S.E. Cupp: Trump Leads Modern ‘Know Nothing’ Movement from ‘Middle Ages’; Surrogates are ‘Goons’

From S.E. Cupp writing at Townhall:

No third-party candidate has ever won the presidency, but some have been disruptive enough to cause considerable consternation for the other parties. Famously, in 1992, Ross Perot had the best popular vote showing as an independent, winning 18.9 percent but no electoral votes. More closely aligned with Republicans than Democrats, he is regularly blamed — or credited — with George H.W. Bush’s loss to Bill Clinton.

Another memorable election was 1856, when the Whigs disintegrated and two new parties formed to compete against the Democrats. One was the Republican Party, and the other was the anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic American Party, better known as the “Know Nothing” movement. Their candidate, Millard Fillmore, finished third to the Republicans’ John C. Fremont and the eventual winner, Democrat James Buchanan.

It’s this calculus that understandably has Republicans worried that Donald Trump, currently the Republican frontrunner, will decide to jump ship and run as an independent — or more likely, as the first candidate of the newly formed “Trump Party” (copyright pending).

If he does, he’ll most likely pull enough votes away from Republicans to ensure a Democratic victory.

That prospect may have the Republican National Committee and Republican strategists biting their nails down to the quick, but as a conservative who would very much like to see a Republican win the White House again in the future, I’m increasingly thinking this is the best thing for the party, even if it means a certain victory for Democrats.

Read the rest of the story at Townhall.