# Trump's Republican primary campaign **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 3, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828 "2015-09-03T18:00:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 40
**Author:** ![Gary\_Kumquat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gary\_Kumquat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Kumquat)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/783 "2015-12-08T19:00:17Z")
> [@T.M](#): > > From the remarks I am reading your thinking seems to be 6-7 years behind us in the U.K. 6-7 years ago in the U.K. we have a group called the E.D.L. warning us about the growth of Islam within the U.K. the result was a smear campaign led by a left wing government shouting racism, Islamophobia, religious hatred etc. sadly the claims by the E.D.L. have been proved correct in several court cases Why am I not even vaguely surprised that you’re a fan of the English Defence League. Do me one favour. When referring to the UK (and it is just abbreviated to the UK, not U.K.) don’t use “us”, because your thinking (not the phrase I’d use, but we’re not in the pit) is very different to mine. And I’m dying to know what court cases substantiate the EDL’s “ISLAM R EVIL” stance. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/784 "2015-12-08T19:07:17Z")
The EDL respond some moments ago: [![](https://files.libcom.org/files/images/blog/edl_0.jpg) ](https://files.libcom.org/files/images/blog/edl_0.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/785 "2015-12-08T19:13:56Z")
I’m with the guy in the second picture. Calormen now, Calormen forever! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/786 "2015-12-08T19:34:38Z")
> [@T.M](#): > > From the remarks I am reading your thinking seems to be 6-7 years behind us in the U.K. 6-7 years ago in the U.K. we have a group called the E.D.L. . . . [This](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/English_Defence_League) E.D.L.? ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/787 "2015-12-08T19:35:36Z")
What’s literally terrifying about Trump is that he’s showing how easy it is to go down the path to genocide. Granted he’s just at the start of the path and he doesn’t have any intention of that, but it’s chilling to see the exuberant rise of hate speech. What the Nazis, Serbs, Hutus, or many others did doesn’t seem so strange when you see how Trump has risen. Just a few, easy steps: - Find a group of discontented group people - Convince them their problems are because of a different group of people - Dehumanize/demonize the other group of people We’re at the place now where Muslims are being somewhat openly harassed in public. There was an incident this week where racists in a restaurant were taunting two Muslim women, calling them terrorists and saying they should pull out their guns already. Rather than throwing the racists out, the manager sat them at a table and said there was nothing he could do. I’m flabbergasted that the manager and other patrons did nothing. And this was in a hippy restaurant in the very liberal city of Austin, Texas! I can understand how kooks can run for office with their crazy ideas. What is worrisome is that he is getting significant support and the general public is buying into all the anti-Muslim propaganda. I would have thought something like Muslim registration, interment, or deportation would have been an abhorrent idea to most people, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. The ember of racist hate lies smoldering just waiting for the something to fan it into a full flame. ---
**Author:** ![Ambrosio\_Spinola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@Ambrosio\_Spinola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambrosio_Spinola)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/788 "2015-12-08T19:39:53Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I think he’s going to keep pushing this as far as he can, just to see how far he can push the lunatic fringe of the Republican Party. Then he’ll have his “big reveal”, where he laughs at them. I’d like to believe this is true, but Trump declared that he didn’t believe that Obama was born in the US back in 2011, and he hasn’t returned to reality since that I can tell. That’s a long time for performance art, so I’m assuming either that he really believes this stuff or that he doesn’t care who gets hurt by claiming to. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/789 "2015-12-08T19:45:03Z")
> [@T.M](#): > > From the remarks I am reading your thinking seems to be 6-7 years behind us in the U.K. 6-7 years ago in the U.K. we have a group called the E.D.L. warning us about the growth of Islam within the U.K. the result was a smear campaign led by a left wing government shouting racism, Islamophobia, religious hatred etc. sadly the claims by the E.D.L. have been proved correct in several court cases, another group Faith Freedom International a group founded by ex-Muslims have been issuing the same warnings. The U.S.A. has likened the U.K. to a Islamic aircraft carrier of the coast of mainline Europe. History books are fine and they can be useful in helping us not to repeat the mistakes of the past. Just as an exercise try using the word Nazi instead of Islamism, all the same intolerance and hatred is there. The attacks are not only on Christians have a look at the suffering of Sikh’s, Hindu’s and Buddhist’s at the hands of Islam On behalf of the Welsh and the Cornish, I’d like to remind you of another non-Christian group that just kept coming in large numbers, bringing terror and violence with them, murdering and oppressing the Christian people of Britain: the English. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/790 "2015-12-08T19:47:34Z")
Like television, too much Saxon violence? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/791 "2015-12-08T19:57:38Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > We’re at the place now where Muslims are being somewhat openly harassed in public. There was an incident this week where racists in a restaurant were taunting two Muslim women, calling them terrorists and saying they should pull out their guns already. Rather than throwing the racists out, the manager sat them at a table and said there was nothing he could do. :eek: I’ve run a restaurant and that is absolutely insane. “The customer is always right” doesn’t apply to one group of patrons deciding to harass the other. Had I been in charge at that place on that day I would have told those idiots they could either leave on their own or I could get the police to make them leave. The women would at the very least have gotten their meals comped, even if it meant I had to pay for it out of my own pocket. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/792 "2015-12-08T20:04:58Z")
[There are links between the British E.D.L. and some U.S. Tea Party organizations.](http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2010/oct/10/english-defence-league-tea-party) Note for example, that Pamela Geller is an EDL supporter and was invited to speak at the 2010 Conservative Political Action Conference. (Marco Rubio was the opening speaker; Glenn Beck the closing speaker.) ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/793 "2015-12-08T20:10:59Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I’m still somewhat convinced that this is all a massive troll on the part of Trump. > > I expect him to keep pushing this as far as he possibly can. He’s already talked about a national identification database for Muslims living in the US. Next, will be him issuing a policy statement that merely keeping Muslims out is not enough, and we need to keep all of these “American” Muslims together in one place, so we can keep an eye on them. > > Sort of a series of places where they can all live together - an encampment, so to speak. And he’ll have lots and lots of people who absolutely LOVE this idea. > > I think he’s going to keep pushing this as far as he can, just to see how far he can push the lunatic fringe of the Republican Party. Then he’ll have his “big reveal”, where he laughs at them. He’s trolling all right, but I don’t share your faith in it ending with a big gotcha. I think he’ll troll his way into the Oval Office if allowed to do so, just to prove he can. I am morbidly curious, however, exactly what it would take— military uniform, Bavarian accent, toothbrush moustache? for Trump’s fanatics to stop cheering, glance around at other and say “hey, wait a minute…” ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/794 "2015-12-08T20:13:36Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > I can’t put my finger on what exactly Trump’s strategy is. On the heels of what was deemed a pretty weak Obama speech from both sides, Trump immediately pulled all media attention back to himself. He has to have known his remarks would energize a small subset of his base support (whoever that is), but that the rest of the GOP, including other candidates, would speak against him. I have to assume that’s exactly what he wanted, but I don’t know why. Pulling all media attention to himself _ **is** _ the strategy. Making the rest of the GOP, including other candidates, speak against him _ **is** _ the strategy. He operates on the “no such thing as bad press/say what you want but just spell my name right” school of marketing. It’s what he’s done his whole career, and it’s a well-worn path. It’s what every “shock jock” in history does: build a following by making everyone else look tepid, boring and weak. When a vanilla milkshake like Jeb Bush denounces him, that’s a win in Trump’s book. It’s an approach that’s never been used much in politics, and I am skeptical whether it will lead to success in the end. But I’m surprised that people don’t see what he’s doing. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/795 "2015-12-08T20:25:31Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > We’re at the place now where Muslims are being somewhat openly harassed in public. There was an incident this week where racists in a restaurant were taunting two Muslim women, calling them terrorists and saying they should pull out their guns already. Rather than throwing the racists out, the manager sat them at a table and said there was nothing he could do. I’m flabbergasted that the manager and other patrons did nothing. And this was in a hippy restaurant in the very liberal city of Austin, Texas! He was probably afraid he would get shot if he tried to throw them out. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/796 "2015-12-08T20:28:01Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > I am morbidly curious, however, exactly what it would take— military uniform, Bavarian accent, toothbrush moustache? for Trump’s fanatics to stop cheering, glance around at other and say “hey, wait a minute…” His next step would be to call for a – what’s the phrase? _Plastikafternoon? Brickmorgen?_ – that’s not quite it – help me out here… ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/797 "2015-12-08T20:32:11Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > His next step would be to call for a – what’s the phrase? _Plastikafternoon? Brickmorgen?_ – that’s not quite it – help me out here… Fahrvergnügen? ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/798 "2015-12-08T20:41:05Z")
> [@furt](#): > > Pulling all media attention to himself _ **is** _ the strategy. Making the rest of the GOP, including other candidates, speak against him _ **is** _ the strategy. > > He operates on the “no such thing as bad press/say what you want but just spell my name right” school of marketing. It’s what he’s done his whole career, and it’s a well-worn path. It’s what every “shock jock” in history does: build a following by making everyone else look tepid, boring and weak. When a vanilla milkshake like Jeb Bush denounces him, that’s a win in Trump’s book. > > It’s an approach that’s never been used much in politics, and I am skeptical whether it will lead to success in the end. But I’m surprised that people don’t see what he’s doing. Yes, I see what he’s doing and acknowledged as much. How that plays out as a strategy for a presidential candidate is what I’m not understanding. Is this his long term strategy? Does he think if this strategy somehow gets him the GOP nomination that it will continue to work in the general election? This strategy works if you want a short burst of attention. But the presidential race is a long haul. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/799 "2015-12-08T20:50:11Z")
I still encourage everyone to re-register as Republican and vote for Trump in the Primaries. It is absolutely impossible that he will win the general election. (And even if he did the impossible, I think he might make a better President than Cruz, Carson or Rubio.) > [@VinylTurnip](#): > > He’s trolling all right, but I don’t share your faith in it ending with a big gotcha. I think he’ll troll his way into the Oval Office if allowed to do so, just to prove he can. > > I am morbidly curious, however, exactly what it would take— military uniform, Bavarian accent, toothbrush moustache? for Trump’s fanatics to stop cheering, glance around at other and say “hey, wait a minute…” Don’t worry. It can’t happen. He-Whose-Name-Mustnt-Be-Spoken had huge support from the elite establishment (Trump doesn’t), got the support of young workers and students only after _massive_ propaganda, relied on thuggish violence to win elections, and still never got 51% of the vote in a free election. America has nowhere near the problems of Weimar Germany. _ **Trump gaining the White House is impossible.** _ I’m not sure how much of Trump’s brazen fancies are real, and how much just a put-on, but even he is well aware he can’t be President. Those of us who want the best for America should encourage his publicity stunt. Whatever GOP candidate emerges from this farce will be severely weakened. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/800 "2015-12-08T21:17:19Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > **glowacks** : Total agreement. Once Hillary becomes President, after I grab all the guns, I plan on grabbing all the cars. After which I will grab surgeons’ scalpels. > > Can I grab all the power tools next? Those things are SO damn loud. > > – Uke, not being sarcastic. REALLY not being sarcastic. I call dibs on grabbing all the ukuleles! Not because there’s anything wrong with ukuleles. On the contrary, ukuleles are CUTE! Like little baby guitars! They’re just so adorable, I want to eat them all up! ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/801 "2015-12-08T21:20:39Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Not because there’s anything wrong with ukuleles. On the contrary, ukuleles are CUTE! Like little baby guitars! They’re just so adorable, I want to eat them all up! They’re terrific! ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/802 "2015-12-08T21:27:12Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Even Dick Cheney – _Dick Cheney!_ – says Trump’s call to ban all Muslims is “[against everything we stand for](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/dick-cheney-donald-trump-muslim-ban-extreme).” > > I like to imagine Cheney like Doc Ock at the end of _Spider-Man 2_ as he drags the reactor into the river: “I will not die a monster!” Darth Cheney has too many financial connections in the Middle East to risk supporting Trump in this. Trust and believe, if it weren’t for some of his money being over there, he’d be in lockstop with The Donald. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828.md?page=39) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828.md?page=41)