How the GOP Can Stop Donald Trump: Do Nothing

The Week ^ | 11/30/2015 | Paul Waldman

[Uncle Miltie]

I have a theory about Iowa:

Cruz wins it.

Momentum into New Hampshire for 2nd place.

Nearly clean sweep in the South.

Trump makes several badly placed remarks sucking oxygen out.

That’s my theory / hope.

I don’t mind if we get Trump. I prefer Cruz. I still see the path above as reasonably achievable. There is lots of time. Cruz has ground game, and nobody’s seen that yet.

[caveat emptor]

It took them 3 years to figure out Lee’s vulnerability. I expect it will take as long with Trump.

You could be right. But his biggest vulnerability besides his "brand": ie persona, his touchiness, and his blabbermouth is net favorability, about which one doesn't hear much these days.

His hardcore base tolerates, some even revel in, his vulgar public language, vicious attacks, gross attitude towards women and so on. He can maintain his frontrunner status with 30% or so, and the MSM may be able to secure him the GOP nomination, but in the end they'll constantly go after him with everything they can find. That's the plan IMO.

Though he may not care ".... what [the media] write as long as you've got a young and beautiful piece of ass", most ordinary people do care about gross public behavior and language. FR once pulled a comment of mine in which I quoted one of his f-words in a speech. He pisses a lot of people off, and 30% won't win a national election.

[xzins]

I have a sense of what his vulnerability is, but my thoughts are not the same as yours. His mouth is one of his strengths. It attracts huge attention and then he owns the downside.

[TTFlyer]

Every hour of every day there’s a new “Dump Trump” article with some “strategy” for stopping the Trump juggernaut. It’s boring.

There has NEVER been such a deluge of opinion on how to stop Obama and the Marxist Democrats. Maybe if the GOPe(or whoever else)had put just a fraction of their effort into THAT endeavor instead of bashing Trump 24/7 perhaps the country wouldn’t be in such dire straits.

[dsrtsage]

I never knew it was the job of the GOP to take out the GOP front runner. I wish they would use half that much resources fighting democrats.

[caveat emptor]

His mouth is one of his strengths. It attracts huge attention and then he owns the downside.

Of course. He can be charming, funny, entertaining, attention grabbing etc. and so far he has owned the downside. The media thinks he is extremely vulnerable, but is taking it easy on him. They put him in position to disrupt the GOP primary process, which he did very well, and when the time is right they will go after him with a vengeance. He has not been seriously vetted, and closely examined he is a very louche person. FWIW America is not and never will be ready for Donald Trump, at least not as president. Permanently on SNL, maybe.

[xzins]

My view says that he’s already planning, that his billions have paved the way for serious media buys, that his production capacity has material ready to disseminate, and that his organizational skills are winning in Iowa and New Hampshire.

We’ll see, but people keep this guy is a mental lightweight when in reality he’s a knockout artist.

[xzins]

My view says that he’s already planning, that his billions have paved the way for serious media buys, that his production capacity has material ready to disseminate, and that his organizational skills are winning in Iowa and New Hampshire.

We’ll see, but people keep THINKING this guy is a mental lightweight when in reality he’s a knockout artist.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Partly I think that is because in the past the opposition party at least tried to act like they were doing something or would at least try to do something.

Now they are saying, yeah we have the House and Senate but we won't do what you want and you are wrong to want it.

Get rid of Obamacare? Nope.

Defund PP? Nope.

Stop our country from being invaded? You racist!

I will vote for my Representitive because he actually has tried to do something and got slapped down by the party for doing so.

I can no longer assume that the GOP is in general aliened with my values or will support my best interests.

I will judge them one by one.

[Nuc 1.1]

We are not now and never have been loya to a party. We are loyal to America.

[MrEdd]

Lee’s biggest vulnerability (and everything else is but an ephemeral shadow by comparison) was the Confederate government.

Much like our forces in Vietnam.

[Alas Babylon!]

Problem with that is Trump leads by double digits in almost every Southern State that votes early. South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, and Tennessee.

Texas is Cruz’s, no doubt.

[Georgia Girl 2]

The only problem with that theory is that Cruz just isn’t going to be able to change that many minds. He has a small strong support base but the majority of the GOP voting base is middle of the road or slightly right of center so Trump’s a better fit for them.

Cruz might take Iowa but I would not put money on it.

Personally I would really like to see Cruz as VP or AG.

[Rona Badger]

Coming next is a 12-step program for admission of powerlessness over Trump. Take it one day at a time, folks.

[Rona Badger]

You got it, Girl!

[AndyJackson]

It's certainly possible that his campaign will prove incapable of the nuts-and-bolts work required to actually get primary voters to the polls.

Yeah I would bet the farm on that number if I were you.

[AndyJackson]

He has not been seriously vetted, and closely examined

Just every f'in minute of every f'in day. The press doesn't need to take the gloves off because they never put them on in the first place. Problem is, you punch, and he hits back with a 2x4 right between the eyes.

[caveat emptor]

people keep THINKING this guy is a mental lightweight

Not me. Rather, a moral one. Perhaps he can control info in the public political arena as well he did in the NY business world, but he can't hide his obvious public vulgarity and dishonesty. He's gonna "bomb the sh.. out of ISIS", "get criminal illegal aliens outta here so fr...in fast", obviously mocking the handicapped reporter then lying about it, Fiorina's face. Do people care? Well, we'll see.

[caveat emptor]

He has not been seriously vetted, and closely examined

Just every f'in minute of every f'in day

Nah. So far they're handling him with kid gloves. He's the media's guy - to muck up the GOP yet again. They put him in position to disrupt the GOP primary process, which he did very well, and when the time is right they will go after him with a vengeance.

[LibsRJerks]

Go after him . . . for what? Donald Trump has been around and under the magnifying glass before perhaps half were even born here on FR. It’s all out there. He’s run a multi-billion dollar corporation ...successfully. If he’s done anything lewd or immoral, it would have come out by now.

Donald may be the cleanest candidate we’ve seen in a long time. The worst thing he’s done is made his billions and supported NYC with his taxes for decades now.