Now that Donald Trump is set to be the Republican candidate in the 2016 race, the biggest fears of Republican politicians nationwide have been confirmed.
Last month, Arizona Senator John McCain expressed these fears to a private audience in Arizona when he revealed that he was gearing up for the “race of [his] life.”
A source with Politico reported this quote from the senator:
“If Donald Trump is at the top of the ticket, here in Arizona, with over 30 percent of the vote being the Hispanic vote, no doubt that this may be the race of my life. If you listen or watch Hispanic media in the state and in the country, you will see that it is all anti-Trump. The Hispanic community is roused and angry in a way that I’ve never seen in 30 years.”
There has already been quite a bit of buzz about the effect that Trump on the Republican ticket will have for down-ticket Republicans. Many expect Republicans to lose the Senate, and possibly even the House in one fell swoop. That’s not to mention the multiple supreme court justice selections they will miss out on if Trump is to lose.
This tenuous position puts down-ticket Republicans in a difficult spot as they grapple with whether not an endorsement of Trump would bolster or kill their election and re-election chances. People like McCain must work to distance their platform from that of their party front-runner, but not alienate the millions who do love Trump. It’s a feat which seems impossible, and it may well be.
