What does the establishment need to do?

[SillyAmerican]

The problem with voters this cycle is that they're sick and tired of "establishment" candidates. If you're looking for a solution from within the establishment, I'd say they need to get Bush and Kasich to drop out immediately, and let Christie and Rubio know that within a couple days of Feb 1, one of them will need to drop out and endorse the other (depending on the results that come in from Iowa/New Hampshire). But honestly, even having a single establishment candidate may not be enough to derail Trump, and the GOP definitely needs the disenfranchised block.

The real question is whether or not a candidate (or ticket) can garner votes from more than one of the blocks within the GOP - disenfranchised, establishment, evangelical. That's the $64M question. So I think members of the establishment have to resign themselves to the fact that they are not being looked on kindly this time around (and in my opinion, for good reason...).

[SillyAmerican]

We also haven't gone through the horrifying spectacle of a Trump-run GOP convention or witnessed Hillary wipe the floor with Trump in the presidential debates.

I think you're giving Clinton way too much credit, and Trump way too little. I would not be so quick to discount the opposition, and believe a debate between Trump and Clinton would be very interesting.

[SillyAmerican]

This answer is very simple: unite.  The problem is no one is anymore appealing than any other establishment candidate (Bush, Christie, Kasich, Rubio, etc.).  I personally think Christie would be the best, but that's my very subjective opinion.  If there were just one establishment candidate, this would be a different race.

I'm not so sure. Yes, uniting would be good. But the key to a win for the Republican ticket, whatever that looks like, is to gain broad support within the party, which is now fractured along three blocks: disenfranchised, establishment, and evangelicals. If one candidate or ticket could pull support from all three blocks, they'd have a chance. But name me a candidate or ticket with the possibility of doing that. Christie or Rubio might be able to hold onto some of the disenfranchised vote, but I'm not sure. Trump has serious problems with the establishment and evangelicals. Cruz has serious troubles with the disenfranchised and establishment. How would having a single establishment candidate make a difference whatsoever?