colonial behavior” was a threat to American interests

Where were they when in April 2011, Trump said of Obama: “Why doesn’t he show his birth certificate? The fact is if he wasn’t born in this country he shouldn’t be president of the United States.”

The following year, in February 2012, Trump endorsed Romney who said he was “honored” and “pleased.”

So what’s changed since that endorsement?

Obviously Trump has become the GOP frontrunner. He’s now seen as a major obstacle to a GOP victory and control over more levers of power; and more opportunities for wealth accumulation for the 1% of the 1%.

The racism the GOP can live it.

But to not win the White House on account of Trump? Hell no. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *