Donald Trump

I really don’t have much new to say about him. I just want to make sure that he continues to get 90% or more of all media attention from amongst the plethora of Republican presidential candidates.

Here’s something new. He just got an important endorsement. Yeah, from Dennis Rodman. This is going to be one strange election cycle.

Here's something new. He just got an important endorsement. Yeah, from Dennis Rodman. This is going to be one strange election cycle.
Great. With Rodman's endorsement maybe he can get Kim Jong-un to be his running mate. Then we'll really have a race.

I recognize the perverse aspects of my and many Americans’ fascination with Donald Trump’s early success in his political endeavor. But it is fascinating. IMO, on the face of it, he simply does not have the character and demeanor of anyone who should be seriously considered as a potential POTUS. That he is leading his competitors by such a large number in national polls was unexpected.
Will his early successes with gaining some nationwide constituency be tempered by what happens in the debates? One would think so, but really we can only wait and see. In Iowa, the first primary election, with its caucuses format, the factors that have lead to Trump’s relative national popularity will not be sufficient, of themselves to translate into success for him, there. Might he also have the political astuteness and organizational skills to make a decent showing there? That will be interesting to see.
Regardless, however, of the probability(?) that Trump will have difficulty winning early primaries, he has an important advantage that most of his current competitors don’t. Without early primary successes, most will not be able to sustain staying in the race due to not being able to raise sufficient money to do so. Trump is not bound by this reality. Also, he generates almost constant publicity, even without funding. Trump can stay in the primary race as long as he wishes. If he has the organizational skills, to do so, he could even mount a serious third party candidacy, should the RNC find a way to push him out of the Republican Primary race. (Of course, whether he has the political organizational skills to effect a credible Third Party run, which would require a monumental effort, is also not known, at this point.)
We progressives and Democrats, in general, hold some sense of amusement at Trump’s rise and the consternation and difficulties this poses for the Republican Party. And serious political thinkers on both sides, give little credence to the possibility that Trump can win the Republican nomination, but unexpected things do happen, and have been happening of late. OMg! (Oxygen Magnesium!) What if…?

So far, Donald Trump is fuc*ing awesome.
He is the first possible presidential candidate in my life that I’m happy about. Trump’s insults have done more good than anything that affirmative action case Barack has done in his tenure.
My only fear is that he might soften up as he gets more successful.

So far Trump is a one trick pony spewing his invective on illegal immigration. When asked about any other issue he obfuscates, gives a crowd pleasing glittering generality or ignores the question. The wingnuts like him because he “shoots from the hip”, not caring a whit about what the general public (those who are listening) thinks. It gives him the patina of leadership but in reality he’s a bombastic actor/businessman seeking publicity or his next reality show. I predict that he will flame out after a few debates when being exposed by hard core questions, his simplistic answers won’t be sufficient to win the Rep. Moderates who already hate him for attacks on McCain and several of the other party favorites. Or he’ll quit after spending a few million bucks from his personal campaign chest. People forget that Sarah Palin rode high in the polls once, now even FOX dumped her.
Cap’t Jack

Will his early successes with gaining some nationwide constituency be tempered by what happens in the debates? One would think so, but really we can only wait and see. In Iowa, the first primary election, with its caucuses format, the factors that have lead to Trump's relative national popularity will not be sufficient, of themselves to translate into success for him, there. Might he also have the political astuteness and organizational skills to make a decent showing there? That will be interesting to see.
He's a close second in Iowa polls, and well ahead in New Hampshire.]
We progressives and Democrats, in general, hold some sense of amusement at Trump's rise and the consternation and difficulties this poses for the Republican Party. And serious political thinkers on both sides, give little credence to the possibility that Trump can win the Republican nomination, but unexpected things do happen, and have been happening of late. OMg! (Oxygen Magnesium!) What if...?
In high school, some wag suggested that everyone vote for the two most unpopular kids in the senior class to be king and queen of the Sweetheart Dance. We all laughed, since it was a small school, and figured that no matter who we voted for, it'd be the same couple that won for every other dance. Nope. The freaks won, and were crowned king and queen. This is one of the reasons why I think that folks who believe it'd help their side to vote for the nuttiest guy in the opposing party's primary is a Really Bad Idea. (The other has to do with the outcome of the 2000 Presidential election.)
So far Trump is a one trick pony spewing his invective on illegal immigration. When asked about any other issue he obfuscates, gives a crowd pleasing glittering generality or ignores the question. The wingnuts like him because he "shoots from the hip", not caring a whit about what the general public (those who are listening) thinks. It gives him the patina of leadership but in reality he's a bombastic actor/businessman seeking publicity or his next reality show. I predict that he will flame out after a few debates when being exposed by hard core questions, his simplistic answers won't be sufficient to win the Rep. Moderates who already hate him for attacks on McCain and several of the other party favorites. Or he'll quit after spending a few million bucks from his personal campaign chest. People forget that Sarah Palin rode high in the polls once, now even FOX dumped her. Cap't Jack
Another possibility is that he will go insane. Remember Ross Perot? He did a 3rd party candidacy, but dropped out of the race the last several months of the election, then got back in at the last minute, claiming that some sort of conspiracy to defame his daughter as gay, as being the reason he interrupted his candidacy. Despite this, however, he did get a pretty good percentage in the national election.
Will his early successes with gaining some nationwide constituency be tempered by what happens in the debates? One would think so, but really we can only wait and see. In Iowa, the first primary election, with its caucuses format, the factors that have lead to Trump's relative national popularity will not be sufficient, of themselves to translate into success for him, there. Might he also have the political astuteness and organizational skills to make a decent showing there? That will be interesting to see.
He's a close second in Iowa polls, and well ahead in New Hampshire.]
We progressives and Democrats, in general, hold some sense of amusement at Trump's rise and the consternation and difficulties this poses for the Republican Party. And serious political thinkers on both sides, give little credence to the possibility that Trump can win the Republican nomination, but unexpected things do happen, and have been happening of late. OMg! (Oxygen Magnesium!) What if...?
In high school, some wag suggested that everyone vote for the two most unpopular kids in the senior class to be king and queen of the Sweetheart Dance. We all laughed, since it was a small school, and figured that no matter who we voted for, it'd be the same couple that won for every other dance. Nope. The freaks won, and were crowned king and queen. This is one of the reasons why I think that folks who believe it'd help their side to vote for the nuttiest guy in the opposing party's primary is a Really Bad Idea. (The other has to do with the outcome of the 2000 Presidential election.) Yeah, it is within the realm of possibility that Trump could win the Republican nomination, but I think, in order to do so, he will have to show some skills that he has not yet demonstrated, in political organization. Then, in a campaign against the Democratic candidate, he would be faced with severe scrutiny of his own negatives, which should prove to be his downfall. This is why he poses such a perplexing problem to the RNC. (Personally, I hope that the RNC does not successfully solve this conundrum.)
Yeah, it is within the realm of possibility that Trump could win the Republican nomination, but I think, in order to do so, he will have to show some skills that he has not yet demonstrated, in political organization.
Even if he's only worth $4 billion, as some estimates put him, he has enough money that he can hire whomever he wants to handle that for him.
Then, in a campaign against the Democratic candidate, he would be faced with severe scrutiny of his own negatives, which should prove to be his downfall. This is why he poses such a perplexing problem to the RNC. (Personally, I hope that the RNC does not successfully solve this conundrum.)
His past behavior and statements should have been enough to keep him from ever getting any traction the moment he announced. It hasn't. Instead, he's shot to the head of the pack. This isn't merely telling, but its also worrying. As many have pointed out, he's not deviating from GOP ideas, he's just being more blunt about it, and the base loves him for it. Its possible that like Rick Perry, he'll flameout during one of the debates, but I doubt if he'll do it, since unlike Perry, Trump is a master of bluster. Nor does his nomination by the GOP mean an automatic win for the Dems. Its entirely possible that Hillary or Sanders will swallow a foot in the waning days of the campaign and turn their supporters off. Even if Trump doesn't win, if he continues to do well, he sets a dangerous precedent: The guy who just gets up there and waves his dick around does better than the folks who talk about things like "policy." Which means that the 2020 candidate will be more inclined to follow Trump's model than that of Walker, Huckabee, etc. Ideally, that it'll make it easier for him to go down in defeat, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
Will his early successes with gaining some nationwide constituency be tempered by what happens in the debates? One would think so, but really we can only wait and see. In Iowa, the first primary election, with its caucuses format, the factors that have lead to Trump's relative national popularity will not be sufficient, of themselves to translate into success for him, there. Might he also have the political astuteness and organizational skills to make a decent showing there? That will be interesting to see.
He's a close second in Iowa polls, and well ahead in New Hampshire.]
We progressives and Democrats, in general, hold some sense of amusement at Trump's rise and the consternation and difficulties this poses for the Republican Party. And serious political thinkers on both sides, give little credence to the possibility that Trump can win the Republican nomination, but unexpected things do happen, and have been happening of late. OMg! (Oxygen Magnesium!) What if...?
In high school, some wag suggested that everyone vote for the two most unpopular kids in the senior class to be king and queen of the Sweetheart Dance. We all laughed, since it was a small school, and figured that no matter who we voted for, it'd be the same couple that won for every other dance. Nope. The freaks won, and were crowned king and queen. This is one of the reasons why I think that folks who believe it'd help their side to vote for the nuttiest guy in the opposing party's primary is a Really Bad Idea. (The other has to do with the outcome of the 2000 Presidential election.) Yeah, it is within the realm of possibility that Trump could win the Republican nomination, but I think, in order to do so, he will have to show some skills that he has not yet demonstrated, in political organization. Then, in a campaign against the Democratic candidate, he would be faced with severe scrutiny of his own negatives, which should prove to be his downfall. This is why he poses such a perplexing problem to the RNC. (Personally, I hope that the RNC does not successfully solve this conundrum.) Ross Perot is a good example of how early polling results mean nothing. He, too, was ahead in the polls while seeking the Republican nomination and continued to have favorable results when he lost the Republican nomination and decided to create a third party. There are many parallels between Perot and Trump. Both were successful businessmen who were never elected or appointed to any political office. Both are populists appealing to the lowest segment of the electorate. Both received a lot of attention, press and high polling numbers while they were running. I predict that Trump will do no better than Perot did. He is a three-day wonder, just like Perot was, but much more of a clown. The US electorate doesn't vote for an untried candidate with no political experience no matter what their positions or promises are, no matter how loudly they express them and no matter how entertaining they may be.. We can all be grateful for that modicum of sense among the electorate. Lois
Yeah, it is within the realm of possibility that Trump could win the Republican nomination, but I think, in order to do so, he will have to show some skills that he has not yet demonstrated, in political organization.
Even if he's only worth $4 billion, as some estimates put him, he has enough money that he can hire whomever he wants to handle that for him.
Then, in a campaign against the Democratic candidate, he would be faced with severe scrutiny of his own negatives, which should prove to be his downfall. This is why he poses such a perplexing problem to the RNC. (Personally, I hope that the RNC does not successfully solve this conundrum.)
His past behavior and statements should have been enough to keep him from ever getting any traction the moment he announced. It hasn't. Instead, he's shot to the head of the pack. This isn't merely telling, but its also worrying. As many have pointed out, he's not deviating from GOP ideas, he's just being more blunt about it, and the base loves him for it. Its possible that like Rick Perry, he'll flameout during one of the debates, but I doubt if he'll do it, since unlike Perry, Trump is a master of bluster. Nor does his nomination by the GOP mean an automatic win for the Dems. Its entirely possible that Hillary or Sanders will swallow a foot in the waning days of the campaign and turn their supporters off. Even if Trump doesn't win, if he continues to do well, he sets a dangerous precedent: The guy who just gets up there and waves his dick around does better than the folks who talk about things like "policy." Which means that the 2020 candidate will be more inclined to follow Trump's model than that of Walker, Huckabee, etc. Ideally, that it'll make it easier for him to go down in defeat, but I wouldn't hold my breath. I agree with your points. Though, re: the debates, I also doubt that Trump will make the same sort of flameout mistake as did Perry, as Trump can think on his feet, and Perry cannot. But Trump has regularly said some stupid things, and will likely do so in the debates as well. I think it will be a matter of whether he can brush those aside, effectively, as he has done so far, when he is faced directly by his Republican candidate opponents. Perhaps he can. We'll see. Heck, it is possible he could come out of the debates, even stronger. As far as the ultimate general election, with the possibility of Trump, Republican vs. any reasonable Democratic nominee, I would take that match up, though as you say, anything could happen. But if it comes to that, I don't know that it would be any worse to have a President Trump, rather than a President Jeb W. Bush, or Pres. Scott Walker, or Pres. (that baby-faced guy from Fla. who is thirsty a lot), or Pres. (Christian theology rules) Huckabee, or ... must I go on?
... We can all be grateful for that modicum of sense among the electorate. Lois
In the general election, I would say that the electorate usually shows a modicum of sense, but even there, it is often a close call either way. (Would you suggest that an electorate that elected George W. Bush TWICE!, had a modicum of sense?) As far as the Republican primary electorate having a modicum of sense? Uhh... I wouldn't bet on that. Although the RNC and the general system usually results in the Republicans putting forth one of their most nationally presentable figures (although that may not be saying much) forth as their Presidential nominee, Trump is, currently, at least, throwing the general system on its head.
Yeah, it is within the realm of possibility that Trump could win the Republican nomination, but I think, in order to do so, he will have to show some skills that he has not yet demonstrated, in political organization.
Even if he's only worth $4 billion, as some estimates put him, he has enough money that he can hire whomever he wants to handle that for him.
Then, in a campaign against the Democratic candidate, he would be faced with severe scrutiny of his own negatives, which should prove to be his downfall. This is why he poses such a perplexing problem to the RNC. (Personally, I hope that the RNC does not successfully solve this conundrum.)
His past behavior and statements should have been enough to keep him from ever getting any traction the moment he announced. It hasn't. Instead, he's shot to the head of the pack. This isn't merely telling, but its also worrying. As many have pointed out, he's not deviating from GOP ideas, he's just being more blunt about it, and the base loves him for it. Its possible that like Rick Perry, he'll flameout during one of the debates, but I doubt if he'll do it, since unlike Perry, Trump is a master of bluster. Nor does his nomination by the GOP mean an automatic win for the Dems. Its entirely possible that Hillary or Sanders will swallow a foot in the waning days of the campaign and turn their supporters off. Even if Trump doesn't win, if he continues to do well, he sets a dangerous precedent: The guy who just gets up there and waves his dick around does better than the folks who talk about things like "policy." Which means that the 2020 candidate will be more inclined to follow Trump's model than that of Walker, Huckabee, etc. Ideally, that it'll make it easier for him to go down in defeat, but I wouldn't hold my breath. I agree with your points. Though, re: the debates, I also doubt that Trump will make the same sort of flameout mistake as did Perry, as Trump can think on his feet, and Perry cannot. But Trump has regularly said some stupid things, and will likely do so in the debates as well. I think it will be a matter of whether he can brush those aside, effectively, as he has done so far, when he is faced directly by his Republican candidate opponents. Perhaps he can. We'll see. Heck, it is possible he could come out of the debates, even stronger. As far as the ultimate general election, with the possibility of Trump, Republican vs. any reasonable Democratic nominee, I would take that match up, though as you say, anything could happen. But if it comes to that, I don't know that it would be any worse to have a President Trump, rather than a President Jeb W. Bush, or Pres. Scott Walker, or Pres. (that baby-faced guy from Fla. who is thirsty a lot), or Pres. (Christian theology rules) Huckabee, or ... must I go on? At the very least, the others have been elected to something, Trump has not. They, presumably know SOMETHING about how representative politics and the separation of powers work, though that is very faint praise. I do not think Trump knows and he wouldn't be a quick study. I fervently hope he never gets the channce to prove me right! Lois
I agree with your points. Though, re: the debates, I also doubt that Trump will make the same sort of flameout mistake as did Perry, as Trump can think on his feet, and Perry cannot. But Trump has regularly said some stupid things, and will likely do so in the debates as well. I think it will be a matter of whether he can brush those aside, effectively, as he has done so far, when he is faced directly by his Republican candidate opponents. Perhaps he can. We'll see. Heck, it is possible he could come out of the debates, even stronger.
As it stands now, it looks like one of the people Trump will be facing in the first debate is Christie. Given that the two of them are known for their bluster, I'd expect to see the two of them dominate the debate. This could have the effect of eliminating them both, or bumping them both in the polls. We'll have to see. Given Christie's history of petty retribution, the fallout from the debate could be interesting...
As far as the ultimate general election, with the possibility of Trump, Republican vs. any reasonable Democratic nominee, I would take that match up, though as you say, anything could happen. But if it comes to that, I don't know that it would be any worse to have a President Trump, rather than a President Jeb W. Bush, or Pres. Scott Walker, or Pres. (that baby-faced guy from Fla. who is thirsty a lot), or Pres. (Christian theology rules) Huckabee, or ... must I go on?
Kasich is the only one of the current crop I'd trust not to crater the economy if he were elected. He wouldn't be a great President, but I've met him, and he's a savvy individual, so is unlikely to take a chainsaw to the country if elected. He's also pro-Obamacare, which is points in his favor among sensible people. How likely he is to get the nomination is another matter, and we have a long way until the convention next year.

Two petty vindictive bullies going against each other could be quite entertaing. But there are 8 other candidates who will be vying for attention.
I don’t like to bring up the “K” word (Kasich), because, you are right, to the extent that he would be the best that the Repubs have to offer. A while back, Lois asked for predictions about who would be the Presidential nominees. I said (for the Repubs) Scott (Koch brother fluffing) Walker, would be my best guess. (I didn’t pick Jeb, because all that is needed to defeat him is to keep erroneously reminding people of his middle initial “W”.) But, at the time, I hadn’t considered Kasich. If I were the RNC, Kasich would be the candidate for whom I would be manipulating. OTOH, he seems to have the personal vibrancy of a Romney on sedatives.

Two petty vindictive bullies going against each other could be quite entertaining. But there are 8 other candidates who will be vying for attention. I don't like to bring up the "K" word (Kasich), because, you are right, to the extent that he would be the best that the Repubs have to offer. A while back, Lois asked for predictions about who would be the Presidential nominees. I said (for the Repubs) Scott (Koch brother fluffing) Walker, would be my best guess. (I didn't pick Jeb, because all that is needed to defeat him is to keep erroneously reminding people of his middle initial "W".) But, at the time, I hadn't considered Kasich. If I were the RNC, Kasich would be the candidate for whom I would be manipulating. OTOH, he seems to have the personal vibrancy of a Romney on sedatives.
If recent patterns hold true, then the likely GOP nominee will be Ted Cruz (whatever that stupid conservative meeting is that they have every couple of years does a straw poll, and the second place winner has been the guy to get the nomination, and Cruz was it last time around). Pretty much any Democratic nominee should be able to beat Cruz handily, and given that he's just pissed off Mitch McConnell and a bunch of the other Senate Republicans, the amount of damage he could do if elected as POTUS is probably a lot less than it once was, but it doesn't pay to be too confident about these things.
Will his early successes with gaining some nationwide constituency be tempered by what happens in the debates? One would think so, but really we can only wait and see. In Iowa, the first primary election, with its caucuses format, the factors that have lead to Trump's relative national popularity will not be sufficient, of themselves to translate into success for him, there. Might he also have the political astuteness and organizational skills to make a decent showing there? That will be interesting to see.
He's a close second in Iowa polls, and well ahead in New Hampshire.]
We progressives and Democrats, in general, hold some sense of amusement at Trump's rise and the consternation and difficulties this poses for the Republican Party. And serious political thinkers on both sides, give little credence to the possibility that Trump can win the Republican nomination, but unexpected things do happen, and have been happening of late. OMg! (Oxygen Magnesium!) What if...?
In high school, some wag suggested that everyone vote for the two most unpopular kids in the senior class to be king and queen of the Sweetheart Dance. We all laughed, since it was a small school, and figured that no matter who we voted for, it'd be the same couple that won for every other dance. Nope. The freaks won, and were crowned king and queen. This is one of the reasons why I think that folks who believe it'd help their side to vote for the nuttiest guy in the opposing party's primary is a Really Bad Idea. (The other has to do with the outcome of the 2000 Presidential election.) I'll bet the winning couple will never forget that night. It must have made two people very happy. Maybe you'll all get your reward in heaven. Lois
Two petty vindictive bullies going against each other could be quite entertaining. But there are 8 other candidates who will be vying for attention. I don't like to bring up the "K" word (Kasich), because, you are right, to the extent that he would be the best that the Repubs have to offer. A while back, Lois asked for predictions about who would be the Presidential nominees. I said (for the Repubs) Scott (Koch brother fluffing) Walker, would be my best guess. (I didn't pick Jeb, because all that is needed to defeat him is to keep erroneously reminding people of his middle initial "W".) But, at the time, I hadn't considered Kasich. If I were the RNC, Kasich would be the candidate for whom I would be manipulating. OTOH, he seems to have the personal vibrancy of a Romney on sedatives.
If recent patterns hold true, then the likely GOP nominee will be Ted Cruz (whatever that stupid conservative meeting is that they have every couple of years does a straw poll, and the second place winner has been the guy to get the nomination, and Cruz was it last time around). Pretty much any Democratic nominee should be able to beat Cruz handily, and given that he's just pissed off Mitch McConnell and a bunch of the other Senate Republicans, the amount of damage he could do if elected as POTUS is probably a lot less than it once was, but it doesn't pay to be too confident about these things. Ted Cruz, first generation Cuban/Canadian immigrant who seems to hate immigrants, is indeed a wily SOB, but he won't be the Repub nominee. It is precisely because of his intelligence and warped conservative ideology that I want him nowhere near the Presidency. But straw poll history, I don't think, will be sufficient to get him the nomination, mostly because, as you suggest he would not be a strong candidate in the general election.

The Donald got another key endorsement, this time from Ann Coulter!