Chuck Todd: Unity may prove elusive for the country — but not here

MILWAUKEE — Ever since the nomination of Dwight Eisenhower in 1952, there was a saying about Republicans and their nominees for president: They fall in line more than they fall in love.

MILWAUKEE — Ever since the nomination of Dwight Eisenhower in 1952, there was a saying about Republicans and their nominees for president: They fall in line more than they fall in love.

Ike, Richard Nixon, both Bushes, Bob Dole, John McCain, Mitt Romney — all of them beat back more passionate conservative challengers.

And up until 2012, there was almost an unofficial rule that whoever finished second in the previous GOP presidential primary campaign became the initial default front-runner four or eight years later. Ronald Reagan lost in ’76 and then won the nod in ’80. Bush lost to Reagan in ’80 and won the nod in ’88. Dole lost the nod to Bush in ’88 and ended up the nominee in ’96. In 2000, the initial two front-runners were a Dole (Elizabeth) and Bush (the oldest son). And what happened in 2008? The candidate who ended up as Bush’s chief foe in 2000, McCain, got the nod, followed in 2012 by Romney, fresh off of losing out to McCain in ’08.

The lone exceptions to the “fall in line” atmosphere of the GOP for six-plus decades were Barry Goldwater and Reagan, each of whom led their parties to historic landslides — one huge loss and one huge win.

And it’s a reminder of what nominating a “fall in love” candidate can do versus a “fall in line” nominee. The passion can be energizing, but it can also mask reality if the passionate wing of the party is too myopic. That clearly happened to the GOP in ’64 (and to the Democratic mirror image of Goldwater eight years later, George McGovern).

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/chuck-todd-unity-may-prove-elusive-country-not-rcna162204

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