Posted on 04/25/2011 9:50:49 PM PDT by jazusamo
The boomlet for Donald Trump as a Republican nominee for President of the United States ought to be a wake-up call for Republican candidates and Republican Party leaders alike.
Why has Trump surged ahead of other Republican candidates and potential candidates in the polls? It is not likely that his resurrection of the issue of Barack Obama's birth certificate has aroused all this support.
The birth certificate issue does more political damage to Obama's critics than to the president himself, because it enables the media to paint those critics as kooks. Nor are Donald Trump's political positions such as to create a stampede to his cause.
Radio talk show host Mark Levin has rebroadcast Trump's varied and mutually contradictory statements on political issues and personalities over the years. It was a devastating revelation of Trump's "versatility of convictions," to use a phrase coined long ago by Thorstein Veblen.
What then is Donald Trump's appeal-- and why should it concern Republican leaders in general?
What Trump has that so many other Republicans are so painfully lacking is the ability and the willingness to articulate his positions clearly, forcefully and in plain English. Too many Republicans talk like the actor of whom a critic once said, "he played the king like he was afraid that someone else was going to play the ace."
What electrified so many Republicans about Sarah Palin in the 2008 election campaign was that she was such a contrast to the usual mealy-mouth talk that was more common among other Republican candidates, including Senator John McCain. Whether you agreed or disagreed with her position on the issues, you didn't have to wave your hand in front of her eyes to see if she was awake.
Donald Trump is dangerous in at least two senses. If, by some tragic miracle, he should become the Republicans' candidate for president in 2012, that would be the closest thing to an iron-clad guarantee of a second term in the White House for Barack Obama.
That would be a huge setback for the Republicans-- and, far more important-- a historic catastrophe for this country.
What seems more likely is that Donald Trump as a candidate for the Republican nomination would use his superior articulation skills-- not to mention brash irresponsibility-- to trash all the other Republican candidates for that nomination, leaving them damaged goods in the eyes of the public, and therefore less able to gather the votes needed to prevent the reelection of Obama.
Why Republicans seem not to understand the crucial importance of putting the same time and attention into articulating their positions as the Democrats do is one of the enduring mysteries of American politics.
It was obvious that the Democrats coordinated their talking points and catch-phrases-- "social justice," "tax cuts for the rich," etc.-- even before the overheard and recorded statements of Senator Chuck Schumer about Democrats' plans to repeatedly use the word "extreme" to characterize Republicans.
But how many Republican catch-phrases can you remember? Republican rhetoric tends to range from low key to no key.
Nor is there much evidence that Republicans have asked themselves how the left-wing of the Democratic Party gained such ascendancy in recent years, in a country where millions more people identify themselves as conservative than identify themselves as liberals.
In short, there is little or no evidence that most Republicans see any need to fundamentally change their approach to the public. But if they think that they can rely on Obama's declining popularity to win the 2012 election, they may be in for a rude shock. Worse yet, the whole future of this country and of western civilization will be in jeopardy, in a world where the likes of Iran and North Korea become nuclear powers, while we engage in empty talk at the U.N.
Barack Obama's declining support in public opinion polls make some conservatives feel that his reelection hopes are doomed. But Donald Trump can be Barack Obama's secret weapon in his fight to remain in the White House. The Donald can be his Trump card.
bump.
Anyone with an once of dignity knows its true..
Must be other candidates have no dignity..
I don’t buy Sowell’s argument. If the field of GOP contenders is so weak that Trump wins, I don’t see how he would lose to Obummer automatically. There is no deep support for him that guarantees a second term. Trump could have the ability to siphon more votes from the left than Obummer has of getting people on the right like last time.
His point that the GOP had better stop with the incoherent babble is what really needs to be addressed. They have the worst way of selling their ideas.
That is all any conservative should need to know.
Agreed. Trump is no conservative and may very well be a Rat plant.
Umm, because our best candidate, Gov. Sarah Palin, has been attacked incessantly by the jourbalists, academia, nutroots, cable TV, Hollywood, the White House, DNC, RNC, RINO central and elites since 2008?
That would be a huge setback for the Republicans— and, far more important— a historic catastrophe for this country.”
I have a small quibble. Obama has been and is a historic catastrophe not only for this country but the world.
What ideas?
Yes, but with all that she hasn’t gone down for the count. Since her speech in Wisconsin she’s come back and if she decides to run she’s going to be our next president.
I think you are likely right, I don’t see Trump getting the conservative vote when it comes down to it. The other issue is if he becomes convinced he won’t be the Republican candidate- then will he run Independent and split the vote? Trump may be a no-win situation.
... If, by some tragic miracle, he should become the Republicans' candidate for president in 2012, that would be the closest thing to an iron-clad guarantee of a second term in the White House for Barack Obama.
Dr. Sowell, sir.
I could not agree with you more!
.
BTTT
I do not agree with Dr. Sowell’s conclusions. He’s being too cerebral about this. Trump is not the mean little critter that Perot is and the bamster is not the American scoundrel that crintoon is.
If the Donald were the candidate I think he would get my vote. I certainly do not agree with many of his past positions but at least I know what they are and where he was born.
He IS a patriotic American success story who would get this country back on track to prosperity. Four or eight years of him could be as much fun as 8 years of Ronaldus Magnus I think.
Most of the republicrat field are a lot of guys who make me sick to think about.
And then there is Sarah. What do you Freepers think about the possiblity of a Trump-Palin or vice versa ticket? Maybe I’m just dreaming...
Umm, because our best candidate, Gov. Sarah Palin, has been attacked incessantly by the jourbalists, academia, nutroots, cable TV, Hollywood, the White House, DNC, RNC, RINO central and elites since 2008?
Sarah also hasn't announced yet. That is the BIGGEST reason that Trump is in the lead.
When she announces, there's going to be an earthquake from coast to coast, and Trump will suddenly become yesterday's news. She'll show him up for the carney huckster he is, and she will bury him. Of this, I have no doubt.
Trump has changed wives three times, political parties 3-4 times, he's got several business bankruptcies, donated more cash to Dems than Pubs. And since his speaking engagement at CPAC2011, just two months ago, TheDonald has changed his positions on just about every major political issue.
Trump is unprincipled, an opportunist and he can't be trusted.
It's a shame that those who claimed to be conservatives in the past only ended up crying on national TV like John Boehner.
Wake-up call to Republicans! Stop running candidates that run around claiming "I'm a Reagan Conservative. I'm a conservative"
Because if they have to tell you they are conservative, they're probably not telling the truth.
Personally I've yet to see anybody good running on our side.
Allen West is the best we've got.
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