Is the Republican Party Headed for a Schism?

Jonathan Bernstein: “The truth is that a lot of Republicans seem willing to let the party become more and more Trumpy. That means being comfortable playing footsie with white supremacist and other violent groups; eager to make voting more difficult and even to overturn election results when necessary; and generally less and less supportive of the rule of law and democracy. A party like that, with little aspiration to appeal to anyone beyond its strongest supporters, might still be competitive electorally thanks to the way two-party politics tends to work. And if it wins, it could put most of its efforts into tilting the rules more in its favor.”

“But plenty of Republicans find Trump and his politics abhorrent, including a lot of governing and campaign professionals and a fair number of former elected officials. One such group is considering formally breaking away and forming a new party. Whether a real schism is possible comes down to one thing: Will any current Republican politicians take the plunge and join them?”