I think the crazy bastard really means it. His bunch have repeatedly described a Trump nomination in apocalyptic terms. Some guy at the National Review said the GOP needs to “all but machine-gun the man to the floor.”
What’s going on here? Even Bernie Sanders would take Trump over Stalin. (Sanders is more of a Trotskyite.) I’ve never believed in a Deep State, but it sure seems like Trump has run afoul of one. Trump probably ought to independently vet his Secret Service protection.
What exactly is so bad about Trump? He isn’t a strong conservative, and he comes across as an empty suit but what makes him so bad some people are acting like the world is ending?
I really fucking wish politicians would listen to Trump and Sanders. The electorate has gotten so fed up with cronyism, plutocracy and oligarchy that we are seriously considering someone like Trump to be president just because he speaks out against these things.
Or, possibly, a reasonable chunk of voters think the establishment politicians already yanked the wheel while telling everyone that the truck doesn’t really exist.
What’s going on is that the neocons would be thoroughly marginalized if Trumpism (whatever that is) takes over the GOP. They depend upon wingnut welfare, and Trump could disrupt that cozy arrangement.
From Twitter:
Christopher Hayes: For the record, I would vote for Donald Trump over Josef Stalin.
Jeet Heer: I would also support Trump over Stalin (although I’d worry Trump would bungle Great Patriotic War).
Jeet Heer: [INDENT]1. Reflecting more on @MaxBoot’s remarks, an electoral race between Stalin & Trump would be pretty interesting.
Stalin! What a dope! Gave away the house with the The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. If only he read The Art of the Deal. Sad!
And Yalta! What a terrible deal. I wouldn’t have settled for half of Europe when I could have it all. Sad!
I’d built an actual Iron Curtain and get Churchill to pay for it. I can’t believe we invaded Central Europe & didn’t take all the grain.
You know Joseph Stalin isn’t his real name? Look at the birth certificate. Ioseb Jughashvili. A Georgian. Clearly ineligible. Sad! [/INDENT]
During the debate, Jeet Heer reflected upon other great men throughout history:
[INDENT]Stephen Douglas: I’m hung like a horse. Abraham Lincoln: You lie, sir. Your wife has never been satisfied. She told me so herself. [/INDENT]
I’m thinking about it further. Both candidates offer strong appeals to the irrational vote. Offer of an all-powerful wise father figure with awesome hair? Scapegoating of minorities? Hideously irrational, predictably disastrous policy proposals? Both candidates seem highly qualified so far.
How about foreign policy experience?
Trump: owned some failed casinos overseas.
Stalin: stopped Hitler from taking over the world.
I’m going to have to go with proven experience here. Where can I get my “I’m With Joe!” lawn sign?
There’s a universe of difference between Sanders and Trump. Lumping them together as lightning rods of dissatisfaction with the status quo is a mistake.
Disenchanted liberals are so fed up with cronyism, plutocracy and oligarchy that they’re throwing their support behind a democratic socialist who’s pledging economic equality.
For disenchanted conservatives, there isn’t enough cronyism, plutocracy and oligarchy, hence their enthusiastic support for a billionaire plutocrat/oligarch. They want a fascist strongman to unilaterally implement their fearful, racist agenda and to impose America’s will on the world. The GOP has been teasing them with it and tiptoeing around the edges for years to court their votes but hasn’t delivered for them (“Thanks, democracy.”:mad:). Now that they finally have someone outright promising it, they’re all in.
Good luck having a rational conversation about Trump. Almost everything you hear comes from political pundits and his opposition. When he speaks about our trade policies he is dead on the money. He plays a pandering game regarding immigration but except for his idiotic comment about deporting all Muslims he has pointed out how our government still fails to provide us security from criminals and terrorists entering the country illegally. He doesn’t participate in ideological arguments that drive the useless government we have now. So basically he is pointing out the Emperor has no clothes, and even if you don’t like him for one reason or another that is blatantly true. The entire political world is centered around the notion that one of the two parties or sides of the aisle have the solution to our problems despite decades of evidence to the contrary, because of course, it’s the other side’s fault things aren’t better. Sanders realizes this too, but he’s got a calmer approach and not getting the same type of attention. I wish Bernie would take the gloves off, but I don’t think it’s in his nature.
Spurred by Donald J. Trump’s mounting victories, a small but influential — and growing — group of conservative leaders are calling for a third-party option
Oh, Boy! A small group is calling for a 3rd-party option. I suppose they mean a 4th-party option since the Tea Party is the 3rd-Party. All those mounting victories must sound pretty scary to a small group of people.
Bernie and Trump represent a large number of voters who are tired of the SSDD politicians who are currently running the country. Old and Busted vs. New Hotness.
He’s a thin-skinned narcissistic psychopath. He’s a freaking movie villain that you would think is unrealistic. And yet, somehow, he’s got a substantial portion of the U.S. backing him.
At least other candidates have to pay lip service to not being evil. They have to pretend they want to help people. Trump just attacks people. He doesn’t even pretend to care about the truth.
Given how he deals with his opponents, consider how he’d deal with the international community. And then consider that he’d have the might of the U.S. military behind him.
And that’s without getting into what he’d do the Republican party. I don’t care, but they do. If they can’t get a candidate who supports their platform, they’re done as a party. Trump is 100% a RINO. HE does not adhere to Republican positions except broadly on immigration and taxes. If he loses, at least they can try to salvage the party. Show that you cannot win with a candidate without principles. But if he wins?
What I don’t understand is how anyone out there can’t see it. They call him charismatic. How? I’ve heard many people who would say stuff I loathe but made me want to like them. This guy thrives on making everyone hate him.
Oh, and his plans would, even Republicans agree, bankrupt the country.
Or from, you know, actual members of the voting public who have listened to his statements and found them either vacuous, insulting or wrong.
All I’ve heard him say is that the balance of trade with other countries is bad (often using completely overblown inaccurate figures), and then says he will fix it. Doesn’t say how, other than to somehow command companies to bring jobs back, or to make tech companies produce their product in the USA. Compete government control over businesses. No Thanks.
If by “pandering” you mean trying to appeal to those who hate ALL immigrants, then yes. He’s made a NUMBER of nasty statements about immigrants (not just illegal ones). He does play on the FEAR of “the others”. FEAR of the unknown stranger boogeyman.
The only thing Trump is doing is capitalizing on the past 7 years of the Republican Machine convincing the public that everything is terrible, and that the government does not work. This is, of course, mostly crap, but the Republicans have convinced a bunch of rubes, and now Trump is taking advantage of this base.
