Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Anti- Trump Republicans Call for a Third Party Option
A small group of conservative leaders are calling for a third party option if Trump wins the Republican nomination. While Trump has gained momentous support, he has also alienated a large portion of the Republican Party. His failure to condemn white supremacist David Duke served as the tipping point for many. Foreign policy advisor to Marco Rubio, Max Boot, has said he would sooner vote for Hillary Clinton than he would for Trump. Some Republicans hope that an existing minority party such as the Libertarian Party or the Constitution Party will be able to nominate a candidate that could compete with Trump. Given the history of third party candidates, do you think there is any chance that one would be able to win the presidential election in 2016? Do you think the consequences of a Trump nomination could signal an end to the modern day republican Party?
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If Trump wins the Republican nomination, and a minority party nominates a Republican candidate considered more "electable" than Trump to run against him, I don't think that the third party candidate has a chance of winning the election. Trump might be able to win, but it's pretty unlikely. However, if Trump doesn't win the Republican nomination, and decides to run as an independent, I don't think either candidate (Trump or the Republican nominee) has a chance of winning. The Republican Party will split its votes between the two, and whoever the Democratic nominee is will win. In either scenario, the Republican Pary is internally divided, and I don't think it will be able to recover.
ReplyDeleteEither way Trump will destroy the Republican party by splitting its votes. His head is too inflated to drop out of the race so with the increasing pressure from the scrutiny of the GOP, I think it's likely Trump fancies himself as a third party candidate. I don't think any third party has a chance given the history of third party candidates. Trump's whole campaign has revealed the weakness of the GOP as a whole. I think the party would do itself a favor by fully condemning Trump; while the party may lose Trump supporters, it can still attempt to maintain some shred of influence/control.
ReplyDeleteNo third party candidates have ever won a presidential election, and it is very unlikely that one ever will. The reason behind this is that Americans view the political party as a two-party system, and that any defectors from the two mainstream parties do not matter, as they are extensions of the mainstream parties. Considering the vast anti-Trump viewpoint among Republicans, a Trump nominations would drastically change the base and M.O. Of the GOP. Should Trump be nominated, the best option for the GOP would be to clean house and start over.
ReplyDeleteTrump would drawl a lot of votes, even as an independent, but I do not think it would be enough. I do not think a Trump nomination would end the Republican Party, but I would have a major impact. Like Merry said, it would be beneficial for the GOP to denounce Trump.
ReplyDeleteTrump has enough support to split the Republican party in the case of a third party candidate. Both Trump and the third party would likely lose the election. However, I believe the Republican party will not recover from a Trump presidency anyway, so they may as well try to defeat him to save their party, even if it means a Democrat in the white house. The party may be able sweep this year under the rug if he loses, although the anti-establishment sentiment is likely already too strong in the voter base for the party to go back to how it was in 2008, or even 2012.
ReplyDeleteThe other day on the news, I was listening to Republican National Committee leader Priebus being interviewed about this same question, whether the GOP will endorse a third party candidate. What he responded is what I agree with- it's too late for it to work. I think if (when) Trump gets the GOP nominee and a third party candidate is supported, the Republican vote will be split. At this point, my thought is that it's almost inevitable the Democratic nominee will get the Presidency. Even if there isn't a third candidate, I think Trump has rattled so much for the GOP that half of the party will vote for Hillary (assuming she gets the nominee), or not at all. Either way, this is a mess for the Republican Party.
ReplyDeleteI think the history of our country has explained pretty clearly that third party candidates have little chance of winning, and most times simply disrupt the chances of one of the main parties winning that election. I don't think anything different would occur in this case. If Trump were to win the candidacy, then a third party would only divide the Republican party's voters, losing them the election easily. Even if Trump were to win the nomination, I don't think there would be any kind of end brought to the modern Republican party simply because there have been no major social or economic changes that would trigger them to do so. Also, the ideology of congressional members would not change simply because of a new president.
ReplyDeleteI think the only way a third party candidate can win is if it is Trump and even then I believe that is a very slim chance. A third party would be nice for republicans so that can say they voted for someone other then Clinton or Trump, but really it is just ensuring the Clinton presidency. Even if there are two candidates, Clinton and Trump, polling suggests she will crush him. His sexist remarks and now racist gestures aren't sitting well with key demographics that Clinton is doing much better in.
ReplyDeleteI think the only way a third party candidate can win is if it is Trump and even then I believe that is a very slim chance. A third party would be nice for republicans so that can say they voted for someone other then Clinton or Trump, but really it is just ensuring the Clinton presidency. Even if there are two candidates, Clinton and Trump, polling suggests she will crush him. His sexist remarks and now racist gestures aren't sitting well with key demographics that Clinton is doing much better in.
ReplyDelete