2015-2016 Republican Primary Season - Trump Courts the Conservatives

[flere-imsaho]

I'd like to like Johnson, but his idea to turn Medicare and Medicaid fully into block grant programs is a terrible, terrible idea, and the thought process behind it is not something I'd like to see applied to other federal programs.

[panerd]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

I'd like to like Johnson, but his idea to turn Medicare and Medicaid fully into block grant programs is a terrible, terrible idea, and the thought process behind it is not something I'd like to see applied to other federal programs.

Yeah there are a few areas I have disagreements with him on. I always figure on those he has to get by the Congress though so I 'm guessing his changes to the major departments and programs are more philosophy than what will happen. From what I have read about New Mexico he was big on just filtering the garbage out of every bill that came across his desk.

The big knock against Libertarians used to be drug legalization but now it seems to be the majority view (at least on pot and I doubt a first term Libertarian is going to go right after legalizing coke their first day in office). The other was always nutcases that have no experience and these two candidates have as much "real experience" as most presidential candidates in the past 30 years.

I will see where he is polling and likely vote for him but if Trump gets too close to Clinton in Missouri I may have to hold my nose and vote for Hillary using the same "lessor of two evils" that I have railed against on this board the past 10 years.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

And, finally, Trump has given Hillary Clinton a nickname: Crooked Hillary. This is an honor that only Lyin' Ted and Little Marco earned in the past

Crazy Bernie
Goofy Elizabeth Warren

[Dutch]

Tricky Trump!

[Subby]

'America Was Never Great' hat sparks furor against Home Depot worker | NJ.com

[NobodyHere]

I think that Trump releasing his favorites for the open Supreme Court seat was a rather savvy move to try to unite the Republican party.

I mean the Democratic party looks much more fractured than the Republicans at the moment. This was unthinkable to me about 2 months ago.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by Subby

'America Was Never Great' hat sparks furor against Home Depot worker | NJ.com

I'm guessing she's a fan of Reverend Wright

[Solecismic]

Washington goes 76% for the uncontested Trump (Cruz, Kasich and Carson were still on the ballot), giving him 41 more pledged delegates.

Trump has 1,153 pledged and 64 unpledged (mostly Pennsylvania and Guam), giving him assumed control over 1,217 of the 1,237 delegates he needs for the nomination.

The next (and last) contests are two weeks from tonight in California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota. They amount to 303 delegates. Trump needs 20. He'll probably get about 300.

Trump was in Albuquerque tonight, and the "protesters" were out in full force (if you're throwing bottles and rocks at the police and shooting out convention hall windows, maybe protester isn't quite the right term, but the media still calls it a protest). No reported injuries, but a lot of visual material to convince Trump undecideds that maybe the alternative is worse.

Editing - I've seen other reports that say the windows were broken by rocks rather than pellet guns, and some police officers were injured.

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by Subby

'America Was Never Great' hat sparks furor against Home Depot worker | NJ.com

It's a free Kuntry.

[albionmoonlight]

I agree that the rioting extreme liberal fringe is worse than the mainstream GOP nominee.

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

I agree that the rioting extreme liberal fringe is worse than the mainstream GOP nominee.

A very well crafted comment.

[RainMaker]

Anti-Trump protesters are much more violent than any Trump protesters I've seen. And I am not a Trump fan.

[flere-imsaho]

To be fair, Trump supporters get their violence out at Trump's rallies.

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

To be fair, Trump supporters get their violence out at Trump's rallies.

I'm wondering why these leftist riots aren't getting any play at FOFC and then I remember from the voting thread that FOFC is mostly left-wing nowadays. So therefore, it's not really happening.

[flere-imsaho]

Oh Dutch. Such a martyr.

[tarcone]

I was listening to our local fox radio station. Some local guys were talking about their college age kids loving Sanders. They surmised that the kids generation may not leave their leftist views as many people do as they age. They were surmising we are going down the road to France.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by tarcone

I was listening to our local fox radio station. Some local guys were talking about their college age kids loving Sanders. They surmised that the kids generation may not leave their leftist views as many people do as they age. They were surmising we are going down the road to France.

No more than we are heading down the road toward a repressive oligarchy where billionaires can anonymously bankroll lawsuits against publications to avoid bad press or as retribution for printing stories they don't agree with.

Where name calling, hyperbole, out and out fabrication are completely accpeted. Where bullying anyone who doesn't agree with you is the new accepted way of life from our leaders.

I can see why people are so focused on the "real" issues though, like who is in the bathroom with you.

[cuervo72]

Same thing Daniel Snyder attempted to do to the City Paper, just on a smaller scale (City Paper is tiny compared to Gawker, of course).

Redskins owner Dan Snyder drops lawsuit against Washington City Paper - The Washington Post

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by tarcone

I was listening to our local fox radio station. Some local guys were talking about their college age kids loving Sanders. They surmised that the kids generation may not leave their leftist views as many people do as they age. They were surmising we are going down the road to France.

My, God! Not France!

[Kodos]

Ooh, la la...

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

Oh Dutch. Such a martyr.

#TheStruggleIsReal. #MiddleClassLivesMatter.

[albionmoonlight]

Trump is at 94% at predictit. Interesting that even though he's going to get 1,237+ and even though every other major campaign is "suspended," folks still hold out around a 5% chance that he won't be the nominee.

As a Democrat, here's the worst case I just thought of. Dems right now are spending all of their time and money attacking Trump (and each other, but that's another story). But let's say that Trump does not really want the job and really was just in this for the publicity and the "what the fuck, I'm bored, let's run for President" of it.

So he's had these meetings with Preibus and Ryan and the like. And at these meetings, it was agreed that Trump will decide to drop out right before the convention and throw his support behind [candidate X].

Suddenly, Hillary's whole strategy of "You dislike Trump more than you dislike me" turns into dust.

[Gary Gorski]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

And at these meetings, it was agreed that Trump will decide to drop out right before the convention and throw his support behind [candidate X].

I will be highly disappointed if this happens and Jim Ross is not there to scream out "Oh My God that's [candidate X's] music!"

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Dutch

#TheStruggleIsReal. #MiddleClassLivesMatter.

Then...why are you voting Republican, again? The last time the Republicans gave two honest shits about the middle class, Eisenhower was President.

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

Oh Dutch. Such a martyr.

There will always be winners and losers. I'm losing so it probably sounds sad to somebody who's team is winning. I admit it.

[digamma]

I think the fact that we refer to it as teams is probably one of the biggest problems with the system today.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by digamma

I think the fact that we refer to it as teams is probably one of the biggest problems with the system today.

I'm honestly not sure why the reference is troubling. I mean, it's essentially shorthand, and communicates a number of things in simple to understand fashion.

And isn't communication the primary purpose for language?

[digamma]

The point I'm trying to make is that we care more about the label than the substance. Or regardless of the substance. I could slap a (D) next to Trump's name those crucifying him today would be defending him. We blindly cheer for our team rather than tackling the issues (this isn't a Dutch (or you) criticism, btw, but a more systemic one).

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by digamma

The point I'm trying to make is that we care more about the label than the substance. Or regardless of the substance. I could slap a (D) next to Trump's name those crucifying him today would be defending him. We blindly cheer for our team rather than tackling the issues (this isn't a Dutch (or you) criticism, btw, but a more systemic one).

But how accurate is that particular point in this case?

Take Trump on immigration, his strongest topic out of the gate.
How could you spin that into a pro-D position he staked out?

I've seen what you're talking about, I'm not saying it doesn't exist/happen. I'm just not really sure Trump is really a guy it applies to as well as a lot of others.

---

To the more general, less Trump focused (as I just kinda made it) subject though ... I'm still not overly bothered by the linguistic shortcut. Granted, for all my hardline positions, I get that I'm a minority these days when it comes to being willing to shoot whomever f's up, regardless of party affiliation.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

Let Trump win the nomination, and the party is toast.

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

IMO, only if he wins the general, too, and then it's a different kind of toast.

If Trump wins the nomination and there aren't shenanigans (like a bitter contested convention and a subsequent high-profile GOP split), and then loses the general election, the party's basically back where it was.

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

I think youjust skipped over the 3.5-month circus of the campaign. .

Still shaking my head that flere didn't see this dumpster fire coming.

[flere-imsaho]

I'm getting old, my clairvoyance isn't what it used to be.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

I'm getting old, my clairvoyance isn't what it used to be.

Jokin aside, though I did assume that a post-convention Trump campaign would be a circus, I must admit that so far it has been even more of a circus than I thought it would be.

[NobodyHere]

Molson might want to get his clairvoyance checked as well.

Originally Posted by molson

I think Trump could have hung in the race for a while if he ran about 15 years ago, at the height of American society's acceptance of him.

It's always fun to go back and read these threads after the race is over.

[JPhillips]

Completely wrong about Trump.

Completely wrong about Walker/Bush/Rubio.

But at least I can hang my hat on initially saying Kasich couldn't win.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

Jokin aside, though I did assume that a post-convention Trump campaign would be a circus, I must admit that so far it has been even more of a circus than I thought it would be.

I posted this on 8/4, in the midst of the Gold Star Family ruckus. I thought we'd seen "circus" then. Clearly I'm an idiot. Since then we've had "second amendment people", "check out sex tape", "grab her by the pussy", and I'm sure a few other noteworthy things I'm leaving out. But those are the highlights, I think.

And we still have a month to go.

[mckerney]

RNC halts Victory project work for Trump - POLITICO

[NobodyHere]

The subtitle of this thread should be "Trump grabs conservatives by the ______."

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

The subtitle of this thread should be "Trump grabs conservatives by the ______."

You, sir, win the thread.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

The subtitle of this thread should be "Trump grabs conservatives by the ______."

So he's cocky and funny?

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by Dutch posted this many moons ago

Each one of those notes could easily have read, "Received all news cycle coverage"...so this isn't out of the realm of normal. The old adage, "Bad press is good press" comes to mind. You have to be imperfect all the time for this to work though. It's not like someone trying to be perfect made a gaffe...it's just a slew of "gaffes" that he owns each and every time. Fascinating stuff at how popularity is gained.

I am curious to see how this latest and normally a death-sentence gaffe plays out. I'm not so sure it kills him. And there's a debate tonight. I doubt I'll be able to watch it but it will probably be glorious.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm just kinda chuckling today at the notion that Kasich withdrawing an endorsement has some actual meaning (not here afaik, I'm referring to seeing that elsewhere).

Not sure how many establishment clowns have less credibility with Trump voters than him, but it's amusing to see the left and the squishy leftcenters pretend it means something.

[digamma]

Originally Posted by digamma

Of course the counter to this is that "the party" should be embracing his performance in the open primaries. I realize there's a theory that it is non-party participants trying to influence the vote, but it could also signify that Trump is the only one who can change the map. He can pull from either traditional Democratic voters at lower income levels or non-voters. I think the Democrats are a little myopic to be pulling for him because he'll be an easy general election win. I think Cruz, despite beating HRC in a theoretical race, is the easier win as he brings very little to the table in the purple states, outside of maybe Missouri.

I am in Europe and was talking about the election with some folks in a meeting today. Reminded me that I was the best freaking pundit ever in March 2016.