The race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination is creating fears of long-lasting class divisions within the party that may be difficult to heal following the nomination of its presidential candidate.
The party is facing a revolt of more conservative and working class voters who seem determined not to accept a nominee preferred by wealthy donors and elected officials. They also seem to be demanding that the 2016 nominee, if elected, will work to keep campaign promises. A criticism is that the party has done little for the working class. Former Presidential candidate and commentator Pat Buchanan asserts that working class Republican voters have waited too long to have their concerns about job losses and wage stagnation addressed.
Business mogul Donald Trump and Texas Senator Ted Cruz lead in the polls, but neither one has garnered the backing of any Senators or Governors. This prompted Senator John McCain to say that he has never seen anything like this in his political career. There is no presumed nominee, and some party politicos are now focused on preventing the nomination of Senator Cruz. Senator Bob Dole, the 1996 Republican nominee, and Senator Charles Grassley, Iowa’s senior Senator, along with Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, stated their opposition to Senator Cruz this past week. Senator Dole said that he preferred Donald Trump over Cruz because he thought Trump had experience as a negotiator. Donald Trump continues to lead in the polls, but that could change before the Iowa caucus on February first and the New Hampshire primary on February ninth.
