GOP Mainstream Cannot Overcome ‘The Trump Factor’
Donald Trump’s presence at the 1st Republican presidential debate will be a big headache for the other candidates.
The 1st GOP debate is scheduled for 6 August on Fox News, it will include the Top 10 candidates in an average of the national polls, and with Mr. Trump leading in several national polls, he will be there in full force.
“Trump’s presence at center stage … is likely to transform the 1st Republican debate into a major media event,” Instead of being “the traditionally policy-focused event,” it will likely be “a pageant of personality, which is a potential nightmare for other candidates,” one analyst opines.
“I think you have to assume he will be aggressive and on the offense,” former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said. “Trump is very smart, he has lots of TV experience and is uninhibited.”
Campaign aides to the other GOP presidential candidates who will be on that stage “are wrestling with the Trump Factor” and trying to figure out the best way to handle him on the debate stage.
“He might be the only person on that stage with nothing to lose,” a senior GOP campaign adviser said. And he has more stage presence than all of the others put together, plus a huge brand, and his own money. He is beholding to no one.
The other candidates are going to be working hard to make sure that they are not just a sideshow to the Donald Trump Show. Do not expect any of them to trump Mr. Trump.
The GOP candidate who has the most to lose is former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who has been a target of Mr. Trump’s since the billionaire businessman announced his White House bid.
How Mr. Bush reacts to Mr. Trump could end up determining his fate as a candidate. Many other candidates want Mr. Bush to faltered.
Thursday morning Mr. Bush announced that he is not taking Mr. Trump as a serious contender for the GOP nomination.
Mr. Gingrich’s advice for the Republican candidates is to “avoid anger, because I don’t think anybody on that stage can out-anger Mr. Trump. His natural style is aggressive. It’s not like he has to become aggressive. He wakes up aggressive.”
“Candidates ought to focus on communicating with the American people, not focusing on Donald Trump,” he said. “The candidates who do the best will be the candidates who talk most directly to the American people, rather than getting sucked into fighting with Donald Trump.”
But, Mr. Trump does speak directly to the American voters, he does not mince his words, and the voters like him a lot because of it.
Trumpeting for Trump.
Paul Ebeling
HeffX-LTN
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