Krauthammer’s Take: If Trump Is Nominee, Party Could Be Facing Another Goldwater Scenario

It’s “perfectly obvious” Republican Party leaders will try to recruit another candidate if no one has a plurality heading into the convention, Charles Krauthammer said tonight on Fox News’ Special Report. The “establishment” believes a Trump candidacy “would be a Goldwater scenario all over again.”

Referring to Dr. Ben Carson’s threats to leave the party if the party tries the tactic, Krauthammer said, “Why Carson calls this corruption, I don’t understand – this is hardball.”

Cruz has done very well. He’s been what in NASCAR you call drafting. He’s been going behind the leader. Reduces wind resistance and coming out of the pack, that’s where he was a few months ago, he’s the number two. I think that Carson and others are right. That if it comes — Larry Sabato — if it comes to the convention and nobody has a majority, it is perfectly obvious that the quote establishment, the non-Trump people, perhaps the non-Cruz people, will try to get another candidate. Why Carson calls this corruption, I don’t understand. This is hardball, Trump is a guy who says he plays with sharks. In his business. With the Chinese and others, this is tough dealing and traditionally, a lot of candidates in other races, other years, other eras, if you want to stop one particular candidate because I think quite reasonably the Republicans think that if Trump is the nominee, this would be a Goldwater scenario all over again. They could be wrong. But it’s a reasonable idea. If you think so, you would want to get a consensus candidate. I don’t see it as being illegitimate. But it would be a long shot. Because if you go in with a big plurality, it will look as if it’s being stolen from you.