# 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:** 56
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/1103 "2015-12-15T17:21:50Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > There is zero risk that he’ll actually become President. I truly hope you are correct. But imagine this: he wins the nomination- not too far fetched at this point. Then say in early October there is a major terrorist attack perpetrated by Muslims. I’m talking say 100+ killed. Suddenly a lot of people are going to rationalize by saying something like “of course I don’t hate all Muslims, but Trump is right that we can’t trust them.” Can this win the election? I don’t care to find out. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/1104 "2015-12-15T17:28:05Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > We’re at a political tipping point. The GOP already controls both houses of Congress, and most of the Governorships and state legislatures. GOP victory in 2016 would point to a very dismal future. But demographics are turning against the GOP; and if the Democrats can hold out in 2016, the tide may begin to turn. _The 2016 election is very important. **The Trump candidacy makes Democratic victory much more likely. Celebrate Trump!** _ Encourage your crazy friends to support him. But until the election, Trump can and will be saying terrible things. And [Muslims](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/12/10/attacks-on-muslims-across-the-country-as-trump-rhetoric-puts-them-in-the-line-of-fire-congressman-says/) and even [Sikhs](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/10/us/hate-crime-inquiry-opened-into-vandalism-of-sikh-temple-in-california.html?_r=0) (I guess because all brown people are the same) are being targeted. Now of course not all of this is because of Trump, and some of these attacks would still be happening even if Trump was not in the race. But he is much more encouraging of it than anyone else is or would be. I would much rather have a race where there was less chance of the Democrats winning but also less active racism loudly being proclaimed, rather than the current race we have. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/1105 "2015-12-15T18:17:36Z")
Sure, but the important thing to remember is that both sides do it. Just about every Republican and a couple of Dems, so that’s totally equivalent! Maybe not numerically equivalent, but morally, which means that on principles of humanity, they are essentially the same. Did I mention that both sides do it? Well, they do. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/1106 "2015-12-15T18:56:25Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > I just don’t think that I would ever use my free speech to just drown out someone else’s free speech, nomatter how odious I found them to be. I think it’s cowardly and dishonest. Well, that’s funny, because Trump does that on the regular. ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/1107 "2015-12-15T20:01:43Z")
I’d actually feel better if I felt Trump was truly saying many of these things purely out of cynical demagoguery or positioning in a long-term political chess game, but I feel like he’s so intellectually bankrupt that he believes many of the things he says, or can flip back and forth on a whim. Where’s the line between “them Muslims can’t be trusted!” and “I am the healthiest Presidential candidate evar!”? Is there a point at which he’ll sober up and privately say, “Of course, I don’t really believe that, but you know how the game is played”? Without guiding principles, a man is just an animal - no insult meant to animals. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/1108 "2015-12-15T20:22:12Z")
If Trump had been there in Paris, he would have shot at the ISIS attackers himself. He’s just that awesome. > **[Trump: ‘If I Were There’ I Would’ve Taken Out The Paris Attackers](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/donald-trump-shot-paris-attackers)** > > Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Monday night at a campaign rally in Las Vegas that if he had been present for the Paris terror attacks, he would've personally shot at the attackers… We’re lucky he’s in such superb health. When he has to throw down, his astonishing stamina will see him through the fire fight. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/1109 "2015-12-15T20:41:52Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > Well, that’s funny, because Trump does that on the regular. Something about two wrongs? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/1110 "2015-12-15T21:06:58Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > But until the election, Trump can and will be saying terrible things. And [Muslims](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/12/10/attacks-on-muslims-across-the-country-as-trump-rhetoric-puts-them-in-the-line-of-fire-congressman-says/) and even [Sikhs](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/10/us/hate-crime-inquiry-opened-into-vandalism-of-sikh-temple-in-california.html?_r=0) (I guess because all brown people are the same) are being targeted. Now of course not all of this is because of Trump, and some of these attacks would still be happening even if Trump was not in the race. But he is much more encouraging of it than anyone else is or would be. I would much rather have a race where there was less chance of the Democrats winning but also less active racism loudly being proclaimed, rather than the current race we have. This goes to the point I made about the damage to the Republican party, while I think that Trump would be beaten in the presidential election if Trump gets the nomination for the Republican party it is clear that he would get it by having a majority of the Republicans agreeing with his poison. That does mean that a lot of ugly ideas will be made “mainstream”. The main worry for me is that Republicans are more willing to go into lockstep (or a light goosestep in this case?) meaning that we can expect even more ugliness, I know enough history to know that many will tell themselves that they are not like that. But the hypocrisy they will have to push will either make them walk away from the party, or they will talk themselves into enjoying the water from the now well poisoned well. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/1111 "2015-12-15T23:40:53Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > There are reports that when a BLM protestor was removed from a Trump rally in Vegas, some Trump supporters shouted “Sieg Heil!” and similar. Trying to confirm - my Google fu is failing me today. At least one of the people in the audience shouted that the protestor should be set on fire, that’s reported in a video. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/1112 "2015-12-15T23:45:51Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > I don’t get the hatred for the Donald. Sure, he’d be the worst President ever, but so would Carson, Cruz or Rubio – I pick the Donald as least horrid from this quartet. The GOP field this cycle is bizarrely atrocious. > > Of course, Jeb!, Christie or Kasich would be bad Presidents also, _but not bizarrely so_ – any of those three would probably be better than GWB. But these bad options have fallen way down in the polls, behind the batshit despicable. It’s as though the GOP is trying for some Guiness Record: they insist that their candidate, if elected, be unquestionably the worst President in history. QFT > [@septimus](#): > > There is zero risk that he’ll actually become President. He’s probably topping out at 40% among the most zealous Republicans; in a general election he’d receive the most severe trouncing in history. But there’s very little chance of him winning the GOP nomination, unfortunately. > > Trump holds up a mirror to the GOP; some of them will now be able to finally perceive what their Party has become. And his candidacy will leave the GOP in tatters, reducing their chances in the 2016 elections. > > We’re at a political tipping point. The GOP already controls both houses of Congress, and most of the Governorships and state legislatures. GOP victory in 2016 would point to a very dismal future. But demographics are turning against the GOP; and if the Democrats can hold out in 2016, the tide may begin to turn. _The 2016 election is very important. **The Trump candidacy makes Democratic victory much more likely. Celebrate Trump!** _ Encourage your crazy friends to support him. I’m totally with you, and I’m planning to vote for him in the Missouri primary (unless Hillary actually needs my help against Bernie). OTOH I’m not sure it’s so bad if he loses the nomination, as it seems unlikely they’ll nominate someone sane (though it is true that on the other side of the aisle, John Kerry looked as dead as Jeb does now at this point in 2003), plus he is very likely to run as an independent. > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Trump also thinks Pete Rose should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame, despite Rose’s betting on baseball - including his own team - while a manager, lying about it, and still betting recently. Is there no limit to the number of things Trump can be _wrong_ about?: [Donald Trump Comments on MLB's Decision to Uphold Pete Rose's Ban | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher Report](http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2599160-donald-trump-comments-on-mlbs-decision-to-uphold-pete-roses-ban) Well, the guy \*does \*have the most hits in history, and AFAIK he never bet \*against \*his own team, right? ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/1113 "2015-12-16T01:38:19Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Of course I despise Trump’s mean racist talk. > > But I think we should celebrate Trump’s candidacy. For American politics it’s a godsend! I hope Trump continues to attract Republican voters and win primaries. > … > _ **The Trump candidacy makes Democratic victory much more likely. Celebrate Trump!** _ Encourage your crazy friends to support him. God, no. Each week he continues as an ostensibly mainstream candidate hurts our country, and our standing in the world. His monstrous notions become, in appearance and maybe actuality, a shade more representative of us. Trump has already done harm to America that will last beyond election day. The longer he festers, the worse it becomes. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/1114 "2015-12-16T01:42:30Z")
We live in a democracy. To the extent he hurts us, it’s because he has a strong enough base of support. His opposition in both parties is also at fault, because he should not be the only one talking about certain issues like immigration in a non-bullshit way. Lying to the public, engaging in bait and switch tactics, is not, contrary to elite belief, honorable. If the elite want the public to see immigration and terror policy their way, they have to persuade. Scolding, and when scolding fails, lying and pandering, reflects more poorly on them than the people. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/1115 "2015-12-16T02:11:39Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > We live in a democracy. To the extent he hurts us, it’s because he has a strong enough base of support. Certainly there had to be a certain base of support for the ideas, for him to get started. But him _being_ out there, braying ever more loudly, feeds those people, legitimizes them a little more, draws others to them. Public speech focuses memes in the political arena, reinforces their supposed relative importance. That’s democracy, too. Whether the dynamic makes the society incrementally better or worse depends entirely on what the ideas are. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/1116 "2015-12-16T02:24:34Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > To the extent he hurts us, it’s because he has a strong enough base of support. Just why do you suppose that base of support is almost entirely associated with a single party? > [@](#): > > he should not be the only one talking about certain issues like immigration in a non-bullshit way. News flash: His way is far more bullshit than any of the others’. > [@](#): > > Lying to the public, engaging in bait and switch tactics, is not, contrary to elite belief, honorable. You’ve told us many times how you’re willing to overlook that anyway, if the result is a Republican victory. Speaking of bullshit. > [@](#): > > If the elite want the public to see immigration and terror policy their way, they have to persuade. Seen any polls lately? What you call “the elite” is what we, here in this democracy you speak of, call “most of us”. Your party. Proud of it, ain’tcha? But why? ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/1117 "2015-12-16T04:44:28Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > God, no. Each week he continues as an ostensibly mainstream candidate hurts our country, and our standing in the world. His monstrous notions become, in appearance and maybe actuality, a shade more representative of us. > > Trump has already done harm to America that will last beyond election day. The longer he festers, the worse it becomes. This is only true if he wins the general election, or (to a lesser degree) if he comes close. If he gets wiped out like Goldwater, McGovern, or Mondale, the result is just the opposite: a total repudiation that makes the American people look pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/1118 "2015-12-16T04:46:25Z")
We’ll be seeing TRUMP solidly in the 40s if not break 50 after tonight. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/1119 "2015-12-16T04:51:24Z")
The Twitter right seems to think he kicked ass; if the GOP electorate were more rational, his “answer” to the nuclear triad question and at least one of his interactions with Jeb would have sent him in a tailspin. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/1120 "2015-12-16T05:15:10Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > This is only true if he wins the general election, or (to a lesser degree) if he comes close. If he gets wiped out like Goldwater, McGovern, or Mondale, the result is just the opposite: a total repudiation that makes the American people look pretty good. Soundly repudiating Trump salvages something on the international stage, but I don’t think it undoes all the harm. Especially not within the country, among all the people seeded with his notions, who will have stoked those ideas for months. Trump being thrashed next November maybe chastens them some, but it doesn’t dispel. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/1121 "2015-12-16T13:58:25Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > The Twitter right seems to think he kicked ass; if the GOP electorate were more rational, his “answer” to the nuclear triad question and at least one of his interactions with Jeb would have sent him in a tailspin. Um no. See the debate thread for more details, but TRUMP was quite smart not to nitpick over such a ridiculously specific question like the nuclear triad (about an obvious “It’s a trap!” for the TRUMP as the late, great Admiral Ackbar would have put it as suddenly getting online messages from an ultra hot looking 15-year old suggesting to “meet up”) and he thoroughly demonstrated to the world what an incompetent, entitled pathetic loser Jeb Bush was and is using FACTS like him destroying the fake Floridian, fake Latino, fake Catholic 41-3 in the polls. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/1122 "2015-12-16T14:36:43Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Um no. See the debate thread for more details, but TRUMP was quite smart not to nitpick over such a ridiculously specific question like the nuclear triad (about an obvious “It’s a trap!” for the TRUMP as the late, great Admiral Ackbar would have put it as suddenly getting online messages from an ultra hot looking 15-year old suggesting to “meet up”) and he thoroughly demonstrated to the world what an incompetent, entitled pathetic loser Jeb Bush was and is using FACTS like him destroying the fake Floridian, fake Latino, fake Catholic 41-3 in the polls. As I said in the debate thread, this is not good either; Trump right now is a complete incompetent when one looks at the people he is kowtowing right now on his run to become the Republican nominee. Come to think of it, Trump gets away with many failures and bankruptcies because he is not involved directly, but it is clear that such results come thanks to the kind of people he delegates his business to. Add to that a gross ignorance of what the nuclear football does and the less I would want to see him getting close to it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828.md?page=55) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828.md?page=57)