Republican candidates' despicably lukewarm criticism of Donald Trump

Only Lindsey Graham had the courage to tell the whole truth

It's time to stand up to The Donald.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

You may remember that a year ago, Jeb Bush was musing on the Republican primary when he said that a winning GOP candidate would have "to be much more uplifting, much more positive, much more willing to... lose the primary to win the general [election] without violating your principles." While the assumption at the time was that Bush was thinking mostly about immigration, it turns out that what we might call Bush's Paradox applies to a whole range of issues.

Right now, the candidates are facing that paradox, in a profound test of their principles. And they're failing.

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Paul Waldman

Paul Waldman is a senior writer with The American Prospect magazine and a blogger for The Washington Post. His writing has appeared in dozens of newspapers, magazines, and web sites, and he is the author or co-author of four books on media and politics.