The immigration group America's Voice started a
countdown clock this week measuring how long it would take the GOP candidates to denounce Donald Trump's
abhorrent comments about
Mexican immigrants being "rapists" and "drug dealers" and "murders." Last I checked, it was still running.
Even though the entire Republican field has been desperately trying to ignore him, Trump's riding pretty high in the polls. He's #2 nationally, he's #2 in Iowa, he's #2 in Michigan, and he's #2 in New Hampshire.
Barring some catastrophic event, Trump's a sure thing for the GOP debate stage on August 6. Journalist Howard Fineman summed up the state of affairs nicely on MSNBC.
"We now are in a situation where Donald Trump is setting the tone and the tenor for at least the next month of the campaign heading into that debate in August. Nobody could have predicted that a couple weeks ago."
In the meantime, the Republican candidates are either sucking up to him or running scared from him.
Sen. Ted Cruz falls into the first category, telling Fox News:
"I like Donald Trump. I think he’s terrific, I think he’s brash, I think he speaks the truth."
Taking the opposite side, Sen. Rand Paul's press aide on Wednesday desperately
body blocked a videographer who was attempting to ask the candidate questions about Trump's comments.
For more Trumpage, head below the fold.
And Jeb Bush, whose wife is a Mexican immigrant, finally suggested this week that Trump's comments were out of step with the Republican Party. At least when he was speaking in Spanish:
“[Bush] took a handful of questions, beginning with one in Spanish about Donald Trump's recent comments describing Mexican immigrants as rapists, murderers and drug dealers. Trump spends his life fighting with people, Bush answered in Spanish. And he doesn't, Bush said, represent the values of the Republican Party.
But in English, Bush suddenly toned it down:
When Bush was asked the same question about Trump's remarks in English, he seemed put out at having to repeat himself, then gave a milder version of his original answer: ‘I don't agree with him. I think he's wrong. It's pretty simple.’”
MSNBC's Fineman called it "kind of sad actually" that Jeb gave a different answer in Spanish.
"I think it's shameful that he says this stuff and that these other candidates who claim to be serious people who want to lead the country, don't take him on."
But to the Latino community, the entire field's unwillingness to take a stand on Trump's remarks is far more than just "sad" and "shameful," says Gary Segura of the polling firm Latino Decisions. It's infuriating.
"Trump's offensive comments, and the nearly unanimous silence they drew from the rest of the GOP field, are a perfect illustration of the brand and reputation problem the GOP has among Latinos," he said. "Lackluster disagreements--as opposed to full-throated denunciations--suggest to me that those few who had anything to say remain more concerned with attracting Trump's supporters (or Trump himself and his money, once he drops out) than in defending the dignity of America's Latino community."
Frank Sharry of America's Voice called Trump the product of "gutless leaders refusing to stand up to nativist loud mouths."
"Unless and until the GOP acts to pass immigration reform and treat Latinos with respect, the anti-immigrant crazies will continue to define the party,” he said.
Bottom line, they can run, but they cannot hide. And the more they run, the further the distance gets between them and Latino voters.