Posted on 08/19/2015 4:47:54 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Having used my Sunday column to double down on one 2016 prediction — that Hillary’s still a mortal lock to be the Democratic nominee — let me use this post to quickly hedge a more recent bet: Namely, that the rise of Donald Trump might be a much-needed gift to Jeb Bush’s struggling “frontrunner” campaign. I offered various arguments three weeks ago for why this might be so, and most of them might yet be vindicated once we leave the preliminary phase of the campaign, Jeb starts spending ad dollars in earnest, the establishment field gets winnowed and voters get serious about the nominating process. But here’s one passage from my column that I want to revisit, because I’m not sure the first debate was kind to it:
[Trump’s] sudden prominence sets up exactly the kind of stylistic contrast that Jeb needed: He and the Donald are now the two most famous names in the race, they’re occupying opposing poles (populist/establishment, raffish/respectable) in a way that makes Jeb look like the safest harbor for anyone freaked out by Trump’s success …
What I had in mind here, in part, was the kind of stylistic contrast that Mitt Romney consistently benefited from throughout the 2012 campaign: Once Pawlenty vanished and Perry drew a blank, every time a populist candidate surged in the polls you only had to watch them on the stage with Romney to sense that he would be the safer, saner-seeming choice. But there was another crucial aspect to that contrast: Romney didn’t just seem like the most stable figure on the debate stage; he was also the most charismatic, the most alpha if you will, the man with the strongest air of confidence and command....
(Excerpt) Read more at douthat.blogs.nytimes.com ...
Ross Douchehat?
Boy, no S.
Bush is falling like a rock, but hey, that was his strategy from last year when he studied the situation carefully.
It’s strategic don’t you know.
Nonsense...
Trump is crucial to the Bush campaign. Yeah sure, if you goal was to wind up sub dust in the annals of history.
What would we do without these political genius pundits /sarc
“Romney didn’t just seem like the most stable figure on the debate stage; he was also the most charismatic, the most alpha if you will, the man with the strongest air of confidence and command....”
And the author is trying to extrapolate into saying Jeb! Is now the “most alpha” “the strongest”???
BawHaaaHaaaa!!!!!!
“Ross Douchehat?”
Have you ever wondered why douchebags always have names you can’t pronounce? And beards ( yes, and even some of the women) and body piercings?
Can anyone tell me in plain English what the article said?
-JT
Author wants to walk back stupid predictions that Trump would be good for Bush because of stylistic differences. Now he’s saying that Bush has no game and maybe they should switch over to Rubio if they’re to have a chance.
That’s how I read it anyway.
Wishing and hoping and thinking and praying.
They’re trying very hard to explain and counter the Trump phenom, aren’t they? when anyone with an ounce of common sense about human nature can see it clearly ;-)
-JT
I figure that the piercings are because they didn’t have enough Acne when growing up.
¡Yeb! is the worst Democrat in an R jersey yet foisted upon GOP voters.
Rubberio is his mini-me.
Grahamnesty is McCain’s mini-me.
There’s a plethora of candidates unwilling to uphold the rule of law. It’s sickening.
The Cheap Labor Express is sparing no expense to prevent the citizens from stopping them.
They’re getting funnier and funnier as they try to spin the 50 ton gyro in the other direction by blowing hot air at it....
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