Posted on 09/30/2015 5:48:22 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Donald Trump boasted several times that the amazing ratings both Fox News and CNN enjoyed while hosting the first two Republican presidential debates is primarily due to his presence in them, and after seeing the viewership numbers from The Donald’s appearance on 60 Minutes the other night, he might be right.
Kipp Jones of Breitbart reports. “Trump’s Sunday evening interview with 60 Minutes, in which Russian President Vladimir Putin was also interviewed by Charlie Rose, brought in big ratings for CBS, which finished Rand Paul only behind NBC’s Sunday Night Football.”
“…Scott Pelley’s sit-down with GOP frontrunner Donald Trump brought in 15 million viewers...”
I myself made a point to watch the program because Trump was on it, where I normally can’t stomach the liberal bias of CBS’s 60 Minutes hosts.
Like him or hate him, Trump makes everything more interesting, including tax policy. Reaction continues to trickle in to The Donald’s tax proposals, with most of it being positive in nature.
Gabby Morrongiello of the Washington Examiner goes over the details of the plan and adds, “Trump has been slow to develop policy particulars to accompany much of his campaign rhetoric, detailing his opposition to gun control and lenient immigration laws in just two public position papers to date. His tax plan marks the third issue on which he's now offered substantive policies.”
Morrongiello also notes despite the lack of specifics, Trump still enjoys a sizable lead in the polls. Maybe it’s the “celebrity” popularity that was evident from the ratings of his 60 Minutes appearance.
Also, as discussed yesterday, Grover Norquist likes Trump’s plan. Paul Bedard of the Washington Examiner reports that Norquist commented on Twitter, “The @realDonaldTrump tax plan cuts business tax from 35% to 15%. This makes us competitive worldwide. Jobs. Jobs. Jobs.
“…But, ATR added that Trump's plan isn't perfect. ‘The most disappointing part of the Trump plan is that the tax system would move no closer to full expensing of business fixed investment. Businesses would still be saddled with the complex, distorting, and growth-inhibiting 'depreciation' regime where an asset is deducted over several or even many years,’” Bedard wrote.
You probably need an MBA to understand ATR’s objection, but overall, they seem to approve of the plan. And if Grover Norquist likes it, many conservatives will follow suit.
Is the next candidate to drop out….Rand Paul?
Somewhat like Scott Walker, the perception Rand Paul would be in trouble early in the Republican presidential race was unfathomable earlier this year. As the natural heir-apparent to the constituency father Ron meticulously built-up over two election cycles, Rand was positioned to at least be in the top five heading into 2016.
But as Allahpundit at Hot Air argues, Paul is on the ropes because it turns out he has no “niche” in the race. “Between Cruz, Trump, and disaffection on both sides — libertarians and Make-America-Great-Again-ers — Paul’s left with basically no voters. How much longer can he go on?”
Allahpundit explains how the “disaffected” vote that went to Ron in 2008 and 2012 has moved on to other, more viable candidates such as Ted Cruz and Donald Trump this time around. These voters are the people who are itching to send a message to the establishment and are currently fueling the campaigns of all the “outsiders.”
There’s just no room for Rand in that group. Even some of the libertarian voters he might otherwise have secured were turned off by Rand’s more “conventional” foreign policy views.
This whole discussion was partially brought on because of Paul’s pathetic position in the polls (his RealClearPolitics average is 2.4 percent for the last week of September) and his fundraising is reportedly… not good. There’s even talk he’s been asked to shift his fundraising focus to shore up his Senate seat in Kentucky.
For his part, Paul says he’s not going away. Mark Hensch of The Hill reports that Paul told Alisyn Camerota on CNN, “By no means am I finished. I’m just getting started.”
“We wouldn’t do all this if we were planning on dropping out,” Paul said, citing his campaign’s outreach in key voting states and on college campuses nationwide. “I think we’ll be around just as long as Trump, if not longer.”
In the same interview, Paul went on to question how any Republican could favor Donald Trump, calling him a “clown.” A good number of Republicans said the same thing about his dad four and eight years ago – perhaps without the “clown” reference.
For someone who’s always liked Rand (and Ron) Paul, I can say his main problem isn’t Donald Trump. Even if Trump left the race today, Rand still would have to contend with the “disaffected” vote potentially going to several other candidates.
(For example, here’s a look by Jonathan Easley of The Hill at how Ted Cruz has picked up former Ron Paul supporters.)
In other words, there’s no clear avenue to victory for Paul. Take him at his word that he’s not dropping out – but it doesn’t look promising for him right now.
Carly Fiorina, the anti-feminist
We all know feminists love women in positions of power – after all, it’s their reason for existing, right?
But we also know feminist “love” only extends to women who toe their leftist line. Margaret Thatcher was a powerful woman and they hated her. The same with Sarah Palin. Now it looks like they’re fixing their talons to scratch at Carly, too.
Rich Lowry writes in National Review, “Feminists have noticed, but their admiration is tinged with dread — and it should be. An eloquent, fearless critic of abortion, the latest outsider to climb into the Republican race is a clear and present danger to what feminists hold most dear.”
Which is the notion women need “feminism” to succeed. Fiorina’s done plenty well for herself, never using gender as an excuse.
The media loves highlighting the fact she’s the “other woman” in the presidential race, but isn’t it true Hillary Clinton is the only female on the Democrat side?
Lowry also touches on Fiorina’s incredible gift of speech. “Fiorina is so formidable because she has a tough-as-nails public persona, together with an ear for the music of public speech. As Noah Rothman of Commentary magazine put it, she campaigns in poetry, not in prose.”
Whereas Sarah Palin came into the 2008 election somewhat unprepared to repel the attacks from the media, Fiorina seems more than ready to take on all comers. Maybe it was her time as CEO at Hewlett Packard that paved the way for perfect comfort in the so-called male dominated world.
Speaking of HP, writing at Hot Air, Matt Vespa wonders whether the ghosts of her 2010 Senate campaign will reappear to sink Carly this year. “Fiorina was somewhat close to Boxer in August of that year, until the latter’s campaign ran an ad hitting Carly on her HP record. Carly fell like a rock by September, which was when the ad was launched.”
Vespa explains it’s not just HP’s troubled record during Fiorina’s tenure that’s a problem for her, it’s also the company’s dealing (through a subsidiary partner) with Iran that is bound to crop up.
Barbara Boxer used these issues effectively to squelch Carly’s candidacy in 2010, but you also get the impression things are different now.
First of all, Fiorina’s ability to appeal to the liberal constituencies in California was very limited. On a national scale, she’s got much more room to develop a following. And whereas the Democrats were able to pin Mitt Romney to Bain Capital, it will be harder to make HP stick to Carly.
Romney’s stiff white male persona provided many avenues to assail and Mitt wasn’t effective in deflecting the attacks. Fiorina is prepared for the questions about her experience, and thus far, has done a credible job answering them. She’s also telling the truth about her terrific life story, as was confirmed by a fact-checker at the Washington Post.
And let’s not forget she would most likely be pitted against Hillary Clinton, should she somehow win the Republican nod.
Do you think people are going to care about corporate layoffs when there’s a lot more interesting blots on Hillary’s record to talk about? Maybe…
Again, all part of the conversation.
Lindsey Graham is mad at the RNC; now it’s time to get serious
We conclude today with news that Lindsey Graham is accusing the RNC of trying to winnow the Republican presidential field by failing to specify which candidates will be able to take part in next month’s third debate (Oct. 28 on CNBC).
Gabby Morrongiello of the Washington Examiner reports Graham's campaign manager, Christian Ferry, wrote a letter to the Republican National Committee recently, complaining “The RNC should not be in the business of winnowing down primary fields; in fact, the rules specifically forbid it without a vote of the committee."
I agree the RNC shouldn’t be choosing which candidates will survive deeper into the process, but does adding Lindsey Graham’s voice really enhance the argument?
Graham is perhaps the biggest joke in the race – and that’s saying a lot considering George Pataki is right there beside him.
Yes
Mark Levin lit into Rand Paul tonight big time for bashing Ted Cruz.
Time to turn off the lights at vthe Rand Paul Campaign HQ/Garden Shed and call it quits.
I find it interesting that the Media demands specifics from Trump,
but the GOP controlled House and Senate never have specifics about
the budget. Only continuing resolutions.
I comletely lost interest in him when he made his deal with Yertle.
3 percent say no.
He’s still in? Well I’ll be darned..........
No. The GOPe will keep Rand in the race, along with Graham, to attack Cruz in the Senate and make Rubio look good.
Money and poll numbers don’t matter- it’s strategy.
Paul is cozying up to McTurtle.
Where’s a fork?
Rand Paul is a young man and COULD have a future in national electoral politics. To save that possibility it would serve him well to get out now and get out honorably. I suspect that most of his supporters would migrate to Ted Cruz with a low-information sub-set going toward Rubio.
He was never in.
There are some things I like about Paul.
However, he is wrong on some things that are so important that you cannot just overlook them.
There was a LOT I liked about Walker too but he self-destructed on the immigration issue... IMO the most important issue currently before this nation! He undeniably was a brave hero with his stand against corrupt unions in Wis.
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