Scandal-Ridden Candidates Could Cost Republicans

New York Times: “The entry of two hard-right candidates this week into Senate races in Missouri and Alabama exposed the perils for Republicans of a political landscape in which former President Donald J. Trump is the only true north for grass-roots voters.”

“Strong state parties, big donors and GOP national leaders were once able to anoint a candidate, in order to avoid destructive demolition derbies in state primaries.”

“But in the Trump era, the pursuit of his endorsement is all-consuming, and absent Mr. Trump’s blessing, there is no mechanism for clearing a cluttered primary field.”