From Margaret Hartman writing at New York Magazine:
When Donald Trump announced last month that he’s actually running for president this time around, his campaign mainly seemed like a lovely going-away present for Jon Stewart. But with Trump placing second in recent polls even as he doubled down on his inflammatory remarks about Mexican immigrants, shedding business partners along the way, the self-proclaimed billionaire has gone from a late-night punch line to … well, a late-night punch line that could seriously tarnish the Republican brand. “He’s already done some damage, and it could be substantial going forward. He could be one of the reasons we lose. It’s that serious,” an anonymous GOP state party chairman told the Washington Post. “There’s nothing we can do about it, and that’s what’s so scary.”
It does seem feasible that Donald Trump could single-handedly undo the GOP’s effort to demonstrate that it’s not the party of nutty, out-of-touch rich guys (though that doesn’t say much for their years-long rebranding effort). However, rather than resigning themselves to a Trump-dominated 2016 race, some in the party are looking for ways to counteract his outsize personality and even use it to their advantage. Here are some possible strategies emerging in the push to keep the election from turning intoCelebrity Apprentice: Republican Nomination Edition.
Just Ask Trump to Stop
On Wednesday Trump had a lengthy phone chat with Reince Priebus in which the Republican National Committee chairman respectfully asked that Trump stop calling undocumented Mexicans rapists and murderers, and generally quit saying insane things about immigration. According to the Post the call was made at the behest of angry GOP donors, who were then “briefed on the conversation” — apparently in considerable detail.
Read the rest of the story at New York Magazine.
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