Say Donald Trump does call it quits.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

Which I still believe is unlikely but certainly still plausible.

The GOP replaces him with some bland establishment type. Kasich, Jeb, Romney, someone along those lines. Maybe Pence.

The question is, has Trump left such a residual stink that it casts a shadow over the new candidate?

Arguably, Watergate was still casting a long pall in 1976 even though Nixon had resigned, and it worked to our benefit. Would it be the same here?

[HERVEPA]

1. Kasich is not bland establishment. He is scary right wing

[Tommy_Carcetti]

2. He's viewed as bland establishment, even if he's considered right wing.

Same goes for anyone else on the list. Establishment doesn't necessarily mean centrist, it simply means someone who gets along with the party and powers that be.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Watergate was a sitting president who was impeached. Trump...

is an accident. I suspect if he quits there will be a huge sigh of relief and Hillary will be in for the fight of her life no matter who takes over.

We can't get a large portion of Dems to support Hillary-- how would we get any Republicans or independents without Trump?

[wiggs]

4. They would certainly ask Ryan. Why was Ryan producing glossy commericials as

Speaker....like a WH candidate would do? Why is he on TV almost as much as Trump? Why such a show of the Pence endorsement?

Why is Trump intentionally not really running a campaign, except the type of campaign designed to fail?

In answer to your question, yes Trump leaves a stink on the GOP but not enough because we're so fixated on Trump we forget the party that spawned him and the equally irresponsible, extreme RW pundits and crazy officials that really do the same thing as Trump, just more with more careful wording. And Ryan is really trying to be an adult in the media and IMO is not joined at the hip with Trump, as is Pence.

[underthematrix]

5. White nationalists will riot and

become even more dangerous. But with that said, it is better for TRUMP to drop out now because after raising the possibility that his loss means the election was rigged will mean civil war and invasion.

I think Pence will go to the top of the ticket and of course he'll lose but it will not be greeted with outrage just your regular amount of outrage.