Do you believe internally, the GOP leadership knows the party is screwed?

[sg0508]

Obviously, they've done well in some mid-terms and we know that wave elections, one way or the other do happen.  However, there is the obvious national crisis for the party, similar to the Democrats' problem back in the 70s and throughout the 80s. 

This time though, the '12 cycle brought out the true Demographic problem that Republicans have.  So far this cycle, the Republicans have done little else but makes asses of themselves in every debate with the screaming, yelling, insults and non-stop baffoonery.  Even my dad, who plans to likely vote for Trump this fall (if he's the nominee) is embarrassed.

Considering that Trump is probably the guy at this point, and that Cruz isn't doing his party any favors in terms of bringing in more minority and young support, you would figure that behind closed doors, the true Republican leadership has to believe the party is screwed not only now, but for the forseeable future.

Obviously, they'll never admit so publicly.  They can't, or everyone loses credibility.  It's like a boss who knows he/she cannot help you on your problems at work because it's beyond their control, and thus, they lie right to your face, but behind closed doors, they know the place is screwed, as are the employees.

What are the odds that beyond the tightly sealed closed doors, the Republican Party leadership is in real panic mode knowing that there is a party problem that may be worsened this go around?

I believe it's already happened. 

[Reaganfan]

I don't believe it's the party. It's the voters. Same on the Democratic side.

I highly doubt the Republican Party wanted Donald Trump. They would have preferred a Christie/Bush/Rubio/Kasich type of nominee. Maybe Rubio/Kasich. Run an optimistic campaign. Reach out, ect.

It's the voters sweeping in Donald Trump. From my father and his wife who said, "I'm so angry with the way things are...he might just be what we need" to my democratic uncle who told me last Sunday, "I'm a Democrat, but I can't stand Hillary and Trump would run America like a business and maybe that's what we need."

On the Democratic side, the President all the way down to Debbie Wasserman-Schultz all were in the tank for Hillary from the beginning. They didn't expect kids to openly support a 75 year old socialist who honeymooned in the Soviet Union.

It's the voters. Not the parties. I think if the parties had their way, we'd be having a much less intense election.

[sg0508]

I don't believe it's the party. It's the voters. Same on the Democratic side.

I highly doubt the Republican Party wanted Donald Trump. They would have preferred a Christie/Bush/Rubio/Kasich type of nominee. Maybe Rubio/Kasich. Run an optimistic campaign. Reach out, ect.

It's the voters sweeping in Donald Trump. From my father and his wife who said, "I'm so angry with the way things are...he might just be what we need" to my democratic uncle who told me last Sunday, "I'm a Democrat, but I can't stand Hillary and Trump would run America like a business and maybe that's what we need."

On the Democratic side, the President all the way down to Debbie Wasserman-Schultz all were in the tank for Hillary from the beginning. They didn't expect kids to openly support a 75 year old socialist who honeymooned in the Soviet Union.

It's the voters. Not the parties. I think if the parties had their way, we'd be having a much less intense election.

The interesting thing is, many smart Americans know it's a fix. At the end of the day, you're voting for the fix and not anyone else who can possibly make a dent.  You're voting for the $$$ because well, in modern-day America, money talks and runs the show. So, your vote, my vote and everyone's is just voting in the top 1% fix (on either side).  That's part of the reason Bernie has my respect and is appealing, particularly to young people.  That Populist rhetoric works, but he doesn't have the machine and we all know it.

Trump is just "someone different" and while refreshing to many people, he's the $$$ too. 
So, at the end of the day, aren't we all yet again, just victims of the "fix?" in America?

[Ljube]

The party isn't screwed.

[Santander]

The voters are stupid.

They claim to be against corruption. But some degree of corruption in government is desirable.
They hate centrists. Yet they complain when nothing gets done in Congress.
They hate government. Yet they love the military, the VA, Social Security and Medicare.
They want government to be run like a business. But it's not one.
They're against deficits. Yet any economist will tell you that small deficits are not a problem.
They hate free trade. Yet they fill up their cart at Walmart with Chinese goods.

A similar list could be made for D voters. Both parties have always known this, but it's only now that the voters themselves are being exposed, and the parties are embarrassed.

[Orser67]

I think there probably are Republican leaders in full-on panic mode, but I think that most are still hopeful that everything will work out for them. And that is still possible, imo; scandal could sink Clinton, and Trump could win the election and govern like a fairly conventional conservative Republican.

[Reaganfan]

If I were advising the Trump campaign, I'd tell him to warm up his image. Go to black neighborhoods and talk to people. No cameras. No media. Just ask them what they are thinking, what are their hopes and ambitions, their fears. Reach out.

[psychprofessor]

If I were advising the Trump campaign, I'd tell him to warm up his image. Go to black neighborhoods and talk to people. No cameras. No media. Just ask them what they are thinking, what are their hopes and ambitions, their fears. Reach out.

Seriously - you think Trump can do anything without bringing attention to himself? He would tweet at 11 the night before, "gonna be in Detroit tomorrow to talk to my black friends...the blacks love me. NO MEDIA." Then if the media didn't show up, he would instagram videos of him talking to this black friends and then harp on the media for not showing the world how much the blacks love Donald and claim they are biased like Megyn Kelly.

[Reaganfan]

If I were advising the Trump campaign, I'd tell him to warm up his image. Go to black neighborhoods and talk to people. No cameras. No media. Just ask them what they are thinking, what are their hopes and ambitions, their fears. Reach out.

Seriously - you think Trump can do anything without bringing attention to himself? He would tweet at 11 the night before, "gonna be in Detroit tomorrow to talk to my black friends...the blacks love me. NO MEDIA." Then if the media didn't show up, he would instagram videos of him talking to this black friends and then harp on the media for not showing the world how much the blacks love Donald and claim they are biased like Megyn Kelly.

Hence why I dislike social media. I yearn for the days of old confetti-falling rallies with High School bands playing while candidates campaigned. Even Bush vs. Gore was rather "retro" in hindsight. It started with Obama and Invesco Field with the Greek columns. It's been insane ever since.

[Virginiá]

They didn't expect kids to openly support a 75 year old socialist who honeymooned in the Soviet Union.

It wasn't a honeymoon, it was an official sister-city trip.

[IceSpear]

This time though, the '12 cycle brought out the true Demographic problem that Republicans have.  So far this cycle, the Republicans have done little else but makes asses of themselves in every debate with the screaming, yelling, insults and non-stop baffoonery.  Even my dad, who plans to likely vote for Trump this fall (if he's the nominee) is embarrassed.

I highly doubt the GOP cares how "embarrassed" someone is as long as they continue to vote for them. A vote is a vote, feelings are irrelevant.

[Fuzzy Bear]

The voters are stupid.

They claim to be against corruption. But some degree of corruption in government is desirable.
They hate centrists. Yet they complain when nothing gets done in Congress.
They hate government. Yet they love the military, the VA, Social Security and Medicare.
They want government to be run like a business. But it's not one.
They're against deficits. Yet any economist will tell you that small deficits are not a problem.
They hate free trade. Yet they fill up their cart at Walmart with Chinese goods.

A similar list could be made for D voters. Both parties have always known this, but it's only now that the voters themselves are being exposed, and the parties are embarrassed.

V. O. Key once wrote a book, entitled "The Rational Electorate".  Your description of voters shows them to be far more rational than you give them credit for.'

"They claim to be against corruption. But some degree of corruption in government is desirable."  This is a Machiavellian point of view that would degrade society if its shameless advocacy spread from the political class to the average citizen.

"They hate centrists. Yet they complain when nothing gets done in Congress."  Folks hate centrists because centrists often deal in bad faith with the voters.  It is one thing to compromise; it is another thing to wake up and find that your candidate isn't really of your mindset, and just pretended to be in order to get elected.

"They hate government. Yet they love the military, the VA, Social Security and Medicare."  But national defense is the first function of our national government.  The VA, Social Security, and Medicare are promises made to them, personally; promises that they based major life decisions on.

"They want government to be run like a business. But it's not one."  True.  But a candidate with business CEO experience is a candidate who enters a race with prior experience in heading up a large organization.  I would think this would be a plus for an executive office. 
 
"They're against deficits. Yet any economist will tell you that small deficits are not a problem."  They hate deficits because they know what credit card debt has done to their families, and they often have the experience of not being able to pay off their credit card balances as they hoped to do.
 
"They hate free trade. Yet they fill up their cart at Walmart with Chinese goods."  Because it's cheap, and it's the rational choice for TODAY.  They are strapped to the point where they have to make decisions based on TODAY, and not next year.

The voters are rational.  They are dealing with the pair of deuces they've been dealt.

[hopper]

Obviously, they've done well in some mid-terms and we know that wave elections, one way or the other do happen.  However, there is the obvious national crisis for the party, similar to the Democrats' problem back in the 70s and throughout the 80s. 

This time though, the '12 cycle brought out the true Demographic problem that Republicans have.  So far this cycle, the Republicans have done little else but makes asses of themselves in every debate with the screaming, yelling, insults and non-stop baffoonery.  Even my dad, who plans to likely vote for Trump this fall (if he's the nominee) is embarrassed.

Considering that Trump is probably the guy at this point, and that Cruz isn't doing his party any favors in terms of bringing in more minority and young support, you would figure that behind closed doors, the true Republican leadership has to believe the party is screwed not only now, but for the forseeable future.

Obviously, they'll never admit so publicly.  They can't, or everyone loses credibility.  It's like a boss who knows he/she cannot help you on your problems at work because it's beyond their control, and thus, they lie right to your face, but behind closed doors, they know the place is screwed, as are the employees.

What are the odds that beyond the tightly sealed closed doors, the Republican Party leadership is in real panic mode knowing that there is a party problem that may be worsened this go around?

I believe it's already happened. 

Sure the Republicans made buffoons of themselves at the debates but that was because of Trump. I admit it was like watching WWE.

Their main problem is Presidential Races and even Toss-Up US Senate Races where the demographic problem presents itself. Its not a widespread problem for every electoral race. Yes, in the Presidential Election it is a huge problem with demography.

[wolfsblood07]

Not necessarily.  The Democrats were in terrible shape at the presidential level in the 70s and 80s, with the exception of Carter getting elected in the aftermath of the huge Watergate scandal.  We all know how Carter's reelection went.  Repubs won 5 out of 6, with 3 of them being huge landslides.  Then in 1992 things started breaking in favor of the Dems as voters turned against Bush 41.  Since then the advantage has been with the Dems.  You have to understand how bad it was for the Dems until then.  They had no region in the country!  They were made fun of on late night talk shows and Saturday Night Live.  They were seen as weak liberal losers.  So it is not hard to imagine the Repubs coming back to dominance at some point.  It just takes the right candidate at the right time.