If the roller-coaster dip in Mr. Trump’s standing has heightened anxieties among Republican officials and political operatives, a steady if unspectacular performance by his running mate, Gov. Some Republicans doubt the party will take the step of completely abandoning Mr. Trump unless a landslide gap opens in the presidential race. In a growing list of House races, Democrats are showing ads that link Republican lawmakers directly to Mr. Trump. “The separation Republicans think they will see from Donald Trump is just defied by history.”A handful of Republicans have explicitly sought distance from Mr. Trump already. Few have gone even as far as Mr. Dold, fearing backlash from Mr. Trump’s ardent supporters — and perhaps from Mr. Trump himself, who has repeatedly attacked Republicans who have snubbed him.

Source: New York Times October 05, 2016 22:18 UTC