The GOP's 2016 Presidential Roster Is Already Melting Down

A once-promising roster of Republican presidential hopefuls in 2016 is slowly coming apart, tarnished by individual scandals as well as the struggles of some candidates to keep faith with the conservative base's stubborn rightward shift.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is the latest to fall from grace, as a political retribution-laced scandal implicating his top officials continues to make national headlines, fueling a narrative about his alleged history of being a bully. Christie's plunge is particularly painful for Republican operatives because of his dually strong conservative record and cross-partisan appeal.

Late last month, before Christie apologized for his aides' decision to cause traffic jams on the George Washington Bridge, he was leading Hillary Clinton by two points in a national CNN/ORC International poll. By late last week, he was trailing her by 13 points, according to an NBC News/Marist poll.

Christie is not the only A-list Republican whose standing has diminished.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/gop-2016-roster-meltdown