I’ll preface by stating that I’m not a member of any political party; I’m a Constitutional conservative, and if I were to be a member of any party, I suppose it would be the Tea Party, though they don’t actually have a formal “party” per se.
In this very blog, I’ve mocked and satirized Crazy Uncle Joe Biden several times as being the Clown Prince of Politics, but I think he’s now been deposed, proving the Left doesn’t have a monopoly on political lunacy.
Not very “presidential”. Is this why he wears a hat all the time now?
Exhibit A: “The Donald”, the guy with the world-class comb-over, proving one can be tacky and tasteless in appearance while at the same time exhibiting absolutely no discernible decorum or political acumen.
As George Santayana famously noted, “Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it”, and we can see that play out right now as Trump repeats the bombastic campaign of another eccentric billionaire with delusions of grandeur, Ross Perot, the guy who’s single-handedly responsible for us ever having to say the words “President Clinton”… at least, so far.
There have been other hyperbolic populists in the last few years who have enjoyed their moment in the sun before fading out of the limelight, Chris Christie coming immediately to mind. What is it about these guys that gives them such popularity – Trump currently being the GOP candidate with the highest individual poll numbers – in spite of their political record? Christie is a Northeastern “moderate” with a very mixed record on traditional conservative principles, who famously lauded Obama. Trump’s record on political contributions actually favors Democrats, including Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, John Kerry, and Hillary Clinton; he’s been registered as other than Republican several times over the last couple of decades, even running for President as a Reform Party candidate. He’s advocated restrictions on “assault weapons”, and increasing wait periods.
I think it’s pretty clear that Trump has virtually no chance at all of ever being elected President. In fact, if he were to somehow miraculously win, and if he tried to govern as he claims he would, he’d be either the most ineffective, or the worst, President in American history, as his “style” would be more suited to a dictator than the President of a republic.
I also think it’s instructive that many of the same people who have been criticizing Obama for years about his lack of experience before being elected President would actually support Trump, a man with even less… in fact, none at all.
So why all the hoopla? I think it’s because Trump – and Christie before him – personifies an approach to the arena that they wish was more prevalent in the legitimate candidates of their party: a willingness to be confrontational with a news media that largely and openly supports their opponents; aggressive advocacy on certain hot-button issues of the moment; and a perception of independence from vested party interests.
That last is a very key element, I believe. Sadly, the GOP of the post-Reagan era has become infamous for claiming to support traditional conservative principles, and then promptly abandoning them as working priorities as soon as they win the elections. There was a brief resurgence of conservatism during the Gingrich era, but it very quickly dissipated.
Instead, we’ve seen a constant parade of lackluster “moderate” candidates who can’t generate any![th[7] (4)](https://theviewfromtheisland.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/th7-4.jpg)
enthusiasm among the conservative base of the party. In fact, on a personal note, the 2008 nomination of John McCain was the final straw that caused me to renounce my own membership in the GOP of almost 40 years.
Even at the congressional level, we’ve see that same problem as recently as last year’s election, during which the GOP candidates ran on a platform of directly confronting Obama’s policies and fiats only to promptly abandon taking any real action as soon as they took office and the majorities of both chambers of Congress.
I think Trump has been imbued with a kind of representational fantasy, just as John Wayne was perceived as a “hero” because of all his exploits in westerns and war movies, though he never served a day in uniform or heard a shot fired in anger. He represents what they want that party’s legitimate candidates to do, and be like, and support.
All of which leads me to the conclusion that the fault for Trump’s current popularity can be laid right at the doorstep of the Establishment GOP itself, for failing to comprehend the unrest among its own claimed “base”.
©Brian Baker 2015
UPDATE: Recently released polling data by Quinnipiac shows Trump being the worst performer of any of the current Republican candidates in a matchup in the General Election, being soundly beaten by Clinton, Biden and even self-avowed socialist Bernie Sanders. Not only beaten, but solidly thumped. To quote the poll: “Trump has the worst favorability rating of any Republican or Democrat”.
Read it all for yourself: http://www.quinnipiac.edu/images/polling/us/us07302015_U645de.pdf
Second update: It looks like no less an intellectual illuminary than Thomas Sowell agrees with everything I said: http://townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/2015/08/04/the-trump-card-n2034124/page/full
The View from the Island 
Take a bow, pard. Spot-on. I wonder if Trump, knowing as certainly as I do, that the GOPe would NEVER back him should hell freeze over, and he wins the nomination, if he is just taking the media heat off the few legitimate contenders. He has a knack for sucking all the oxygen out of a room, and the media IS a circus, after all.
Thanks, Clyde, I appreciate that.
Y’know, we can’t read minds, so I always try to avoid proclaiming what someone else is “thinking”. But Trump has a very clear and extensive history, including more than one previous “run” for President, and I think we can draw some conclusions.
Who’s always the only beneficiary of his political ambitions? Trump himself. He declares himself a candidate, makes a lot of noise and gets a lot of press, then uses it to keep himself in the headlines long after he’s out of the race. The two most dangerous places in the world to be are between Michael Moore and the free buffet, and Trump and a camera lens. Trump seems to be all about Trump, and nothing else. One of the many reasons I find it impossible to take him at all seriously.
Good’un, my friend. I wouldn’t vote for Trump, but I am glad he’s running. He is forcing the other candidates to face up to serious issues that they have run away from in the past. That being said, when he has to face other real issues in debates, he will be exposed as a blowhard with no conservative chops.
Yeah, I can see that. As I said, the Establishment GOP hacks have no one to blame except themselves for Trump’s presence in the arena.
Excellent essay Brian.
I too am a constitutional conservative as you know. Let’s face it, the republicans abandoned their own stated principles long ago once Reagan left office. Now “conservatism” is just an buzz-word that has been focused group tested to be used in campaigns. Conservatives know it too.
Love Trump or hate him he has struck a nerve with voters that are frustrated with the bullshit artists dressed as our representatives. Trump has to his credit created a political conversation that no one else will touch. Illegals and the crime they commit, trade deals, border security, and others are the 3rd rail that any republican will not address because they are beholden to special
interests.
Do I think Trump is a political clown? YES. He is however driving the conversation and forcing the others to address uncomfortable issues.
Will he step on his pee-pee? More than likely. When that happens I hope he throws his support to Ted Cruz.
In the meantime, Trump is causing the average Joe to pay attention to the political process that they usually ignore until 2 weeks before the general election. Much of this is attributed to the media attention and Trump’s popularity among the reality TV crowd.
What we know for sure is that the establishment political class on both sides are pissed that he’s a player in the process and I think that’s a good thing.
Trump if elected could never govern as is his custom in private enterprize. He’d have 535 opponents and 9 Supremes that would magically discover the Constitution.
Thanks, Nox.
All of which is true. My biggest problems with Trump are that he himself is no real conservative, as his own history clearly shows. He’s a populist, not a true conservative with real convictions and beliefs. So, he has no real credibility. He’ll say and do anything just to see his name in the headlines. I think that’s hugely problematic, especially because real candidates now have to waste time debating and disputing a guy who’s just a noisemaker.
The few real candidates who actually ARE conservatives, like Cruz and Walker, can now be tarred with Trump’s nonsense in attempts to discredit THEM, an effect which can last long into the election cycle even AFTER Trump has vanished back off the scene. Again, a huge problem.
But, as I said, the PSP has definitely brought this on themselves, there’s no doubt about that.
Good’un, my friend.
While I wouldn’t vote for him, I AM glad he’s running because he is forcing the field to face issues they have ignored or run away from for a long time.
That being said, when HE has to face issues not of his choosing, he will be exposed as a blowhard and non-conservative. I foresee his numbers tumbling after a couple of debates.
Thanks again for the kind words, Craw.
:…between Michael Moore and the free buffet..” Yeah, that would scare anybody, lol.
It’s a given that Trump is not presidential material – neither was O and we’ve all suffered for it – but I give him credit for waking up the masses, especially on the illegal immigrant issue. It’s his style that did what the other more polished candidates haven’t done, at least not yet.
Trump is already mumbling and rambling when asked what he’d really do about illegals and amnesty and if he’s included in the debates, that will probably finish him off, along with a few more of the ‘also rans’. Cruz can talk circles around him, as can a few of the others.
I sure hope you’re right, Kathy. If so, he’s done his “good deed”, and it’s time for him to exit stage right.
You sure hit the nail on the head on this one also Mr. BrianR. I wouldn’t vote for Trump but I do wish the leaders in Congress would wake up unless it’s their frame of mind to join the Damocraps and destroy this great nation. They begged for the majority then when given they seem to have left this world behind and gone back to where ever they hide. I really haven’t seen any difference between the Repubs and the Demos except the method they use to lie.
Hahahaha!
Well said, Bill. I couldn’t agree more.
Remember Eisehnower had no political experience either. What kind of political experience did Washington have?
I doubt Trump will be the candidate but he is doing the folks a great service by pointing out the emperor’s empty clothes as well as the empty clothes closet.
I really think Trump’s foray into the field is to ferret out a true conservative and then throw his support behind him.
Were Trump not in the news just how much do you believe the illegal alien problem would’ve been in the news?
His choice for AG does not reflect a liberal background and in all probability his support for the Democrat politicians had more to do with business than politics.
And he could run on his own bankroll and not be beholden to business or lobbyists. I don’t think he will ‘step in it’. You don’t get to be a multi-billionaire by being stupid. He has got the attention of what Nixon called, “The Silent Majority” and their interest has been sorely lacking for too many years.
Instead of trashing Trump, the GOP politicians should be understanding just why he is resonating so well with folks and realize they are the winning votes. NOT the ‘Hispanic’ vote. By the way, the Americans of Hispanic heritage that are businessmen are not necessarily straight line Democrat votes.
Eisnehower’s jobs as SHAEF and Army Chief of Staff were almost ALL “political”. In fact, he had no experience as a combat commander.
I also disagree that “Trump’s foray into the field is to ferret out a true conservative and then throw his support behind him.” There’s absolutely nothing in his history to suggest that. Exactly the opposite, in fact. The only person Trump’s ever “thrown his support behind” is Trump. He’s a self-aggrandizing egotistical gasbag.
As to his “choice for AG”, that clearly illustrates my own point: did he even bother asking Gowdy HIS opinion of that little factoid? No, apparently he didn’t bother. I’m pretty sure it came as a big surprise to Gowdy, and if I were Gowdy I’d be highly pissed-off about it.
As to not “get(ting) to be a multi-billionaire by being stupid”, that has absolutely nothing to do with politics or governance. You don’t get to be a doctor by being stupid, either, but that doesn’t mean I’d trust one to design a skyscraper. I leave that to architects and engineers.
Point(s) taken…
Just submitted for your consideration.
Sorry Brian, but I’ve got to go with The Captain on this.I like the way Trump is telling everybody to piss-off. And, as most Presidents do, he will surround himself with a cabinet that tells them what to do anyway.
Blowhard or not, he is a refreshing change to the same old hackneyed empty promises we always get.
Cruz will be my 1st choice, but I’d vote for the Donald in a heartbeat. SOMETHING has to change in this country, and Trump would make it real interesting.
Hi, Terry. Nothing to be sorry about. As I often say, the only person in the world with whom I agree 100% of the time is… me!
First, I’ll have to disagree with YOU. Trump is at the head of my short list of people for whom I’d never, ever consider voting under any circumstances.
But let me ask you this: doesn’t he remind you of anybody? All that “straight talk” stuff; haven’t we heard that before? “Maverick”?
I’ve also got to disagree about him being a “refreshing change”. It may well be one thing for a guy with ESTABLISHED creds doing something like this… maybe.
But Trump has NO such credibility nor credentials. He’s a gadfly. He just does whatever strikes him on a whim with the ultimate goal being his own ego gratification and self-aggrandizement. In fact, his absurd rhetoric reminds me of no one so much as Hitler in the ’30s. If I thought he had any chance at all of ever being elected, I’d be VERY scared, frankly.
I understand your thought process. I just can’t agree. Yet. I’m with Terry. I still don’t think Trump will end up running but for the first time in a coon’s age he has the attention of the folks who have stayed home last two elections. What I don’t understand is just why are all the GOP candidates standing in line to bash him? Don’t they see he is showing them the way to the Oval Office? Right now Cruz seems the only candidate that calls a spade a spade and doesn’t trash Trump. If the rest of the field would quit acting like a bunch of jealous sorority girls and understand Trump is addressing the main problems of middle America they would be a step closer…
“What I don’t understand is just why are all the GOP candidates standing in line to bash him?”
Well, in the case of the Establishment hacks, the answer’s obvious: he upsets the apple cart. But in the case of the others, they probably bash him for the same reasons I do: he’s a foolish distraction.
I’ll say again: Trump has NO history or credibility as a conservative. He’s made more and bigger contributions to Democrats. He’s been on the wrong side of SEVERAL major issues, including gun control AND IMMIGRATION. He’s as much a “Republican” as Michael Bloomberg is, meaning it’s just a matter of political convenience so he can declare himself a candidate, get a lot of attention, and make a spectacle of himself. He has ZERO experience, even less than Obozo… and who’s been complaining for years about Obozo’s “lack of experience”? A lot of the same people lauding this moron.
He’s the very picture definition of “populist blowhard”, someone who finds an issue of the moment and adopts it for their own personal reasons having nothing to do with statesmanship. What are his core beliefs? Who the hell knows?
That very gassbaggery gives the entire non-Left field a tarnish by association; an appearance of extremism. And remember: I’M not some leftist Dem/socialist saying this. I’m a conservative who, I’d like to think, has some credibility.
The people of Hamelin thought the Pied Piper was great, too, until he led all their kids away.
A great subject for debate, Brian!
Who doesn’t have an opinion about “The Donald”? I know that I’ve got more than a few. As I’ve said before, I’m glad that he’s in the race. He’s stirring the pot, so to speak, and raising subjects that most of the other milquetoast candidates avoid like a third rail. In that respect, I think that he can act as a differentiator, forcing other candidates to weigh in on a subject that Trump has raised and getting their positions on the record.
Do I want him as president? Nope, I don’t, but (and this is one spot that I know we disagree on), if the choice comes down to Trump or Hillary, or Trump and Bernie Sanders, I will vote for Trump rather than not vote.
Frankly, I’m not so sure that Hillary is going to be the democrat candidate anyway. I think that her peccadilloes relative to her secret private emails, I’m beginning to think that she is approaching the point of being damaged goods and the dems will prefer to go with Joe Biden or someone else. I think that Hillary will perhaps “fall” again and injure herself and decide that she needs to spend more time with her family as a way out – to keep from being beaten by a REPUBLICAN!
But, back to Trump. I don’t really get your comparison with Obama where Trump comes off with no “experience” at all while Obama had more? When most people labeled Obama as being inexperienced, the references were to him never having “run” anything – which was true. Now, Trump doesn’t have the legal training (such as it was) that Obama had and Trump hasn’t campaigned for office, as Obama had, but Trump has managed a multitude of businesses – some successful, some not so much. But he has negotiated deals with other hard-nosed businessmen and governments. So I don’t see him as entirely inexperienced. Unless you mean Trump’s lack of credentials as a community organizer (LOL).
Finally, I’m also a Cruz supporter. I think that he’s the most conservative candidate in the group (but I like Walker too). My fervent hope is that The Donald will tire of the day-to-day slings and arrows of the campaign trail, decide that he prefers his controlled business world, and graciously bow out, throwing his support to Ted Cruz (wishful thinking).
And I do agree that the GOP establishment has its knickers in a bunch over Trump and all because they can’t control him. They don’t understand why he’s receiving so much positive response from the conservative base – and isn’t that the problem all along? They just refuse to understand and accept that they’ve been going in the wrong direction for decades?
Thanks, Garnet! I agree that it’s a great (and fun) debate amongst like-minded people.
You raised some really interesting points. First, I’m with you: Cruz is my #1 choice. Walker’s looking real good, too.
Let me address a couple of your points. As I’ve said before, yes, Trump has experience in the business world, which IMO has absolutely no bearing or relationship to the political world. So, politically, he has zero experience. You can’t run a presidency like you can a business; the idea’s absurd.
When Trump bleats that he’ll “make Mexico” do his bidding, how exactly does he plan on actually DOING that? He just going to wave a magic wand? Invade? What? Last I looked, they’re a sovereign nation, though a failed one. What about Putin? He gonna just quake in his boots about Trump and his combover? Trump claims he’s going to “make” Congress do what he wants. How? Need I even go on?
That’s EXACTLY what I mean by populist gassbaggery. A lot of empty hot air that is completely meaningless when you actually look at it objectively. It also clearly illustrates why his experience as a businessman has absolutely no relevance to the presidency. A CEO can order around his employees and subcontractors, but those aren’t the players in the political arena, and a President can’t do that. In fact, if he tried, not only would he look idiotic, but he’d be even WORSE than Obozo and his endless stream of imperial fiats.
As to Trump tiring and doing something else, I don’t see that at this point. In fact, as I mentioned, he’s duplicating the Perot arc, and look how well that turned out. Trump’s WAY too much of a showboat and egotist to fade away; that’s the problem. Otherwise I wouldn’t have wasted an essay on him. I can see him sticking in no matter what, even going the independent route, and completely throwing a wrench in the works, then laughing all the way to the next interview after the election in which the Dem/socialist wins. HE HAS NO REAL CORE PRINCIPLES, other than whatever serves himself best. The ultimate narcissist, seasoned with nihilism.
As to your closing paragraph: of course! That’s the point I made in my own closing paragraph of my essay. I guess the big difference here is that I see him as FAR more of a danger than any of you guys do.
I’m not saying he is or isn’t. I’m just saying he is vocalizing what mainstream America is pissed about and THAT is what the serious candidates should be paying attention to. NOT trying to convince Larry Lunchbucket that Juan is just here for jobs no American will do and is honorable, hard working and you’d elect him your son’s scout leader.
The problem is that there actually ARE “serious candidates” doing just that; Cruz comes immediately to mind; Jindal, too.
So why is Trump getting all the attention? Think about that for a sec.
Cruz, Jindal and Walker are all legitimate candidates with established conservative credentials and applicable experience: two state governors and a US Senator. They’ve all staked out the same positions on the issues, essentially, as Trump. Yet they get almost no coverage, other than occasional snide articles in the MSM, and their poll numbers aren’t very good.
Then there’s Trump, an utter buffoon screaming like a petulant child, with the press all over him allowing him to make a spectacle of himself.
So… who benefits? Qui bono?
Well, Trump, of course, because he’s got his face all over the place, which has been his life-long raison d’etre. But who else?
The leftists, that’s who. Because he manages to make core conservative principles look like the ravings of a lunatic, with the aiding and abetment of the leftist press giving him all that coverage.
“But Brian, look at his poll numbers”, you respond.
Yes, let’s actually look at them. Right now, in a very divided GOP field, he has the highest individual polling numbers, BUT… when you look at the polls reflecting actual election day projections, Trump is beaten by every single potential Dem candidate, even including Bernie Sanders. BERNIE SANDERS THE SELF-AVOWED SOCIALIST!
So the end result is that, no matter what, Trump is a waste of time, and in the meantime he’ll manage to despoil and tar the actual debate we have to have in the GOP to determine their candidate. Even after he’s gone — which will hopefully be yesterday — his stench will linger on, allowing the Dem candidate to tar the GOP candidate with the taint of Trumpism in their own debates.
I don’t think they can ‘tar’ a GOP candidate who steps forward and speaks on the illegal alien problem, the welfare problem, the political corruption problem as well as all the other problems on the minds of the Middle America.
I know I sure could. All I’d have to do is say: “Now you sound like Donald Trump”, and the other guy would have to waste time trying to defend himself against that charge. Easy-peazy.
Wouldn’t work. For all his bluster Trump is effing right. That’s why he is so high in the polls. He is saying what Middle America has been wanting to hear since RR…
No, you’re not reading the right polls, Buck. As I mentioned earlier, the polling that pits Hillary against each of the GOP candidates actually shows Trump as being her WEAKEST challenger. He does WORSE against her than almost any of the other GOPers.
He’s high in the polls only compared to other GOPers, a field which is badly split right now among 16 (I think) total candidates. The electorate is about evenly split between cons and libs, so think of half a pie. Then split that half into 16 slices. If one slice is a tiny bit bigger than the others it’s going to be significantly larger at the expense of the other slices, which are going to be smaller, obviously. But that DOESN’T translate into a huge piece of the pie, no matter what.
Same thing with Trump. His numbers compared to other GOPers don’t mean much when you consider the electorate as a whole, and thinking there’s some huge national outpouring of support for that braying jackass is a huge mistake. The numbers DON’T reflect that at all.
Here’s that polling data, from Quinnipiac, well known for reliable and accurate polling:
Click to access us07302015_U645de.pdf
EVERYBODY beats Trump in the General Election, even Bernie Sanders. Trump has the WORST results of any of the GOPers, even among other GOP voters. Read it for yourself.
I have mixed emotions concerning Trump. I am enjoying how he is making fools of the Liberal/Socialist lame stream media. I am also enjoying how he has “touched” a chord with the American public by speaking about immigration and the failed policies of the Democrats.But I, like you, know that he could make the worst president we ever had only surpassed by Obama.
I like Cruz and Jindal, although Jindal would probably be a better VP candidate. I am not sure about Walker, I keep reading articles about his political beliefs that have me worried.
If it came down to Hilliary or Trump, I would vote Trump. I know what Hilliary is capable of after her thirty years in the political arena. I just hope Trump doesn’t hurt Conservatives in the 2016 election.
PS: On a personal note, I just attended my “middle” grandson’s 12th birthday party. I got him a Davey Crickett, “youth size”, single shot .22 caliber rifle. He was very excited to say the least. We are both looking forward to squirrel season in the Mississippi Delta.
The problem as I see it, Grey, is that he isn’t “making fools” of the other guys; he’s making conservative principles look foolish and extreme.
I’ll also reiterate what I wrote in the essay. If he gets thumped in the primaries, I can EASILY see him continuing the Perot arc and running as an Independent, and REALLY f-ing things up. His ego is that big, and since he’s neither a real Republican nor a real conservative — and it’s all about HIM — I’d give good odds on him doing just that.
That’s pretty cool for your grandson! Memories of a lifetime for both of you.
My daughter was about 6 or so the first time I took her shooting. I set up a videocam on a tripod and recorded it, and to this day we both get a kick out of watching it.
You are not seeing what I am seeing. Trump has the lion’s share of the pie but as other GOP candidates drop out, where are their numbers going to go? If Jindal dropped out where do you think his support would go? Bush? Hardly. Graham? Don’t think so. Right now Trump has the conservative ear. Or more like the ear of the folks who have stayed home for the last two cycles and are hungry for someone who will not mealy-mouth around the issues. This is the shame of the entire GOP field, Cruz maybe the lone exception. They are all piling on, parroting the Dem/GOPe bash Trump…Kill the messenger, so to speak, and it is just bringing out more support for Trump.
Did you even look at the Quinnipiac poll I linked?
Trump loses if he’s nominated, no matter WHO he runs against. It’s just that simple.
I also remember the now famous picture of Truman holding up the Chicago Tribune morning newspaper with the headline, “Dewey Defeats Truman.”
Polls ain’t everything.
And yet… what are you using as the basis for your claim of Trump’s popularity?
Would that be… polls?
Trump will be exposed as a blowhard poser who is not really a conservative during the debates. His support for Democrat policies will be brought up early and often.
When that happens, the people supporting him now will trend toward the anti-establishment conservatives. This bodes well for Cruz and Jindal, and maybe Walker.
Eventually, this will boil down to 2 conservatives, 1 moderate, and 1 Democrat fighting for the GOP nomination. I think those will be Cruz, Jindal, Rubio, and Jeb.
I think that’s a pretty good call, Craw. It would also be a primary worth voting in. The wild card then would be whether or not Trump decides to go the Independent route, acting as a spoiler, and completing the Perot parallel.
(BTW, I saw you posted essentially the same comment as “Anonymous”, I guess without clicking in or whatever it does. I just deleted that one, since it was basically the same comment)
More polling data on Trump v. Clinton:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_clinton-5491.html
No matter how you cut it, Trump gets his butt kicked..
Nicely done…I’m just gonna say that if the eGOP is missing what is right in front of them, we’re screwed!! Trump is giving them electable gold points, FFS!!!
I am sick to death of Bernie Lovers thinking he’s newer or better as opposed to telling people what they want to effing hear!!!! I’m sick that anyone can consider HRC at ALL.
Cruz or Walker. NoRubio. Jindal….hmmm.
Having spent three days in Canada over the weekend…people don’t know what they have here and electing another dem or social conservative (heh) will be more erosion of the Constitution. A Crispian til I die….
Can you imagine a sign for an 18 wheeled logging truck en route on a two lane: Residential area. Avoid braking. Excessive Noise Prohibited
WTF?!!! What does Canada have other than logging and effing government jobs? No one thinks for themselves!!!!
Argh!!!!
Thanks, Nee.
Screwed indeed! This is probably the weirdest election of my lifetime. We actually have some decent candidates from the GOP for the first time in a long time, while the Dem/socialists are fielding a bunch of eminently beatable losers — I mean, c’mon, Sanders the Socialist and Clinton with her boat load of baggage — and we have a chucklehead like Trump throwing a wrench into the whole works. W. T. F?
ArgH!! is right!
Like you, Crispie forever. Every election proves us more and more right!
Jeez Louise…
I’m afraid that i just can’t take Trump seriously. To me, he’s in the same category as Pat Paulson. I guess we can count ourselves lucky that he hasn’t hauled out the charts and graphs, a la Big Ears. I haven’t been interested enough in Trump to look beyond the headlines. Although, I would think that a guy with his supposed business experience would do better job of assembling a team to keep his foot out his mouth. The man contradicts himself constantly!
Trump isn’t even on my long list!
Hey, Sarge! Always great to hear from you. How have you been?
“Long list”… Hilarious! I wish I’d thought of it. I’m with you on that.
I’m doing well, thanks for asking. I guess the silly season is upon us once again. I can’t say that I’m looking forward to yet another GOP cavalry charge. 17 candidates!!! What a nightmare.
Does the term “circular firing squad” seem appropriate?
It looks like one of our leading intellectuals, Thomas Sowell, agrees about 100% with my essay:
http://townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/2015/08/04/the-trump-card-n2034124/page/full
…gut feeling…
Okay. Fair enough. But also maybe wishful thinking?
Believe me, I understand the appeal of the message. But the problem lies with the messenger, and it’s a HUGE problem. Again, think Ross Perot.
Better yet, there’s an example we out here in Commiefornia had to live through. Another rich, egotistical, gasbag celebrity who claimed to be a “Republican” with lots of business experience and zero political experience, who’d reform Sacramento and make the “politicians” toe the line. He actually won. Maybe you’ve heard of him? Arnold Schwarzenegger?
He turned out to be the absolute worst Governor in the state’s history.
Oh. For a minute I thought you were talking about Ronald Reagan. Zero experience before being Governor. Right?
Dude… but he WAS a Governor, wasn’t he? He was also President of the Screen Actors Guild.
And seriously; are you comparing that jackass TRUMP to Reagan??????????? Or comparing Reagan to Schwarzenegger? Really?
Wow. You’re really thrashing around now.
No I’m just saying Reagan proved you don’t have to be a professional politician to do a good job. Schwarzenegger proved you don’t have to be a professional politician to do a really shitty job. Common sense trumps experience every time.
But that’s my point, Buck. Reagan WAS a “professional politician”. Yeah, he started out as an actor, but then he ran for and won office as president of the Screen Actors’ Guild twice, ran for and won office twice as Governor of California, twice ran for and lost the nomination as the GOP presidential candidate, and finally ran for and won the presidency of the country. That’s about as “professional” a politician as one can be.
There was a “Blurb” in this a.m. news. Seems just before announcing his candidacy Trump had a phone con with William Jefferson Clinton….
Kinda makes me go, “Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,”
I have to say, I’m not surprised, Buck. He was a major guest at their daughter’s wedding. He’s contributed a ton to their Foundation.
DING! DING! DING! What I have been saying has just come across on O’Reilly the Bloviator.
A guest talking about Trump”
“You can dismiss the candidate but you cannot dismiss the MESSAGE!” (caps mine)
Buck, I’ve never criticized the message. Read the essay again; what am I saying? I’m saying that though Trump CLAIMS to be a conservative, he’s full of bullshit, and he’s a populist, meaning he’s simply spouting a message he personally doesn’t believe in simply to sell his snake oil. Just to get people behind him.
THAT’S the message here.
What are the principles I’ve stood for my whole life, and that you’ve seen me writing about for almost a decade? A lot of the same stuff Trump CLAIMS to support. The difference is that I REALLY believe that stuff, and have a well-established history to prove it. What do we have with Trump? A guy who’ll do or say ANYTHING just to keep the cameras focused on himself. His documented history actually shows him to be a well-established liberal with a history of donating to Dems, attending Dem social functions, hanging around with Dems, supporting gun control, supporting abortion, supporting amnesty, etc. Why in hell any real conservative would even CONSIDER supporting this lunatic is completely beyond me.
How did I end my essay? By saying that the GOP has brought this idiot upon themselves by NOT vocalizing the very stuff he’s actually saying. The difference would (hopefully) be that THEY really believe it, and would fight for it. Trump? Who in hell KNOWS what that lying egotist would do?
I’ve always despised Trump as being a blowhard braggart who’s all about himself, the embodiment of the kind of person I’ve always scorned and hated my whole life. And I haven’t seen one thing change. I don’t trust that schmuck any further than I can throw his Trump Tower.