It would be a wonderful thing if he did quit.
The Republican party, badly represented as it is, and it is, is a necessary foil to Democratic control, ambition and unilateral governance. As things stand now, Mr. T threatens to not only lose the presidential race for himself – which would not be particularly catastrophic, except that it would usher in a truly rotten President in Hillary Clinton. I’m all in favor of having a woman president, truly. Just not that one. The Republic will probably survive her, but what an odious candidate she is.
No, the looming catastrophe for the Republicans is that he will bring down not only the House and Senate majorities – which I realize that for most here is not a tragedy at all (and I hardly care myself for most Republicans) – but it would open the door to the Monster Raving Loony Democrats, which have so far been held in check by their own more or less sane colleagues, and a functioning opposition in the Republican Party. Wiping out the Republican Party will not create the Utopia that many Democrats seem to want; that would more or less open the door to Venezuelan-style utopianism.
Aside from the good result of not having Trump destroy the Republican party, it should not be terribly difficult to find a breathing, moderately rational, human-appearing, vocal – and willing – opponent for Hillary. Right now, I think a presentable high school graduate with only a misdemeanor prison record and some kind of past employment, who can string two sentences together, laugh and still sound human and not scare children could beat her pretty easily. And THAT would be a boon for all.
The problem is that so few people truly understand politics – and we are so badly misled by “journalists” who speak and write about politics with just as little understanding – and the mechanism to select and approve that candidate isn’t well know, and would not have time to be accepted by the rank-and-file of voters. But if the candidate could be put forth and have credibility as a candidate, he (or she) could beat HRC.
And we still have this pair of popular ex-governors running from another party who sound pretty reasonable and sensible, who were not run out of office, are not under indictment or formal investigation – and who will probably not poll much above 2% when the votes are actually cast. It’s pretty sad.
Look at the states that are “solidly Democratic” and have been for many years, such as my own, Connecticut, or Illinois for another good example, to see how bad things can get without a functioning opposition. We’re in a race to become the first bankrupt State in the Union.