But just before WikiLeaks released the documents, Clinton's camp received possibly the largest present in political history: a video that essentially has undone Donald Trump's campaign. The video, which gives audio of Donald Trump having a sexually aggressive, utterly disgusting conversation with former Access Hollywood host Billy Bush, was originally filmed in 2005. It has created a ripple effect, causing many prominent Republicans to either rescind their endorsement of Trump or call on him to drop out of the race.
There's no doubt that the USS Trump is sinking. How did Republicans not see the iceberg coming? Can Mike Pence take over as captain? How many Republicans up for re-election can huddle in the weak lifeboats trying to get to shore?
The Republican Party Should Have Seen This Coming
In other words, if you thought that Trump was flawless saint sent from above before yesterday, you have been hiding under a rock. The thing that makes the video stand out is that it is the first time we have auditory proof of his complete raunchiness.
I wonder if this is what Ted Cruz meant when he talked about Trump's "New York values" during the primary season. By no means am I saying that New Yorkers lack moral character. I am saying that this type of talk and behavior is common among the rich and famous in New York City. This is not conjecture, it's fact. This is how tabloid papers stay in business.
When the Republican Party nominated Donald Trump, they should have known they were going to have to contend with Trump's Hollywood-flavored scandals. Republican primary voters, however, put their concerns about Trump's behavior to the side because of their passionate want for an upheaval in Washington. That passion blinded many from supporting much safer, more qualified candidates.
Trump and his campaign showed that they knew this was a serious situation when he issued his first apology of the campaign (possibly in his lifetime) in response. Trump was clearly reading a teleprompter during his on-camera response, and it didn't look particularly smooth. The worst part about Trump's apology was his mentioning of Bill Clinton's scandals:
"I’ve said some foolish things, but there is a big difference between words and actions. Bill Clinton has actually abused women and Hillary has bullied, attacked, shamed and intimidated his victims. We will discuss this more in the coming days."
Yes, even many Democrats admit that Bill Clinton committed these acts. But it sounds like Donald Trump is trying to justify his sins by another man's sins. This proves that Trump still doesn't get why so many people do not like him. Why does there always have to be blaming and criticizing? It would have done Trump a lot of good just to focus on himself, delving further into how foolish he was and that he will never engage in such vulgar talk again, in public or in private venues.
However, I am not going to sit here and criticize you if you are going to continue to support Trump. I respect the arguments of those who say we have a binary choice in this election. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, had this to say:
"This is far from an ideal situation, but it is the reality in which we find ourselves and as difficult as it is, I refuse to find sanctuary on the sidelines and allow the country and culture to deteriorate even further by continuing the policies of the last 8 years."
I completely understand and respect that logic. But the Political Chessboard is here to primarily provide political insight. And in this case, the presidential election is over if Donald Trump is at the top of the Republican ticket on November 8th.
The Murky Future For Republicans
This doesn't mean that Republicans up for re-election aren't going to swim as far away from the drowning Trumpster as possible. Several vulnerable conservatives are already running for the hills.
Tight Senate races might be affected by Trump's improprieties. Senate races in Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Nevada, and Florida were starting to trend to the right, but the now infamous video may hurt Republican candidates.
New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who is locked in an uber-tight race against Gov. Maggie Hassan, had the most intriguing dilemma. When recently asked if Trump was a role model for children, Ayotte answered in the affirmative. She has tried to walk that back in recent days, and after the Trump video came out yesterday, Ayotte decided to withdraw her support. She also says she will write in Mike Pence's name as her presidential choice. Ayotte was up in the polls about 1-2 points going into this week, but it remains to be seen how this madness affects her numbers.
In Florida, Rep. Patrick Murphy wrote an op-ed on The Hill calling on Sen. Marco Rubio to either take back his support of Trump or withdraw from his Senate re-election bid. This is another Senate race that could be affected by Trump's scandal.
The Road Ahead
As was said earlier, the Political Chessboard feels that the 2016 Presidential Race is essentially over. I just don't see how Trump can do anything to remedy his problems, whether it be in the debate on Sunday or in an interview. The damage to his candidacy has been done.
Control of the U.S. Senate now may hinge on how far Trump falls. Democrats could now be considered favored to win the Upper Chamber.
The point now is how sad this election truly is. Millions of voters now see this election as a battle between a sexist pig and a pathological liar, and millions more will simply stay home during this cycle. Regardless of the outcome on November 8th, it is clear that America as a whole has lost this election, with fractures that will be felt for years to come.
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