How is trump still a viable candidate for president? Really, how?

Now you have it! That’s the charisma that matters in politics.

~Max

Re charisma, it’s all guesswork.

Trump polls very well against DeSantis for the nomination, but they poll almost identically for the general election. I don’t know how to explain this while maintaining the importance of charisma.

Trump may have more charisma than, say, Nixon did. But they both had a 1-1 record after their first two presidentials. I know, everyone says Kennedy had more charisma than Humphrey. But I think time-for-a-change after Eisenhower, and Vietnam, have more evidence as explanations.

Actually I’d say that’s as clear as you can get.

Policy-wise, they are almost indistinguishable. That is to say, there is no policy, just pure hate, disinformation and culture wars.

The only differentiator is whose jib the MAGAts like the cut of more.

RDS is very odd in his mannerisms and furthermore looks absolutely disgusted whenever he’s put next to regular joes. He doesn’t look like the kind of guy you’d like to have a beer with. Indeed, he looks and sounds like the kind of guy where if you invited him to a party, suddenly you’d get a flood of people saying they can’t make it after all. That level of unlikeable.

trump had likened himself to another timeless beauty- the Mona Lisa. And he offers an explanation for his popularity.

I wondered if Trump may have presented any new uhmm planks on his platform last night on the Hannity show. I wasn’t optimistic about it since the audience was his base but I thought there’s always a chance for redemption. This is all sincere as i’m always interested in people’s new ideas.

he said he was going to have some big beautiful new platform agenda items in two weeks. The best anybody’s ever seen!

That answer was not at all sincere.

Thanks solost. I appreciate it as I couldn’t get the recording to play but I guess it would then not be worth watching. Thanks for being here

I feel like I’m being whooshed here, but just to clarify, I did not watch the Hannity show and my answer was just a joke.

Based on several times in the past when trump was asked if he had any plans or agenda items to address some important issue, he’d say he had something amazing in the works that would be revealed in ‘two weeks’.

Freedom Cities with flying cars! But don’t worry, the concertina wire is decorative. :slightly_smiling_face:

Can’t have any of Those People in our Paradise, now can we?

And he always says “We…” or “We’ve…” or “We’re…” like he’s got a team of subject matter experts diligently toiling away in some back room working out the answers to the complex problems of the day. That is just a typical smokescreen all but the fervent flowers know is a lie. He’s got nothin’ and he knows it, but the “We” charade give a slight whiff of legitimacy of some team he’s got, when there is nothing at all. Then, when nothing gets delivered in two weeks, he can blame the imaginary team for the failure.

and fire them, and claim they’re the worst betrayers of his cause who never ever should have been hired in the first place

As long as he’s promising shit he’ll never deliver on, he should go all out: “On my first day in office, I will sign an executive order giving every citizen one million dollars, tax free”. As long as he’s promising.

You really do want him elected don’t you?

That’s a terrible suggestion.

He’s becoming less viable by the day. He turned on Kayleigh McEnany, which was a big mistake. She’s loved by the Maga crowd, and there is blowback.

He’s also going way too far attacking DeSantis, which is alienating half of his base.

Guys like Dave Rubin have completely jumped ship on Trump. Chris Christie and Mike Pence are getting in the race. They have no shot at the Presidency and likely know it. I think they are there to take down Trump. Both worked for him, both were backstabbed by him.

Trump is not yet exhibiting the calm Presidential demeanour which I know he is capable of. Amazingly, he seems to be attacking alternative candidates with venom and invective instead of the measured business-like approach that has fuelled his great success. Once he does so, no doubt the funding will follow.

The same thing is happening as happened the other times he ran: he’s saying the most outlandish things and no one is calling him on it, and even worse, those timid also-rans who think they’re viable candidates don’t use his own stupid fucking words against him.

Yep, too scared of losing “his” voters. No one has the guts.

Mike Pence couldn’t “take down” a baby rabbit, much less Trump. He has nothing. Christie might bruise the Great Trumpkin, but probably not to any significant degree. DeSantis is already trying to take mild shots at Donald. I don’t see them succeeding.

One of them could put out an ad highlighting trump’s deranged posts, and how they’re getting more deranged by the day, and then say: If he can’t handle the pressure of a campaign, how is he going to handle life behind bars?" Of course, it’s the legal woes that are winding him up, and should be addressed in similarly snarky ads.