Mega-donors shy away from fight with Trump
Source: Politico
As Donald Trump picks up momentum, the chances of a well-funded assault to block him from the Republican presidential nomination are dramatically dwindling, according to interviews with about a dozen donors and operatives who are appalled by the billionaire real estate showman's campaign.
The partys elite donor class has mostly closed its checkbooks to groups dedicated to stopping Trump, while the outfits that have built massive reserves are increasingly deciding to forgo anti-Trump campaigns, despite widespread fears that he is making a mockery of conservatism and could undermine Republicans up and down the ballot.
The deepest-pocketed operation on the right, the network helmed by the billionaires Charles and David Koch, had seriously debated launching an aggressive assault on Trump, but sources familiar with the network's planning tell POLITICO thats now highly unlikely. And the Karl Rove-conceived Crossroads outfits also are sitting out the partys bitter primary, instead spending their cash attacking Democrats.
Republican operatives have told major donors it would require an eight-figure advertising campaign or campaigns to make any kind of dent in Trumps surprisingly durable popularity. While many of the donors have privately voiced support for the cause, most have begged off writing big checks.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/donald-trump-megadonors-219690#ixzz415NDtBrA
AxionExcel
(755 posts)mdbl
(4,973 posts)two skunks can't outsmell each other
Blasphemer
(3,261 posts)I doubt they want to waste another 100 million on a fruitless enterprise. Most likely, they see the writing on the wall. Their chance of winning the Presidency is pretty low anyway - it makes more sense to spend money on Congressional and state races and try to hold onto power that way.
Dustlawyer
(10,495 posts)They would all represent the Establishment interest!
happyslug
(14,779 posts)The most enthusiastic supporters of Trump, when ask they second choice, it tends to be Sanders (And to a degree the opposite is also true). The reason for this is you have a solid group of mostly white males from Working Class (People making around Medium Income of about $50,000 a Year) who see radical change is needed for them to maintain their standard of living. This same group has seen their income drop since Reagan, and have increased they debt level to maintain the same standard of living at lower income, but can no longer borrow money (i.e. they are maxed out). Thus NOT to see a drop in their standard of living, they will support ANYONE who offers a solution to that situation. Right now that is Trump and Sanders. Trump is offering radical right wing solutions to this problem of these Middle Class Whites and protect those parts of the Social Safety net that these men are relying on (Trump is the only GOP Candidate who supports Medicare and Social Security for example, the rest want to "Privatize" both)_
This is the monster the GOP right wing is facing, a right winger who supports Social Security (Which the big money on the right want to privatize) whose main source of votes, will vote for Sanders if Trump is NOT on the ballot. The reason for this is Sanders also supports those same Social Programs that the white Working class rely on (something those same white working class men question when it comes to Hillary). If Trump is defeated early, many of his voters will switch to Sanders, giving even more votes for Sanders in critical primary states where voters can switch parties at the polls.
The right KNOWS the above and does NOT know had to address it. Trump is right wing on all the Social Issues that the GOP has claimed for over 50 years, but is left wing on the social safety net, something the right wing MONEY groups have opposed and undercut the last 50 years but dare NOT come out and say they want them abolished. Trump is a big month Eisenhower Republican, to only be tolerated by the right wing economic republicans to get votes for other Republicans (who oppose Social Programs) but NOT to take Control of the GOP itself and get his program through.
A secondary factor is Trump is a big month, but is known to make deals as oppose to fighting opposition to the death. i.e Trump will work with Democrats to get thing passed even if that means rejecting the economic right wingers of the GOP.
The voters seem to sense this and thus support Trump, and many of those same voters is Trump is NOT on the Ballot, will vote for Sanders, for Sanders, like Trump, supports the safety net, something the working class white males depend on and they do NOT trust the other candidates to protect. The Economic Right Wingers would prefer Cruz vs Hilary, for both have in the past supported "Reforms" of Social Security including privatization. In such an election, the working class will have to pick someone who has in the past done acts that undermined the social safety net, a choose the economic right wingers want Americans to have. The Economic Right wingers do NOT want anyone on the ballot from the Major Parties that support Social Security reforms that leads to increase taxes on the rich.
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,007 posts)TexasMommaWithAHat
(3,212 posts)I read that a Trump supporter said that, which, of course, would be why some of those same Trump enthusiasts could support Sanders.
I think those of us who support Sanders completely understand that sentiment, even if we have actual sound reasons for supporting Sanders and his policies.
Android3.14
(5,402 posts)The DNC/DLC are seriously underestimating the anti-establishment surge in the populace. The corporate elite are pulling back their anti-Trump money because they know he won't really hurt their exploitation of the 99%, so it doesn't matter if he is "a mockery of conservatism and could undermine Republicans up and down the ballot".
Bernie is an honest man fighting for progressive change with a huge amount of carryover with independents. With her negatives, and impression of vulnerability and dishonesty, Clinton is damaged goods and will lose the election.
Game theory tells us that a vote for Hillary in the primary is probably a vote for Trump in the general election.
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,182 posts)Trump has boasted about how the Kochs like to play golf at Mar a Lago.
People are confusing Trump's lack of need of big donor support as a rejection of their interests, when all it really means is that he's already in the club. He doesn't have to pay to play. He's there already.
TeamPooka
(24,229 posts)Babel_17
(5,400 posts)Throw a few bucks to Kasich, he gets mileage out of his dough, and prop up Carson with money and advisers. They need to deny Trump a majority of delegates, then they can maybe win a brokered convention.
They need as large a turnout as possible for candidates other than Trump. Grab a war hero, look for a Republican astronaut, and have him/her pull in voters who are otherwise likely to stay away.
A woman war hero/astronaut, a female John Glenn who hunts when she's not in church or raising her kids, is too much too hope for, but if they don't refresh their field, with the assets they have available, it's over.
And a President Trump will be a conceivable possibility.
Xolodno
(6,395 posts)...then a couple of other problems arise:
1. There are mega-donors out there willing to support Trump and can fight fire with fire.
2. If Trump runs indie, anyone they support is dead anyway.
So why bother and take it on the chin.