Photo source: CNN screen grab
It is my belief that Donald Trump is the least likely of the remaining Republican field to beat Hillary Clinton, but he will also be a drag on the vital down ballot races from local to federal if he becomes the standard bearer for the Republican Party.
Some, like New Jersey Governor Chris Christie who isn’t up for reelection, seems to have second thoughts about endorsing Trump. Already several of his state’s newspapers have called for his resignation.
Another case in point is in the Arizona U.S. Senate race. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is up for re-election. If he wins the Republican primary in August (which isn’t at all certain as it looks like he has a strong challenger in State Senator Kelli Ward) he will likely face Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) in the general election.
Kirkpatrick released a brutal ad called “Trump” last week:
https://youtu.be/UFa0dNY3QtU
He didn’t make an endorsement, he just said he would vote for Trump.
Imagine ads like this running against any politician who backs Trump or says they will vote for Trump.
I don’t feel bad for candidates who endorse or openly back Trump, they made their bed so now they have to lay in it, but I am concerned about collateral damage.
In reality Republican candidates don’t even have to support Trump. Democrats, I’m sure, will find ways to inject Trump into races by playing sound bytes of Trump saying outrageous things. The ads write themselves. All they have to do is ask, “does my opponent believe what Trump believes?” Candidates will constantly be on the defensive.
All we have to do is look at what Trump’s opponents already are going through. He says something outrageous and the press go to the other candidates to get their reaction. A candidate’s campaign should be about their experience, record, ideas and convictions, not the asinine things that come out of Trump’s mouth or from his Twitter account on an almost daily basis. He’s a distraction (putting it mildly).
If he is at the top of the Republican ticket he’s likely to sink it.