On Saturday night in South Carolina, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump appeared to cement his status as the party’s frontrunner – and, perhaps more importantly, his dream of becoming its nominee. And then, a notable domino came crashing down. After Trump landed a decisive win in the state’s primary, Jeb Bush, the GOP’s presumed establishment candidate, dropped out after finishing in fourth place. In an instant the Bush political dynasty was history, and a long chapter in American politics closed. How? How could a campaign bankrolled by $150 million with such name recognition fail? How could a billionaire businessman who has never held elected office, whose campaign depends on Twitter, personal insults, public anger and charisma have unseated such a powerful family? Pundits and experts alike point to many factors and missteps by Jeb – among them, underestimating Trump’s appeal. Ultimately, what the outcome seems to say is that the rules of the game to the White House have changed.
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Jeb, Trump and the New Republican Playbook
After Trump
To what extent is Trump a one-off, and to what extent does he represent a constituency that will remain relatively coherent for at least the next couple of election cycles?
Fearing Trump, Republican Power Brokers Turn to Rubio
The Republican presidential nominating contest turns to South Carolina, where polls show Donald Trump holding onto to his frontrunner status over Senator Ted Cruz, who prognosticators say will most likely come in second place. Neither candidate is very appealing to the party establishment’s money machine. Most were counting on Jeb Bush, whose lackluster campaign and poor showing in both the Iowa and New Hampshire contests has put his bid in peril.
Traditional Republican donors have been both stunned and panicked by the steady rise of Trump, whose insults to women, Latinos and pretty much every other voting bloc have only seemed to increase his popularity. Cruz has support from Tea Party conservatives, but has made enemies in Congress and elsewhere in the mainstream. Florida Senator Marco Rubio is projected to finish third in South Carolina, and very likely with the backing of the Republican establishment.