The Republican "Establishment"

[Meeker]

I have a few questions.

I've heard over the past few weeks and months that at some point the Republican party elders/establishment will pick a candidate and then that candidate will be propelled to the nomination. Nowadays it usually it takes the shape of "If McCain wins South Carolina/If McCain wins Florida then the party establishment will rally around him and he'll win."

1) Who the hell are these people? Former members of Congress? RNC officials and party leaders? Consultants? Who exactly is this establishment that is spoken of in such vague terms? Specific names are encouraged

2) How are we supposed to know when they've picked a candidate? A series of endorsements from these certain people who have been undefined? Or is it like pornography - we'll know it when we see it?

3) How exactly will winning the support of this vague and undefined group of people lead to primary victories? Is there some huge pool of Republican voters who are waiting for this secret signal as to whom to support? And if it's money, where are these wealthy Republican donors who've been holding off for a signal from these "elders"? And how exactly is a late cash infusion going to be that critical when the infrastructure had to already have been built and the time to make ad buys is quickly disappearing.


Please double space your responses, 1500 word minimum. Due on Tuesday.

[Sam Spade]

It's not just money, it is also a certain block of voters that appears in almost every state.  The two are not necessarily connected.

The Democrats have a certain block of voters that form its establishment as well, and they appear in most states too.  Same thing with money.  These two are not necessarily connected either.

The difference between the Republicans and the Democrats, and the reason why establishment Republicans tend to control party nominees moreso than Democrats, is because the Democratic establishment and its "moneyed base" have been less likely to align than the Republicans, respectively.  That often is the case because their interests are at greater odds with each other than in the Republican party.
 
I'm not going to tell you who they are - that's for you to figure out on your own.