The best thing to happen to the Democratic party is Trump getting the nomination. It will mean a clear walk to the presidency for Hillary.
Don't be fooled by the primary caucus, only the crazies come out and vote and is a very small handful of the population - e.g in Nevada 35000 people voted for Trump. That is 0.1% of the population of Nevada!!
Where it could get interesting and slightly concerning is if Rubio or Cruz gain traction and get the nomination. Then Trump will run as an independent, Bloomberg will step in as an independent and with the financial backing that Bernie is getting and this being is only shot at the presidency I would not rule him out as running as an independent either. Then there would be 5 names on the ticket and that is a whole different ball game.
Drumpf as a democratic stooge? Maybe, stranger things have happened. If he is, then I will credit it him with a higher level of intelligence than I currently do.
and a ban on Muslims
that's not quite accurate - he was proposing a temporary ban until the administration 'figured out' what was happening and where all the hatred was coming from and what to do about it. He even mentioned respecting mosques.
I know he is especially with that hairdo but he is easy to deal
You'd rather have an idiot in charge of the world's biggest economy, with his finger on the nuclear button, than someone who's PC and respects others?
FFS
The best thing to happen to the Democratic party is Trump getting the nomination. It will mean a clear walk to the presidency for Hillary.
I keep reading this. Other than the fact that Trump is an idiot, what basis does it have? 8 years ago Clinton couldn't even motivate her own supporters to give her the nomination, she has none of her husband's charisma and all the baggage, and is being pushed by a fringe candidate despite all her apparent advantages. Add to this the fact that the US is in an anti-establishment mindset then Clinton is very far from a dead-cert.
Whilst his fans are very vociferous, I suspect that Trump's support in the wider country isn't that good.. anyone got figures?
The main GOP voters will not support Trump. Even if it means not voting. He does not have support of the mainstream. Don't let the Caucus fool you.
LHS you are wrong (edit IMO). They fear/hate Democrats/Clinton more than they disagree with Trump
But Trump is an imbecile - did you not notice?
Is he less smart than George W ? GW won two terms.
Gay Donald. Even better than cockney gangster.
Jambalaya, we will see. I think you will find you are in fact wrong (IMO).
Is he less smart than George W ?
Much less, IMO.
Hmm, is sounding "gay" supposed to be funny now? Didn't we leave that behind somewhere in the early eighties with Larry Grayson and John Inman?
Yeah he's a fair bit dimmer than bush and look at the bit of a mess that is Bush's legacy in the middle East and beyond !
Imagine what Trump could achieve!?!!?!
I really believed he could not win the nomination let alone the Presidency. Now I think he may well win both, the nomination is a done deal I think. I hope I am wrong.
Worth a punt. What are the odds?
Edit: 2/1 😯
Can he be that dim and have done so well both in business and, so far, politically?
I know there are massive questions over his business dealings and conduct, but he's undeniably a very wealthy man, and he also seems to have enough nous to win over a lot of support from the electorate, both of which surely take some brain, even if the rest of that brain conjures up some utterly odious ideas and behaviour?
Bush may have been dim, but he came from a well connected political dynasty. He will have surrounded himself with at least a few political advisors with half a brain.
Trump prides himself in being an outsider with no political background. Who is he likely to surround himself with?
Hmm, is sounding "gay" supposed to be funny now?
It is the latest in a series of videos that Peter Serafinowicz's has done where he revoices Trump but doesn't change anything he actually says. He previously did a cockney Trump and a posh English Trump.
It's an interesting experiment in how an accent alters your perception of someone and what they are saying.
And yes, it's also pretty funny. 😀
Hmm, is sounding "gay" supposed to be funny now? Didn't we leave that behind somewhere in the early eighties with Larry Grayson and John Inman?
Zulu goes PC!
Now, that's funny. 😆
It is the latest in a series of videos that Peter Serafinowicz's has done where he revoices Trump but doesn't change anything he actually says. He previously did a cockney Trump and a posh English Trump.And yes, it's also pretty funny.
They used to reckon this was funny too:
Nobeerinthefridge - Member
It's a bit early for the sherry Chewy!
No, no that's not cool enough ...
We need to smoke weed. Yes, weed. Weed is cool ...
Oh look I am smoking weed I have my human rights. 🙄
GrahamS - Member
this PC disease will spread to the entire globe
Ah the great PC terror: "What if the entire world starts treating each other with respect? Where will the madness end?"
Yes, with respect but not to be told or lectured by the PC ... wtf are they to tell the world.
TooTall - Member
that woman! That woman is disgusting
You have some real anger issues. I can't tell whether your issues are about the individual, the woman, all American women, all people to the left of the GOP or any other group I've missed.I don't think PC means what you think it means.
Just that Clinton Woman ... Hilary as she is known as. Specific enough? Yes?
No angry issue but the PC champion is taking the mickey.
Ya, you got to be very twisted to suggest all American women.
That's what I called fork tongues by twisting words. These are the people who indirectly murdered many during the Cultural Revolution as my grandparents found out ...
All people to the left? No, but all people to the left [b]with ZM brains[/b].
molgrips - Member
I know he is especially with that hairdo but he is easy to dealYou'd rather have an idiot in charge of the world's biggest economy, with his finger on the nuclear button, than someone who's PC and respects others?
FFS
Yes, I do not see any problem with reducing global population by 3/4 leaving 1/4 to rebuild.
Why not we all perish together eh?
Or why not you be the only one alive? We all turn into ashes?
I have no sympathy whatsoever coz mankind are pest!
Mankind must learn the painful lesson.
Paaiiiinnnn! 😛
the trouble for any of the republican candidates is the demographic of the typical american voter is changing, for all the insults, it's becoming more "liberal". Many more single female voters and latin american voters now.
Christ, ninfan is being offended for people and chewkw is off his meds again.
I'm out.
Klunk - Member
the trouble for any of the republican candidates is the demographic of the typical american voter is changing, for all the insults, it's becoming more "liberal". Many more single female voters and latin american voters now.
As we in the far east says the newcomers will always vote for the "liberal" or parties the left and or to vote for the one with their religion (Muslamic in my case) so nothing new there.
GrahamS - Member
Christ, ninfan is being offended for people and chewkw is off his meds again.I'm out.
Meds?
No, no weed is cool ... we love weed.
Oh look we are smoking weed.
Oh look I am high ... 😆
thegreatape - MemberCan he be that dim and have done so well both in business and, so far, politically?
Mostly what he's done is take the massive bag of money he was loaned to set up in business, and another massive bag of money he inherited, and slowly turn it into a larger bag of money. But his actual rate of return has been pretty poor- a recurring theme of the campaign has been articles comparing him unfavourably with other businessmen like his rivals the LeFraks, and pointing out that his rate of return is pretty comparable to index linked funds (depending of course on who you believe regarding his net worth). So it's arguable how succesful he's really been- his personal successes seem exaggerated, his personal failures pretty substantial (and much of the cost borne by others), and now much of his value is based on leasing his brand name to other people.
And ironically his dad made most of his money exploiting federal subsidies. (not abusing btw, just exploiting- he built a shitload of affordable housing and made a pretty big impact on NYC)
It's all just part of the mythmaking. But "My dad made a fortune from taxpayers then I turned that into a slightly larger fortune" isn't such an impressive tale.
And he's not dumb or stupid. He know's exactly what he's doing and how to get elected. It's just not clear what he'll do if he is.
Oh look I am high ...
Really? I'd never have guessed!
Bush may have been dim, but he came from a well connected political dynasty. He will have surrounded himself with at least a few political advisors with half a brain.
Wasn't Karl Rove often referred to as Bush's brain?
Bazz - Member
Oh look I am high ...
Really? I'd never have guessed!
You like weed? Yes?
Legalise weed? Yes?
Northwind - Member
thegreatape - Member
Can he be that dim and have done so well both in business and, so far, politically?
Mostly what he's done is take the massive bag of money he was loaned to set up in business, and another massive bag of money he inherited, and slowly turn it into a larger bag of money ...
He is definitely not dimmer than you lot that I am sure.
Even if he has inherited all the money he surely has not wasted them all.
There are plenty of folks that consider themselves "clever" but what I don't understand is why they are still in the dead end job day in day out ...
Me mates who are highly intelligent (PhDs etc) knowing how to criticise people etc yet still struggle throughout their lives to earn a living ... I mean are they stooopid or what? 😯
Ted Cruz's main tactic against Trump is to point out that he is far more conservative/right wing than Trump. Who he is trying to portray as a New York liberal, not a real Republican as he's previoisly donated to the Democrats and has supported abostion. So is he what people really want, a more genuine right winger than Trump ?
As for foreign policy Trump has already said he does not believe the US should be the world's policeman. That could well mean greater instability with Europe forced to take a far more pro-active role not least against an emboldened Putin. STWers may think Bush created a huge problem in the region but is it worse if Trump walks away after having "bombed the sh1t oitnof IS" ?
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Interesting perspective.
I hate to say it, but I'm forced to agree with Jamba on this one. Trump now has a very good shot at the Presidency. What that means in reality Christ knows. Cruz is equally mental, if not more. It's bloody scary I've always been one to support shaking up the status quo but on this the stakes are too high and Clinton inspires very little confidence against the reactionary tsunami which seems to be advancing.
@mefty I read that today, was thinking of taking a photo and post too !
Tonights results are going to be very telling
jambalaya - MemberTed Cruz's main tactic against Trump is to point out that he is far more conservative/right wing than Trump. Who he is trying to portray as a New York liberal, not a real Republican as he's previoisly donated to the Democrats and has supported abostion. So is he what people really want, a more genuine right winger than Trump ?
TBH this is definitely a thing. Cruz's undoubted awfulness has been totally downplayed because of Trump's. To be fair, this is just the GOP election, once we get to the actual election there's a lot of time to refocus on that, but it's definitely a concern that he becomes the acceptable republican when really we should be firing both of them into the sun.
Interesting perspective.
Although in Indiana 'mildly conservative' is still pretty right of center.
From that letter; the alternatives to Trump are "worse than Hitler"...
If that's what passes for considered comment in the US, they deserve an idiot like Trump
Watching the BBC, which it seems is the new NBC, this morning reveals Trump ahead and Hil's strongly fighting her corner.
It'll be these two, it's pretty much over for the rest of the candidates now..
If trumps support for that KKK douchebag, is a red flag (with a swaztika in the middle) id be very mindful of them voting on the next Hitler.
Trump is obviously racist, whipping up hated to win an election is not going to end well.
As for Trump going big on tax reform, really? a man who's$$$ are stashed in offshore havens and repeatedly refuses to publish his tax returns, no chance
Amazingly, I too agree almost entirely with Jamba. I never thought Trump could win the nomination because I thought a "sensible" establishment candidate would have smashed him by now but he probably will become the candidate. I also think there is a lack of recognition on here for how tainted a brand Clinton is, how unsavoury she herself is, and how patriarchal voters are.
However, gawker has an interesting (invective-tinged) piece pointing out that Trump's nomination and possible victory is a bit of a crisis for the republican establishment. On one hand, he has taken the bigoted dog whistle politics of previous campaigns and take It to an extreme - turns out a klaxon is better than a dog whistle. On the other hand, he has overturned key policies of the republican platform and rejected them eg some kind of public healthcare system. That's not surprising in itself (shock - populist policies are popular!) but it's a challenge to the funders that have spent a long time getting the republicans to convince people that elitist policies are good for them.
http://gawker.com/the-time-has-come-for-donald-trump-to-destroy-the-hater-1762231346
But a trump presidency is a nightmare, Clinton is a 90s zombie, Sanders is all over the place, and those people in the newspaper are just dickheads. We are living in the end times
The point is how much power does the US president actually have . Isn't he really 99% just a kind of figurehead with little real influence . That's partly why the likes of Reagan did OK because he was an actor and was good at delivering the lines he was given , even George W Bush was actually quite a good speaker , as is Obama . You just have to wonder whether Trump has the polish or class needed to do the job . One suspects that he doesn't and will be effectively neutralised by the US political system . Neutralised as in made to be ineffective , not killed obviously .
The point is how much power does the US president actually have
Domestically, if - and it's a big if - the republican establishment close ranks he'll be as limited in what he can do as Obama has been. Internationally, he will have sole control of the US military and foreign policy, The world, quite literally, will be his oyster.
trump presidency is a nightmare, Clinton is a 90s zombie, Sanders is all over the place, and those people in the newspaper are just dickheads. We are living in the end times
I think there remains a strong possibility that Trump went ugly early to win the republican nomination (as has been pointed out, in many ways he is far to the left of the other candidates) in order to go more reasonable in the election. The noises are already being made that many of his pronouncements are a negotiating position to bring to the table in order to get the best deal.
What's truly interesting is how much of his speeches actually discuss issues like trade imbalance and manufacturing. Amusing to hear him say last night that he would make Apple bring their production back to US shores, I'm sure that went down well with the board 😀
Trumps already got the rednecks eating out of the palm of his hand, if he can moderate his approach in the real campaign, then I suspect a choice between him and another Clinton (especially Hilary) will see a fair few swing voters go to him
have to agree with ninfan,[b] if[/b] trump is much more cunning than he appears to be, then he could play the post nomination game very differently
his non commital flip-flopping and blaming his earpiece for refusing to condemn the KKK guy is a good example
he's still refusing to disclose his tax returns and things like that may be a problem once he has the nomination and is under further scrutiny
I mean, if it's all a cunning plan, he's incredibly convincing. And I don't believe he actually believes any of his positions. But his speeches and statements are just a collection of words. "We're going to do amazing things, we have it all worked out, the things we are doing are things no one has ever done better, and if it doesn't work, I'll buy in the best to do an incredible job".