Oh just a few short years ago it seemed like such a great idea. Take a guy with vast resources. Combine that with his hatred for our President. Add a helping of “stay out of the way’ and you the perfect attack dog.
That attack dog is named Donald Trump, and who better for the job? The guy has never met a camera he didn’t like. He says exactly what he wants and refuses to back down. The RNC had developed the perfect tool in Trump to keep the Tea Party base riled up, through their birther conspiracies and could always say “hey, he’s just a guy”. But then their worst fear happened. Like Trump’s hair, he didn’t stop. He instead decided he could also see problems within his own party and decided that he was the man to lead the country. And following a week of some of the most vicious attacks on his fellow Republicans yet, now the RNC is trying to regain control of their monster.
The head of the Republican National Committee, responding to demands from increasingly worried party leaders, spent nearly an hour Wednesday on the phone with Donald Trump, urging the presidential candidate to tone down his inflammatory comments about immigration that have infuriated a key election constituency.
The call from Chairman Reince Priebus, described by donors and consultants briefed on the conversation and confirmed by the RNC, underscores the extent to which Trump has gone from an embarrassment to a cause for serious alarm among top Republicans in Washington and nationwide.
But there is little they can do about the mogul and reality-television star, who draws sustenance from controversy and attention. And some fear that, with assistance from Democrats, Trump could become the face of the GOP.
The fact that they are making this call public speaks volumes to the concern the party leadership must have over Trump, especially after his NBC interview yesterday. Add to that Trump’s rapid rise in the Republican Primary polls and the RNC is fearing huge defeat come next year.
So what can the RNC actually do? Well, nothing. They are dealing with a candidate worth billions. And with those huge piles of cash comes a huge pile of attitude with no humility. So constant pushes to get Trump to “tone it down” aren’t going to do a thing, especially when the polls are rewarding him for it.
At this point in the story the RNC is Dr. Frankenstein and their monster is on a rampage, unwilling to succumb to their masters wishes.
And pushing the issue with Trump will only make it worse. Trump doesn’t answer to anyone. His unlimited money means he needs no support from the party. If his numbers rise in the next round of polling, then he has every motivation in the world to amp it up even more and go after the Republican Party as a whole, especially after Preibus’ attempt to silence him.
So grab some popcorn, sit back and enjoy as we watch a horror movie about the Republican Party that is their own creation. This is going to be a lot of fun!