Posted on 03/03/2016 4:12:38 AM PST by RoosterRedux
Donald J. Trump’s dominant performance on Tuesday erased all doubt — if any remained — that he is in a strong position to be the Republican presidential nominee, a prospect that less than a year ago seemed inconceivable.
The political world has gone through stages of disbelief about his candidacy since he announced it last June: dismissing it at first, then acknowledging his strength and finally accepting that he could win the nomination.
As political reporters, we have come to realize the power and tenacity of Mr. Trump’s campaign at a different pace, and some of us can pinpoint the moment it all came into focus. These are some of our recollections:
It was Nov. 7, 2015. I was at a Thai restaurant in Chelsea with my wife, who is a political reporter, and two friends. I was alone in predicting that someone other than Mr. Trump would end up as the nominee. These weren’t casual news consumers: They were among the smartest and the most politically perceptive people I know. As I argued for another candidate’s chances, I found my own case less and less convincing. A Trump nomination still seemed far-fetched, but doubt sank in: Was I the one missing the bigger picture of 2016? — Alexander Burns
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(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Ping
Gee I knew he would be the next President when I heard his opening day speech.
Ditto.
Remember in November.
Hillary Clinton never called Ted Cruz a liar.
Another nuanced, pampered and urbanly isolated liberal stumbling across reality and trying to alibi his way out of his myopia.
Me too - made a bunch of 100 dollar bets that day.
Reminds me of the New York reporter that famously said something like: “I still don’t know how Reagan won, I don’t know a single person that voted for him”
A large number had never attended a caucus before. I sensed they were mostly i.e. by a large majority Republicans of Republican sympathizers.
Trump didn't fare that well with a third of fourth place finish. That isn't relevant. What is is if these people carry their anger through to the election, and I think they will, and if that anger is national, you may see a true revolution this fall.
I want an "outsider" to get elected. If it turns out to be Trump, I hope Ann Coulter is right about him.
The people always know before the elites know. Massachusetts Governor recently, “Trump won’t win, I don’t know a single Trump supporter.” Translation- “I don’t know a single normal person.”
My favorite quote:
“I started 2016 covering Jeb Bush — the man with the $100 million war chest, the famous last name, the family connections, the stellar conservative résumé and the serious policy proposals. And I watched him hobbled by one single insult, just two devastating words: “low energy.” When voters started repeating Mr. Trump’s insult back to me, without quite realizing they were parroting him, that’s when I knew.” — Ashley Parker
The GOP is “low energy.”
It is clear that Trump has attracted a very passionate faction which to this point has been large enough to win pluralities in a divided primary field. This has led to a bandwagon effect in which Trump's share of the vote is being wildly misconstrued. He has the highest negatives in the field. He will face great difficulty uniting the party, largely because of his own ugly behavior, which turned the primary process into a mudbath.
Trump does have some crossover appeal to working class Democrats because of his stance om immigration and his protectionist position on trade, but his vulgarity and ignorance make him strikingly unattractive to the traditional middle class independent voters. If he is the nominee, Trump will lose badly in November.
Pauline Kael about the Nixon landslide. And the quote is probably not accurate, although the sentiment is.
I am sure you’ll do your part and vote for the Beast.
I thought it might be Nixon, but sounds better applying it to Reagan. Still a CLASSIC, no matter who.
You’re probably right we’ll be saddled with Cankles.
Less due to Trump’s shortcomings than the fact the country is full of low-info voters.
Even Reagan, a more formidable candidate, couldn’t win today.
It was widely reported at the time, and I don't remember her denying it. Do you?
I am going to enjoy watching you eat those words.
I knew he was going to upset the “process” when he gave out Lindsey Graham’s phone number ;o)
I’d love to be proven wrong.
Trump won VA but its going to be tough to overcome NOVA in a general election.
Just telling it like it is - like Trump.
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