This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/17/us/politics/washington-donald-trump-republicans-connected.html
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| ‘Who Is This Guy?’ In Connected Political World, Few Know Donald Trump | ‘Who Is This Guy?’ In Connected Political World, Few Know Donald Trump |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| WASHINGTON — Senator Lamar Alexander has run in elite national political circles for decades, sought the presidency twice and served as governor of Tennessee, cabinet secretary and university president. He does not know Donald J. Trump. | WASHINGTON — Senator Lamar Alexander has run in elite national political circles for decades, sought the presidency twice and served as governor of Tennessee, cabinet secretary and university president. He does not know Donald J. Trump. |
| “Never met him,” said Mr. Alexander, a Tennessee Republican now in his third term. | “Never met him,” said Mr. Alexander, a Tennessee Republican now in his third term. |
| That disconnect helps explain the awkward courtship ritual transpiring between Republicans in Washington and their party’s presumed presidential nominee: Most of them have no real clue about the man other than what they have read, seen on cable news or absorbed from watching his reality TV show, “The Apprentice.” | That disconnect helps explain the awkward courtship ritual transpiring between Republicans in Washington and their party’s presumed presidential nominee: Most of them have no real clue about the man other than what they have read, seen on cable news or absorbed from watching his reality TV show, “The Apprentice.” |
| “It is hard to trust someone until you know them,” Mr. Alexander noted. “And it is hard to know someone until you meet them.” | “It is hard to trust someone until you know them,” Mr. Alexander noted. “And it is hard to know someone until you meet them.” |
| It is not just lawmakers. Top representatives of the K Street lobbying and strategic communications world say they are in the same boat. | It is not just lawmakers. Top representatives of the K Street lobbying and strategic communications world say they are in the same boat. |
| “I hear mostly concern from our members. Who is this guy? What do we know about him? How will he behave?” said Thomas J. Donohue, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “They are calling up all of their buddies that are involved in his business or know him from wherever. I have been talking to some of those people as well.” | “I hear mostly concern from our members. Who is this guy? What do we know about him? How will he behave?” said Thomas J. Donohue, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “They are calling up all of their buddies that are involved in his business or know him from wherever. I have been talking to some of those people as well.” |
| This nearly total lack of personal familiarity with Mr. Trump among many political veterans is just one more extraordinary aspect of this year’s presidential campaign. Nominees of major political parties are usually extremely well acquainted with the political world from years in public life. People know what to expect. | This nearly total lack of personal familiarity with Mr. Trump among many political veterans is just one more extraordinary aspect of this year’s presidential campaign. Nominees of major political parties are usually extremely well acquainted with the political world from years in public life. People know what to expect. |
| In this case, it is like some aggressive new invasive species has been plopped down in the middle of the political forest. | In this case, it is like some aggressive new invasive species has been plopped down in the middle of the political forest. |
| “I met him for 30 seconds in 2012,” Speaker Paul D. Ryan told reporters after last week’s tête-à-tête with Mr. Trump. “So, we really don’t know each other.” | “I met him for 30 seconds in 2012,” Speaker Paul D. Ryan told reporters after last week’s tête-à-tête with Mr. Trump. “So, we really don’t know each other.” |
| Mr. Ryan was among the first to publicly note his lack of a relationship with Mr. Trump as a factor in his uncertainty about endorsing him. But multiple Republican members of Congress, when asked, said they had never met the billionaire developer. A few Republican senators active in the National Republican Senatorial Committee said they had briefly met Mr. Trump in his office during a past fund-raising expedition to New York. | Mr. Ryan was among the first to publicly note his lack of a relationship with Mr. Trump as a factor in his uncertainty about endorsing him. But multiple Republican members of Congress, when asked, said they had never met the billionaire developer. A few Republican senators active in the National Republican Senatorial Committee said they had briefly met Mr. Trump in his office during a past fund-raising expedition to New York. |
| The practitioners of politics at such rarefied heights are usually part of a relatively small universe: governors, senators, House members, cabinet secretaries, top elected state officials, operatives, advisers and big-money donors, among others. They tend to know or at least know of one another from years of rubbing shoulders at national and state conventions, myriad political dinners, campaigns, National Governors Association meetings, or wheeling and dealing in Congress. Even Ross Perot, who ran an independent campaign for president in 1992 with no elective experience, had broad dealings with the federal government over several decades. | The practitioners of politics at such rarefied heights are usually part of a relatively small universe: governors, senators, House members, cabinet secretaries, top elected state officials, operatives, advisers and big-money donors, among others. They tend to know or at least know of one another from years of rubbing shoulders at national and state conventions, myriad political dinners, campaigns, National Governors Association meetings, or wheeling and dealing in Congress. Even Ross Perot, who ran an independent campaign for president in 1992 with no elective experience, had broad dealings with the federal government over several decades. |
| As Mr. Alexander put it, “I have been to a lot of things over 40 years.” | As Mr. Alexander put it, “I have been to a lot of things over 40 years.” |
| That experience and track record provide those in the political world a working knowledge of whether candidates are true to their word, are willing to compromise, know the subject matter, can keep a confidence — all among the important things to weigh in making political judgments. | That experience and track record provide those in the political world a working knowledge of whether candidates are true to their word, are willing to compromise, know the subject matter, can keep a confidence — all among the important things to weigh in making political judgments. |
| President Obama served only four years in the Senate, but even that short time gave his colleagues and critics some sense of how he operated and allowed him to build some solid relationships he has relied upon during his years in the White House. This year’s Republican primary included Senators Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas, who had both been in Washington a relatively short time but had been active in state politics, allowing people to form opinions based on firsthand experiences with them. | President Obama served only four years in the Senate, but even that short time gave his colleagues and critics some sense of how he operated and allowed him to build some solid relationships he has relied upon during his years in the White House. This year’s Republican primary included Senators Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas, who had both been in Washington a relatively short time but had been active in state politics, allowing people to form opinions based on firsthand experiences with them. |
| To Mr. Trump and his supporters, his lack of connection to establishment Republicans and the Washington influence community has been a singular strength of his candidacy, and he wears his lack of experience in public office as a badge of honor. As an outsider, he is seen by supporters as not weighted down by the loyalties and connections they view as a source of what is wrong with Washington. | To Mr. Trump and his supporters, his lack of connection to establishment Republicans and the Washington influence community has been a singular strength of his candidacy, and he wears his lack of experience in public office as a badge of honor. As an outsider, he is seen by supporters as not weighted down by the loyalties and connections they view as a source of what is wrong with Washington. |
| But it could become a serious disadvantage if Mr. Trump is elected and needs to build a government. He has seemed to recognize his need for a running mate with Washington credentials and expertise, saying he wants someone capable of helping move legislation. And he did turn to a longtime Washington lobbyist and power broker, Paul Manafort, to help run his campaign. | |
| Mr. Trump is not totally without acquaintances in Washington. Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Senate Democratic leader, and Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the House Democratic leader, have recounted positive experiences with Mr. Trump. | Mr. Trump is not totally without acquaintances in Washington. Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Senate Democratic leader, and Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the House Democratic leader, have recounted positive experiences with Mr. Trump. |
| In January, Mr. Reid noted that he was “kind of pulling” for Mr. Trump, and remembered the “good old days” when Mr. Trump had hosted fund-raisers for the senator. And Ms. Pelosi, introduced to the businessman by New York Democrats, said recently that in her one meeting with Mr. Trump, he was a “gentleman and lovely.” | In January, Mr. Reid noted that he was “kind of pulling” for Mr. Trump, and remembered the “good old days” when Mr. Trump had hosted fund-raisers for the senator. And Ms. Pelosi, introduced to the businessman by New York Democrats, said recently that in her one meeting with Mr. Trump, he was a “gentleman and lovely.” |
| But both are now among Mr. Trump’s harshest critics — Mr. Reid took back his remarks shortly after making them — and neither Democrat can be expected to be of much assistance to Mr. Trump. | But both are now among Mr. Trump’s harshest critics — Mr. Reid took back his remarks shortly after making them — and neither Democrat can be expected to be of much assistance to Mr. Trump. |
| During their session last week, Mr. Ryan said, he and Mr. Trump “started to get to know each other.” Now the question is whether a closer personal relationship between Mr. Trump and leading Washington Republicans makes things better or worse. | During their session last week, Mr. Ryan said, he and Mr. Trump “started to get to know each other.” Now the question is whether a closer personal relationship between Mr. Trump and leading Washington Republicans makes things better or worse. |