The GOP establishment's demise: Not a single governor or senator backs Trump or Cruz, and who cares?
Endorsements are flowing in the heated race between Ted Cruz and Donald Trump for the GOP's top spot in Iowa.
Big names for Trump:
Sarah Palin (birthmother of the anti-establishment movement)
Jerry Falwell Jr. (Christian conservative)
Phyllis Schlafly (social conservative activist)
Michael Savage (right-wing radio host)
Big names for Cruz:
Glenn Beck (right-wing radio host)
Mark Levin (right-wing radio host)
Phil Robertson (of Duck Dynasty fame)
James Dobson (Christian conservative)
Bob Vander Plaats (Christian conservative)
Rep. Steve King (right-wing pol)
Who’s missing? High-profile GOP senators and governors, as Robert Costa points out:
The frenzied courting of conservatives is testament to their power in shaping a contest that is being dominated by two Washington outsiders. Neither has won the backing of a single governor or senator — and it’s unclear that either man even wants to. In this race, it is the media titans, personalities and activists who have long stood on the GOP’s fringe who now have all the cachet.
“You need a scorecard to keep track,” said Craig Shirley, a conservative historian. “Talk radio and bloggers — anyone outside of the system is at the center of the party, and we’re witnessing in real time the shift away from the Republican establishment in deciding who the nominee will be.”
And we’re witnessing it in real time as establishment candidates, like one-time GOP "frontman” Jeb Bush, fall into irrelevancy.