"Collectively, the Senate Republican Conference is undergoing the five stages of grief as it grapples with the growing possibility of Donald Trump or Ted Cruz at the top of the GOP ticket — a predicament many members believe would result in sweeping losses for their party in November. Not a single senator has endorsed either candidate, and the universe of potential Cruz or Trump supporters in the chamber can be counted, at this point, on one hand."
If this website is correct, Cruz currently has 17 endorsements from House Republicans and none from senators and governors. Jeb Bush had the endorsement of 26 representatives and 5 senators. Marco Rubio, 23 representatives and 4 senators. Trump has zero endorsements.
Why do such endorsements matter? According to this New York Times article that cites a book titled The Party Decides, "since 1980, the single best predictor of a party's nominee is the number of endorsements from party elites -- elected officials and prominent past party leaders -- in the months before primaries begin."
It is a big question whether this will be true in the 2016 election. As we've discussed previously in class, there is no magic wand party leaders can wave to ensure their favored candidate is the nominee. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn put it this way: "I don't think I have the ability, even if I wanted to, to influence who the next nominee is going to be."
The Politico article reports that some senators are still in denial about the rise of Trump and Cruz, with a few saying Jeb Bush can still win. Can the power of endorsements from party elites still triumph?
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