Could a Trump nomination cause an exodus of moderate Republicans?

[youngohioan216]

I could see someone like Susan Collins endorse Hillary Clinton and announce she's becoming a Democrat.

[dax00]

True conservatives would leave before moderate Republicans. Trump is the most moderate the GOP has seen in a long time. And I don't know if true conservatives would really let Hillary win.

[This account no longer in use.]

Endorse Clinton? Unlikely, but possible. Become a Democrat? No.

[Xing]

I'm not sure what it would take for a significant number of Republicans to actually vote for a Democrat. Most would rather get chopped up by Rafael, the Zodiac killer, instead of voting Democratic. Trump clearly isn't enough to make Republican moderate heroes™ vote for a Democrat.

[ProudModerate2]

I could see someone like Susan Collins endorse Hillary Clinton and announce she's becoming a Democrat.

It's possible.
Though I highly doubt she would actually pull-the-trigger, and do it.
Maybe Collins would go about it, by saying that she can not endorse trump. And as far a becoming a Democrat .... well, the likelihood here is very small.

[Kevin]

True conservatives would leave before moderate Republicans. Trump is the most moderate the GOP has seen in a long time. And I don't know if true conservatives would really let Hillary win.

Agreed,

Why would moderate Republicans leave the party when Trump is essentially one of them.

[history nerd]

I could see someone like Susan Collins endorse Hillary Clinton and announce she's becoming a Democrat.

Isn't it more likely she would become an Independent. She comes from a state with a strong history of electing independent candidates.

[Darthpi – Anti-Florida Activist]

Repeat after me, Republicans who don't seem to understand Trump: "Donald Trump is not a moderate. Ideologically incoherent, yes. Moderate, no."

[youngohioan216]

I could see someone like Susan Collins endorse Hillary Clinton and announce she's becoming a Democrat.

Isn't it more likely she would become an Independent. She comes from a state with a strong history of electing independent candidates.

Good point, I hadn't thought of that. Most senators don't have the luxury of going independent if it suits them.

[youngohioan216]

True conservatives would leave before moderate Republicans. Trump is the most moderate the GOP has seen in a long time. And I don't know if true conservatives would really let Hillary win.

Agreed,

Why would moderate Republicans leave the party when Trump is essentially one of them.

Can we dispel with this fiction that Trump is a moderate already? Wanting to build a wall and ban all Muslim immigration cancels out whatever moderate views on other issues he may have.

[Darthpi – Anti-Florida Activist]

True conservatives would leave before moderate Republicans. Trump is the most moderate the GOP has seen in a long time. And I don't know if true conservatives would really let Hillary win.

Agreed,

Why would moderate Republicans leave the party when Trump is essentially one of them.

Can we dispel with this fiction that Trump is a moderate already? Wanting to build a wall and ban all Muslim immigration cancels out whatever moderate views on other issues he may have.

Not to mention shredding the Geneva Conventions and encouraging Japan, South Korea, and who knows how many other countries to develop nukes.

Edit: Honestly the wall is (somehow) among his less outlandish ideas. It's stupid, a waste of money, and would likely damage our standing in the world, but it isn't outright dangerous like much of his other nonsense.

[Indy Texas]

I could see someone like Susan Collins endorse Hillary Clinton and announce she's becoming a Democrat.

If I were her, I'd say I'm not voting for Trump and leave it at that.

Then, after election day, if the Democrats have a majority, I'd say I'm becoming an independent and caucusing with the Democrats. If it's a 50-50 tie, I'd say I'm becoming an independent but haven't decided who I'll caucus with. If the Democrats don't take back the Senate, I'd leave things the way they are.

[Young Conservative]

No because Trump's best demographic group is moderate/ liberal republicans

[libertpaulian]

True conservatives would leave before moderate Republicans. Trump is the most moderate the GOP has seen in a long time. And I don't know if true conservatives would really let Hillary win.

Agreed,

Why would moderate Republicans leave the party when Trump is essentially one of them.

Can we dispel with this fiction that Trump is a moderate already? Wanting to build a wall and ban all Muslim immigration cancels out whatever moderate views on other issues he may have.

Trump wants to keep the social safety net in check, doesn't care very much about gays and abortion, and would rather cut taxes for the middle and lower classes moreso than focusing on tax cuts for his income bracket.

He's the very definition of a moderate.

[Darthpi – Anti-Florida Activist]

No because Trump's best demographic group is moderate/ liberal republicans

No, Trump's best demographic in the exit polls is typically self-described "somewhat conservative" voters. Among the self-described "very conservative" Republicans he loses support to Cruz, and among self-described moderates and liberals he loses support to Kasich. He does best with the voters that are closest to the median within the party.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

True conservatives would leave before moderate Republicans. Trump is the most moderate the GOP has seen in a long time. And I don't know if true conservatives would really let Hillary win.

Agreed,

Why would moderate Republicans leave the party when Trump is essentially one of them.

Can we dispel with this fiction that Trump is a moderate already? Wanting to build a wall and ban all Muslim immigration cancels out whatever moderate views on other issues he may have.

Trump wants to keep the social safety net in check, doesn't care very much about gays and abortion, and would rather cut taxes for the middle and lower classes moreso than focusing on tax cuts for his income bracket.

He's the very definition of a moderate.

Fascism isn't moderate. And neither is bigotry. Trump is an extremist.

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

I hope it does. Moderate republicans are basically liberals anyways

You don't live in an all white country;you can't win the presidency without votes from moderate republicans.

[Ebsy]

Susan Collins isn't a moderate, she's just what passes for one these days.

[Vosem]

Moderate doesn't describe any coherent ideology or set of beliefs. Could a Trump nomination cause an exodus of Republican voters? Yes, definitely, just like numerous nominations of other candidates outside the party mainstream throughout American history. An exodus of Republican politicians is less likely; most will pay lip service to the nominee (unless you mean the voters will throw the bums out, which is possible).

[136or142]

I could see someone like Susan Collins endorse Hillary Clinton and announce she's becoming a Democrat.

Susan Collins is a lot more conservative than people seem to think she is.  I can only assume it's because they're confusing her with her former fellow Senator from Maine, Olympia Snowe.

There are a number of Republicans in the Senate who are moderates in some areas like Bob Corker and especially Lindsey Graham, and maybe Susan Collins is one of those, but the only Republican left in the U.S Senate who I would consider a genuine across the board moderate is Lisa Murkowski.

My guess on Susan Collins is that she's actually more like Kelly Ayotte or Joe Lieberman used to be.  Both of them are/were actually in the mainstream of their party on most issues but exploited a handful of high profile but most symbolic areas of difference.  

In Ayotte's case, it's because she represents the Democratic leaning state of New Hampshire and knows that her high profile splits on a handful of high profile but meaningless issues with her party will overshadow her actual very conservative voting record with most journalists and voters.  

I don't believe in engaging in 'pop psychology' so I wouldn't begin to hazard a guess at why, despite his mostly liberal voting record, Lieberman frequently went out of his way to praise Republicans and criticize his fellow Democrats. The issue that for a long time he trumpeted his conservative positions on was his dislike of 'Hollywood filth.'  Since neither he nor Congress nor the President could actually do anything about that, it was a very easy issue for him to demagogue and play to conservatives with.

Of course, all of that was before September 11, 2001.

In answer to your unasked question though about moderate Republican voters, I would certainly expect that many in the managerial, professional and executive class who have voted for Republican Presidential candidates up to now would be more likely to vote for Hillary Rodham Clinton than for Donald Trump.  

Even though Trump is basically one of them (though so is HRC) I'm sure most of them would find Trump to be far too erratic for them to support, given that business types tend to favor stability above everything else.

[Fuzzy Bear]

True conservatives would leave before moderate Republicans. Trump is the most moderate the GOP has seen in a long time. And I don't know if true conservatives would really let Hillary win.

Agreed,

Why would moderate Republicans leave the party when Trump is essentially one of them.

Can we dispel with this fiction that Trump is a moderate already? Wanting to build a wall and ban all Muslim immigration cancels out whatever moderate views on other issues he may have.

Trump is a moderate on issue positions, but he is not a moderate in style.

Folks put too much emphasis on style.  Mitt Romney has been labeled a moderate in some circles, but his campaign platform was to the right of anything Goldwater or Reagan ever dreamed of.  It was the most conservative campaign in history.  There are times when, after hearing from "conservatives" how Mitt Romney wasn't really one of them, I look back on the positions Mitt took in 2012 and want to ask them just what more they wanted from their Presidential candidate that they didn't get.

[Mr. Morden]

The Republican Party vs. Trump isn’t about moderate vs. conservative or the other way around.  It’s “the Republican brain against the Republican brain stem”:

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/03/donald-trump-versus-the-republican-brain.html

[Blair]

Agree- his loudest endorses have been people like Christie, LePage and Giuliani.

The only 'moderates' who'll endorse Hillary will be people who were moderate 15 years ago- people like Todd Whitman, Dick Lugar etc

[Torie]

Trump has no ideology. The problem with him revolves around his character.

[Coolface Sock #42069]

I hope it does. Moderate republicans are basically liberals anyways

You don't live in an all white country;you can't win the presidency without votes from moderate republicans.

Even an all-white country wouldn't help you there; otherwise, Minnesota would be Atlas blue every time, and so would states like Maine.

Anyway, Trump is not a moderate. Single-payer universal healthcare is not moderate. Banning certain people from entering the country on the basis of religion is not moderate. Calling all Mexican illegal immigrants rapists is not moderate. Wanting to violate the Geneva Convention is not moderate.