“This is disaster on all kinds of different levels. I’ve always been concerned that if we don’t get immigration right we have no chance to win this. And right now it doesn’t look like we are getting it right or we’re going to get it right.” — John Feehery, a veteran Republican strategist and lobbyist
“The rest of the field is still wishing upon a star that Trump and Carson are going to self-destruct. They have to be made to self-destruct. . . . Nothing has happened at this point to dislodge Trump or Carson.” — Eric Fehrnstrom, a former adviser to 2012 nominee Mitt Romney
“People usually start off in the same way: Pollyanna-ish. They assure me that Trump and Carson will eventually fade. Then we’ll talk some more, and I give them a reality check. I’ll say, ‘The guy in the grocery store likes Trump. So does the guy who cuts my hair. They’re probably going to stick with him. Who knows if this ends?’ ” — Thomas H. Kean Sr., former Republican New Jersey governor
“I’m not a happy camper. Hopefully, somebody will emerge who will be able to do the job. I’m very worried that the Republican-base voter is more motivated by anger, distrust of D.C. and politicians and will throw away the opportunity to nominate a candidate with proven experience that can win.” — Peter A. Wish, on Romney’s National Finance Committee
“To have a leading candidate propose a new federal police force that is going to flush out illegal immigrants across the nation? That’s very disturbing and concerning to me about where that leads Republicans.” — Dick Wadhams, former Colorado GOP Chairman
“If we don’t have the right [nominee], we could lose the Senate, and we could face losses in the House. Those are very, very real concerns. If we’re not careful and we nominate Trump, we’re looking at a race like Barry Goldwater in 1964 or George McGovern in 1972, getting beat up across the board because of our nominee.” — Austin Barbour, Jeb Bush senior advisor
Via Washington Post, Bloomberg.
Published: Nov 13, 2015