Trump could not (can not) give any Democrat a run for their money. He can't even pull 50% of Republicans to his side, and probably won't have enough delegates to secure a nomination. How in the world would he pull in enough independents and democrats to win a national election? He is a terrible candidate on many levels, but the sheer fact that he is polarizing is possibly the worst. I understand the appeal of a non-establishment candidate, but I don't understand the appeal of Trump at all. And in a year where the White House is very much up for grabs because the Democrats are running their own slate of extremely horrible options, I can't believe the Republicans can't find someone to get behind who might appeal to main stream America as opposed to the extremes of their party.
I 99.9% agree with this. Seven + months is an eternity in election terms. The only thing I'd take any issue with is that the VP choice will play a factor. IMHO that is one of the most over-rated factors out there in election terms. Now a poor choice could probably get you beat...(see Sarah Palin)...but I don't think VPs add much if any upside to a ticket.I think the November election between Trump and Hillary is way too unpredictable right now to know what will happen.
1) What happens at the conventions?
2) Will a good chunk of GOP stay home?
3) Will a good chunk of Dems stay home?
4) Who seizes the middle?
5) Current events.
6) 3 debates
7) VP choices
8) Current events (again)
I've made this same assertion several times. I still would not be surprised to see him bow out at some point.Thought this was an interesting insight from someone (Stephanie Cegielski, formerly the communications director of the Make America Great Again Super PAC) who knows Trump pretty well:
"He doesn’t want the White House. He just wants to be able to say that he could have run the White House. He’s achieved that already and then some. If there is any question, take it from someone who was recruited to help the candidate succeed, and initially very much wanted him to do so. The hard truth is: Trump only cares about Trump. And if you are one of the disaffected voters — one of the silent majority like me — who wanted a candidate who could be your voice, I want to speak directly to you as one of his biggest advocates and supporters. He is not that voice. He is not your voice. He is only Trump’s voice. Trump is about Trump. Not one of his many wives. Not one of his many “pieces of ass.” He is, at heart, a self-preservationist."
Actually, that first part is what I was saying in the first stages - that he didn't want to win, he just wanted to be in the game, for "brand" purposes, and that eventually he'd get out, but would have achieved what he wanted. Only he's stayed in it, so I figured that assessment was wrong. If she's right, the fact that he simply can't beat Hillary isn't a bad thing from his perspective....
Not only that but Trump is being wounded by right leaning media like Fox (except for Hannity and O'Reilly) and left leaning CNN. No safe haven. Imagine if Hillary was getting bad pub from both sides.
So who do you nominate if you don't want Trump? What candidate would come close to having the support of the people and even have a shot at Hillary?
It will be interesting to see how the 3rd party candidates do in this election. I'd predict that 3rd party voting will be at a all time high.
Trump hasn't really spent that much money...and what he has spent he can justify it as marketing. As of Feb 20 he had spent $17.7 million of his money. What, Trump claims he is worth 10 billion? Let's say he is worth only $1 billion. $17.7 million would be the same as someone who is worth $1 million spending $17,700. So he's bought a decent used car.If Trump doesnt really want the whitehouse, whys he spent so much of his own money? Doesnt make sense. Hes stayed in too long, spent too much to not actually want to win.
Oh, he wants it for ego? Im fairly certain most every candidate the last forever has wanted it for that reason. Its not like we have humble public servants running.
Id be surprised if they win another presidential election before then. By then maybe an anchor baby will be wooed to the party, and he can run. Because otherwise its over.
No way anyone will vote for a Bush at this point. Just not happening. Trump had a decent shot until the GOP establishment turned on him. Now its a disaster.
Yes, I poorly stated my case. You are right with what you are saying. '68 was George Wallace...probably the first election I was old enough to be paying attention. I recall all of the black kids in school saying that Wallace wanted to ship them all back to Africa. <-- True story, not 1960...sure you mean 1860...Perot and Wallace were well known entities and actively campaigned.Re: record third party support. No. Going to be hard to beat Perot years for 3rd party votes (~18% and 8%) even if Trump runs as a third party candidate, which he really can't do at this point due to ballot access laws. And that ignores all the older elections where third parties received > 8%, like 22% (1856), 18.2% (1960), 27.4% (1912), 16.6% (1924), and 13.5% (1968).
I wonder if a GOP congress (hopefully) would show more backbone vs a Hillary presidency than they did in the Obama presidency?
Probably not.
Why? Do you think a vote for Cruz is really going to keep Hillary out of office? Better to vote your conscious than to hold your nose on election day.Can someone who is going to vote for Johnson or write someone in explain to me their thought process behind that?
I can't think of a bigger waste of my time. Any message someone thinks they're sending by doing that is falling on deaf ears.
Can someone who is going to vote for Johnson or write someone in explain to me their thought process behind that?
I can't think of a bigger waste of my time. Any message someone thinks they're sending by doing that is falling on deaf ears.
Why? Do you think a vote for Cruz is really going to keep Hillary out of office? Better to vote your conscious than to hold your nose on election day.
http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/03/protester-pepper-sprayed-in-face-at-trump-rally.html
This tells me more about this group of people than anything else.....
How do you know she wasn't groped? Because it isn't on the video? Were you at the rally standing next to these people? Just curious how you know what was going on before the video is taken.How could anyone take issue with anything in that video? She wasn't "groped" she was being held back from attacking someone. When she finally physically assaulted him, she got pepper sprayed. People who go to political rallies are the worst.
Can someone who is going to vote for Johnson or write someone in explain to me their thought process behind that?
I can't think of a bigger waste of my time. Any message someone thinks they're sending by doing that is falling on deaf ears.
Yes, my thought process is...
VOTE
WILLY
4
PRESIDENT
2016
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I didn't say anything about holding your nose and voting for one of the two. I want someone to explain why they take time out of their day to vote third party or write in. What's the point of "voting your conscious"?
There's no candidate I could stomach voting for that could conceivably win this election. Why even vote in that scenario?
which "this group", the paid Trump protesters or the Trump supporters. that gal is 15 yrs old per twitter? and punched an old man with white hair in the face? deserved every ounce of that mace to the face. what horrible, horrible parents she obviously has.http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/03/protester-pepper-sprayed-in-face-at-trump-rally.html
This tells me more about this group of people than anything else.....
He hasn't spent much money. He has very little organization. He has no ground game really in any state. He has been mercilessly attacked by both Democrats, Republicans, and every major media market including Fox, MSNBC, and CNN... yet here he still is. He's fought the Bush family, Romney, McCain, all the other candidates, Hillary, Bill Clinton, and the Pope... and yet here he still is.Trump hasn't really spent that much money...and what he has spent he can justify it as marketing. As of Feb 20 he had spent $17.7 million of his money. What, Trump claims he is worth 10 billion? Let's say he is worth only $1 billion. $17.7 million would be the same as someone who is worth $1 million spending $17,700. So he's bought a decent used car.
Trump hasn't really spent that much money...and what he has spent he can justify it as marketing. As of Feb 20 he had spent $17.7 million of his money. What, Trump claims he is worth 10 billion? Let's say he is worth only $1 billion. $17.7 million would be the same as someone who is worth $1 million spending $17,700. So he's bought a decent used car.
Yeah, "the establishment's" fault, not his shitty persona.
Our new poll: Trump viewed unfavorably by: 85% Latinos 80% 18-34 68% white women 51% WHITE MEN Chart: http://wapo.st/1pNcRq4
She got what she deserved. Punch me and I would punch you back. He was right about the face of tolerance.http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/03/protester-pepper-sprayed-in-face-at-trump-rally.html
This tells me more about this group of people than anything else.....
Yes, and her language was surely that of a tolerant person and a young lady.which "this group", the paid Trump protesters or the Trump supporters. that gal is 15 yrs old per twitter? and punched an old man with white hair in the face? deserved every ounce of that mace to the face. what horrible, horrible parents she obviously has.
Stop citing polls and just give The People what they want, q!Yeah, "the establishment's" fault, not his shitty persona.
Our new poll: Trump viewed unfavorably by: 85% Latinos 80% 18-34 68% white women 51% WHITE MEN Chart: http://wapo.st/1pNcRq4
I don't know the figures. But assuming youre correct, spending $17.7 million of your own dollars is significant for a candidate. No matter how you try to spin it.
Oh his persona is the cause of everything. No doubt about that. But the establishment was stupid for killing their only real chance at doing anything this election.
Not that the MSM would allow Hillary to lose. Just last night, all over MSM sites the headline "TRUMP WANTS PUNISHMENT FOR ABORTIONS". When of course the actual quote was he wanted punishment for ILLEGAL abortions. A very reasonable position. Its ridiculous the levels the MSM will go to ensure a Dem victory.
I didn't say $17.7 million wasn't significant...but it isn't an amount that he can't afford to spend, an amount that requires he give up something in order to do it. Trump claims that his name alone is worth $3 Billion. An $18 million expenditure on a $3 billion asset is really pocket change. And to be sure you know that Trump is structuring his expenses in a way that he can write off most if not all of it on his taxes which when you are in his tax bracket is significant.
As for the abortion issue...if you listened to the whole interview he was all over the map with his answers which is just further proof that he just makes it up as he goes along. Abortions aren't illegal so duh...it would first require that they be made so. He said in the interview that he wanted them to be illegal. He then said he would punish the women who sought abortions and then changed his answer to he would punish the doctors, not the women.
So which answer we are to believe?
How regardless of the way it is reported does it "ensure a Dem victory"? ...other than the fact that a majority of the people don't think abortions should ever be made illegal. Who does the pro-life crowd want to punish if abortions are made illegal? If you are pro-choice then the simple fact that you wish to make them illegal is a strike against the candidate.
They did not kill anything, he did. There is nothing wrong with not wanting to be part of a cancer like him. People need to quit acting like this was a legitimate outside the box candidate that was character assassinated because they could not be controlled. That is just not reality.But the establishment was stupid for killing their only real chance at doing anything this election.
stop besmirching The Most Popular CandidateThey did not kill anything, he did. There is nothing wrong with not wanting to be part of a cancer like him. People need to quit acting like this was a legitimate outside the box candidate that was character assassinated because they could not be controlled. That is just not reality.
I think everyone here realizes it has been quite the spectacle.He hasn't spent much money. He has very little organization. He has no ground game really in any state. He has been mercilessly attacked by both Democrats, Republicans, and every major media market including Fox, MSNBC, and CNN... yet here he still is. He's fought the Bush family, Romney, McCain, all the other candidates, Hillary, Bill Clinton, and the Pope... and yet here he still is.
You folks need to step back and understand how insanely impressive that is. Nobody that has ever lived could have withstood that gauntlet and still be even in the running, let alone actually WINNING.
This has been the most amazing political spectacle of our lifetimes and I hope you all realize that.
The establishment is 'the establishment' for a reason. They don't want anyone who isn't willing to play ball. Trump is not that. Cruz is not that. Sanders is not that. They have no interest in either of those candidates, and would much rather have a lifetime politician like Clinton win because she can be controlled. The real shame here is that the American people are clearly unhappy on all sides of the political spectrum with government, however the best options we have for making that change are a 72 year old fringe politician who has no chance of gaining support for his initiatives, or a billionaire egomaniac who will always do what is best for himself regardless of what impact it has on the country.
Personally I hope that third party votes really rise this year. Everyone should always vote for the person that they think will do the best job of a) representing their interest and b) representing the interest of their region. The whole 'vote for a party' mentality is nonsense. The parties are about promoting themselves and keeping themselves in power, and not about doing what is best for their constituents.
but he could win if Republicans would only get behind him!Yeah, "the establishment's" fault, not his shitty persona.
Our new poll: Trump viewed unfavorably by: 85% Latinos 80% 18-34 68% white women 51% WHITE MEN Chart: http://wapo.st/1pNcRq4