We begin today’s roundup with Matthew Cooper at Newsweek:
This was supposed to be the day the establishment began to rein in Trump. The debate was down to only four candidates. And Mitt Romney entered stage right, delivering a speech in Utah denouncing the Donald as a “phony,” a lousy businessman, a danger to America and a bigot to boot. “His promises,” Romney sniffed. “Are as worthless as a degree from Trump University.”
All of that may be true, but Romney was about the worst person to make it. It was like sending a crew-cut gym teacher to the microphone at Woodstock and asking the hippies to settle down. Too little. Too late.
And here’s The New York Times on Mitt Romney’s anti-Trump speech:
Holy Mitt, what a meltdown.
Add this one to Donald Trump’s lengthening list of firsts: He’s forced a Republican Party reckoning overdue for years, all in a few days. It took the Trump-dominated Super Tuesday contests to awaken Republican leaders to the fact that the darkest elements of the party’s base, which many of them have embraced or exploited, are now threatening their party. [...]
It is an excellent thing that the Republican leaders have noticed the problem they’ve fostered, now embodied in the Trump candidacy. But until they see the need to alter the views and policies they have promoted for years, removing Mr. Trump will not end the party’s crisis.
