Donald Trump may be leading in the latest polls, but officials with the Republican National Committee (RNC) are increasingly nervous about what will happen to the GOP should Trump actually be the 2016 nominee.
Holland Redfield, an RNC committeeman who represents the Virgin Islands, recently spoke at a closed-door breakfast meeting and said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus needs to stand up to Trump:
“You can argue with me, but we’re almost terrorized as members of our party. ‘Shut up, toe the line, embrace each other, and let’s go forward’ — I understand that, but there is a limit to loyalty. I am loyal to this party by speaking out on these very issues.”
Redfield also accused Trump of holding the GOP hostage, noting:
“As a party we owe it to ourselves to speak up, and not let the tail wag the dog, and not let someone say, all of a sudden, ‘If you don’t play my game, then I’m running as an independent.'”
The RNC member also complained that Trump is causing permanent and irreversible harm to the Republican party:
“You always hear the argument, ‘Well, this is what people are thinking,’ so if this is what people are thinking in this party, as far as I’m concerned — we’re going in the wrong direction.”
Since Mr. Redfield failed to mention the real underlying causes for the rise of Donald Trump, allow me to fill in the blanks he left open: Donald Trump is the logical and inevitable conclusion for a party that has been moving to the extreme right year by year. Trump is merely willing to say the hateful, ugly things that the base of the GOP fervently believes deep in their hearts. These include racism, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia, and a penchant for scapegoating others for whatever perceived problems there may be in the country.
But unlike Dr. Frankenstein, who admitted his role in creating a monster, most Republicans are shocked (shocked!) that such a loathesome creation has sprung forth from the depths of the sewer they spawned decades ago.
Here’s my message for the GOP top brass: Wanna know why Trump is as powerful as he is? Go take a look in the mirror.
Here’s Holland Redfield On Trump
Featured Image by Flickr available under a Creative Commons license.
