These Republicans secretly wish Clinton would just win the election already

Hillary Clinton is looking like the better choice for Republicans.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 13 September 2016

Donald Trump's rebound in the polls is beginning to make quite a lot of people feel unexpectedly nervous — even ones who are supposed to be on his side. With Hillary Clinton's campaign suddenly unsteady on its feet following the disastrous attempt to cover up the fact that the candidate is suffering from pneumonia, some conservatives are suddenly wondering what will happen if, seemingly against all odds, they actually win.

"I've heard a lot of conservatives voicing frustration, like, 'How f---ing hard is this, Hillary?' That's the only reason I'm panicked these days … I'm losing faith in Hillary's ability to win this easy-ass election," conservative ad-maker Ben Howe told BuzzFeed.

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"A lot of these guys are really pissed," said a conservative donor adviser. Over the summer, when Trump's campaign was foundering, "they thought they'd gotten a pass — but now that Clinton is going off the rails, they're like, 'D--- it, now am I gonna have to give this guy money?'"The adviser added that most Republican donors will hedge their bets and contribute to Trump if the race is close, but he said they are generally less wary of a Clinton White House. "If she wins, they aren't going to love it, but they're not going to be facing the apocalypse either — and by apocalypse, I mean actual nuclear warfare." [BuzzFeed]

Another Republican, after watching the Clinton campaign's weekend stumble, summed it up for BuzzFeed: "I'm curled up in the fetal position watching The West Wing and drinking a basketful of deplorable liquor." Read more quotes from panicking Republicans at BuzzFeed.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.