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Ex-Trump Strategist Explains What The Hell is Going On With the GOP Frontrunner
The Daily Beast ^ | August 10, 2015 | Matt Lewis

Posted on 08/10/2015 8:35:45 AM PDT by OddLane

A few days ago, Donald Trump’s senior advisor, Roger Stone, suddenly left the campaign. Stone insists he resigned, and that Team Trump simply caught wind of his imminent departure, and leaked word he had been terminated.

I’ve known the legendary strategist for years, and have interviewed him numerous times. I caught up with him for a quick phone call on Monday morning. As always, Roger Stone is both quotable and colorful. Enjoy.

Good to talk with you, as always. What the hell happened this weekend?

I wasn’t fired. I quit. And I quit because I felt I was having no impact on the direction of the campaign, which got off to an extraordinarily good start. I think he’s unique, in that he has the stature and the media access and independence to drive a reform message all the way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

(Excerpt) Read more at thedailybeast.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2016; donaldtrump; rogerstone; stonezone; trump; trumpinator
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To: hoosiermama

Of course they have something on him - the sex addiction thing, but this guy is smart not to bad mouth Trump. From the article, and who the real truth here, it sounds like he was trying to get Trump to stay on the issues and leave the Kelly thing alone. I agree with that - so, if that’s making the campaign about himself, then, I too, am guilty - and no one knows who I am.


41 posted on 08/10/2015 9:31:01 AM PDT by Catsrus (a and)
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To: OddLane

Roger Stone is a supreme RINO pro-abort. Always has been. For decades he’s never made a secret out of his great desire to take the GOP hard to the Left.

Folks should be more concerned that Trump hires people like that than about the circumstances of Stone’s departure.


42 posted on 08/10/2015 9:32:40 AM PDT by EternalVigilance (Jeb Bush is on track to be the next President................. Of Mexico....)
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To: Catsrus
You're not getting how Donald plays the game. Of course he "wouldn't let it go." He just got THREE DAYS of nothing but Trump coverage, added 220,000 to his Twitter account in one week, and completely dominated all news right after a debate where three of his bigger rivals (Cruz, Carson, and Fiorina) were negated.

Yeah, he just is stupid. /sarcasm

43 posted on 08/10/2015 9:34:31 AM PDT by LS ("Castles Made of Sand, Fall in the Sea . . . Eventually" (Hendrix))
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To: Lurkinanloomin

Even if I didn’t know anything else about Lewis the fact that he calls a leftwinger like Stone “legendary” would tell me everything I need to know about him.


44 posted on 08/10/2015 9:34:35 AM PDT by EternalVigilance (Jeb Bush is on track to be the next President................. Of Mexico....)
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To: OddLane

Donald Trump and Roger Stone are personal friends, and have been so since 1980, when Roger Stone was heading the Northeast sector of Reagan’s campaign (he was running it with advice and counsel of Roy Cohn, who was Trump’s old lawyer).

Roger Stone will never say anything bad about Trump, and I am sure still supports him for President (Stone hates the Bush-Clinton regime, and the GOP establishment). But when Sam Nunberg was fired, who is an old associate of Stone, I suspected Stone was on his way out.

Reading between the lines, I suspect that there was an internal war going on between Nunberg and Michael Cohen for control, and Cohen must have gotten the support of Lewandowski, who must have made recommendations that fit more with what Trump wanted to do (i.e. the characterization of “yes-men”). Roger Stone is kind of his own man, and must have thought the recommendations were wrong and were hurting the campaign.

IMO, Roger Stone was always one of the most talented GOP operatives, but was a bit self-involved. He may be right that Trump is getting loose in the weeds and should stay on message now, but this is the summer silly season, and I don’t know whether anyone is listening to messages yet. In other words, Stone’s game plan is almost certainly right, but his timing might not be. After all, he is getting old, and things have changed.

One thing I would say is this - I’m almost certain that Trump will call Stone again for advice at some point on a personal level about the campaign, if not multiple times, especially when things go down for him a bit. Maybe he’ll even re-hire him.


45 posted on 08/10/2015 9:34:47 AM PDT by Sam Spade
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To: OddLane

Well for Trump there is a simple solution one he can always fall back on... SUE THE GUY!


46 posted on 08/10/2015 9:36:04 AM PDT by PoloSec ( Believe the Gospel: how that Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again)
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To: Will88

I wouldn’t count it out. Trump strikes me as a guy who hires whomever he needs to achieve his goals.


47 posted on 08/10/2015 9:36:09 AM PDT by LS ("Castles Made of Sand, Fall in the Sea . . . Eventually" (Hendrix))
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To: LS

While that may be true, how many of these followers are going to be voters? We have no way of knowing that. It might be because he is a celebrity and people are enjoying the entertainment. Being popular doesn’t necessarily translate into votes.


48 posted on 08/10/2015 9:36:51 AM PDT by Catsrus (a and)
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To: PoloSec

BTTT.


49 posted on 08/10/2015 9:38:44 AM PDT by OddLane
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To: Sam Spade

How do we know that he (the master of dirty tricks) isn’t being planted in anothers field?


50 posted on 08/10/2015 9:47:14 AM PDT by hoosiermama (psalm 150;3 Praise him with the sound of the TRUMPet)
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To: hoosiermama

I doubt Stone will be involved with any other campaign. He doesn’t really need to be in order to find out dirt.

It is always entirely possible that all of this is just performance art, and none of it is true, because that is Roger Stone. What makes me think that it is not all performance art is the handling of Sam Nunberg.

Another issue that is out there is that Stone would probably be more inclined for Trump to highlight this possible 3rd-party thing, whereas I suspect his current handlers are more inclined to work through the system.


51 posted on 08/10/2015 9:57:15 AM PDT by Sam Spade
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To: OddLane
Roger Stone. Matt Lewis. Daily Beast.

SRSLY?!

This says it all. Roger Stone is a 63 year old veteran 'Republican' strategist. He worked for Dole, until he had to resign for being outed on a "racy swingers" website. A few of his other "clients" ... Arlen Sphincter, Al Sharpton, GHWB, some shady NY pols. He is a member of the capital "L" libertarian party. One wonders why Trump ever included him on his team in the first place.

52 posted on 08/10/2015 10:10:36 AM PDT by Servant of the Cross (the Truth will set you free)
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To: Suz in AZ

Political consultants are running the shows in both parties... they’re holding the strings..


53 posted on 08/10/2015 10:17:30 AM PDT by GOPJ (Research facilities can't use a million aborted babies every year. Where are the dead babies going?)
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To: Catsrus

He’s certainly bending over backward to give the GOPE every opportunity to do the right thing before he bails and goes third party. AND he’s not as hot-headed as people think and certainly more self-controlled. He’s got an ace-in-the-hole, otherwise he wouldn’t be putting up with this, he’s giving them rope, or both. tap tap tap Every last one of them has been showing their backsides from Day 1.


54 posted on 08/10/2015 10:17:36 AM PDT by KGeorge (Hell no. We ain't forgettin'.)
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To: Catsrus
And that's my point. In fact we are in a new era, beginning with Obama, where social media IS the vote driver, not ideology or issues. We better figure that out fast. The Federalists disappeared as a party when they failed to see, let alone ride, the change from "great men" to a general property owner system; then the first Republicans disappeared when they didn't see or capture the shift from caucus and elites to the spoils system and the "common man"; then the Whigs disappeared when they did't see that the electorate had shifted to opposing slavery.

This new revolution is changing the very structure of elections and only Trump on our side gets it. Obama got it. Don't think Hillary does.

55 posted on 08/10/2015 10:21:28 AM PDT by LS ("Castles Made of Sand, Fall in the Sea . . . Eventually" (Hendrix))
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To: BlackAdderess

He KNOWS not to go up against Trump!!!!! Smart man!!!!!!


56 posted on 08/10/2015 10:24:22 AM PDT by Kit cat (OBummer must go)
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To: LS

Trump SURROUNDS himself with YOUNG, VERY SMART people, his kids included!!!!! He ONLY hires the cream of the crop because HE CAN!!!!!!


57 posted on 08/10/2015 10:27:24 AM PDT by Kit cat (OBummer must go)
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To: OddLane

He seems a class act.


58 posted on 08/10/2015 10:44:44 AM PDT by aquila48
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To: OddLane
FYI, Dana Loesch just had Roger on her show. He is still a Trump supporter, just had a difference on the approach. He thinks Trump is diverting from the message that made him #1.
59 posted on 08/10/2015 10:55:06 AM PDT by 11th Commandment ("THOSE WHO TIRE LOSE")
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To: Kickass Conservative

If they’re getting soft, they’ve certainly changed. Years ago there was a dinky neighborhood bar in SW Houston named, “Trump’s.” The Donald’s henchmen made them change the name of the joint of get their butts sued.


60 posted on 08/10/2015 11:03:42 AM PDT by MisterArtery
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