for president. (Photo by Gage Skidmore/flickr)
By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – ‘Disgusting, appalling, outrageous’ are some of the words Gov. Bruce Rauner has used to describe the vulgar comments Donald Trump made about women in a recently released recording from 2005.
Rauner has said he won’t endorse any candidate for president and even skipped the party’s convention in Cleveland. Former Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady, who has been a vocal critic of Trump, told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin it’s best for Rauner not to get involved.
PODCAST: Listen to Scott’s interview with Brady on WJBC.
“Just stay out of it,” Brady said. “You get into it with Trump, no matter what you do, you are going to get dirty.”
House Speaker Paul Ryan has said he won’t defend Trump and is offering political cover for other Republicans who have pulled their support of the party’s nominee. Brady said Ryan is trying to head off a potentially disastrous election for the GOP.
“I think Speaker Ryan is doing the responsible thing,” Ryan said. “The tapes that came out Friday, are terrible. the Trump camp nationally and electorally is in really bad shape. It’s a long shot for them to win, so you just have to be smart about it and win what you can.”
Brady said a negative flip in the polls for Trump in key swing states like Florida and Ohio should have party leaders concerned.
“If he doesn’t win Florida, there’s no path of him to to win,” Brady said. “He’s down five or six (points) there now, He’s down five or six in Ohio. That’s a complete turnaround from a week ago.”
The latest polling doesn’t reflect the second presidential debate.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
