Posted on 12/18/2014 6:48:11 AM PST by Kaslin
The elite media will scoff at a potential Donald Trump candidacy for president. They will consider it a publicity move and a bluff. The Washington insiders will write off Trump as completely unqualified to be a presidential candidate, much less president.
And as usual, they will be wrong.
I have no earthly idea if Trump could actually win the GOP nomination or defeat the likes of Hillary Clinton in the general election. Certainly Jeb Bush's decision to "explore" a presidential run makes him the likely candidate of the GOP establishment, cutting Mitt Romney off at the pass. But neither big name politicians nor a dismissive D.C. press corps should dissuade Trump from running for president.
Let me make my case.
First, let's address the "experience" issue. Give me a break. We currently have a president whose political experience includes a relatively short time in his state's legislature and less than a full term in the U.S. Senate. I think the results of the last six years make that "experience we can't believe in."
Prior to that, President Obama taught some college classes and "organized communities." That is nothing to put down, but it's also hardly rough-and-tumble experience.
In Trump's case, "Rough and Tumble" is his middle name. Donald Trump has dealt with the real and sophisticated world for years. He took over his family business, admittedly already a success in the early 1970s. But he grew the company, under a new name and more diverse holdings, into a vastly more substantial entity. And he did that on his own in the roughest of real worlds -- New York and the real estate market.
Of course, today Trump has multiple business interests, the vast majority of which have been wildly successful. Always a hands-on businessman, he has dealt with virtually every aspect of life -- from business negotiations to being, for many years, one of the nation's most visible television personalities.
During his hugely successful career, Trump has dealt with government, including government regulations, public policy and big-name politicians. He is adept at dealing with media and certainly knows how to handle a crisis.
If Barack Obama was considered qualified by a lapdog national media in 2008, then Trump is "uber qualified" in 2016.
The next issue is that of electability. Certainly the "silk pants"-establishment GOP will chuckle over the prospect of a Trump candidacy. But I was around, working with Newt Gingrich and working in a U.S. Senate race in 1980, when Ronald Reagan was portrayed as a reckless nuclear cowboy. He was disdained by the national GOP establishment. But he whipped them all, and without ever changing his "cowboy" style or his conservative message. Suddenly, they all loved him.
Trump probably comes the closest these days to having Reagan's star quality, mixed with conservative beliefs. He has the ability and the willingness, as did Reagan in his breakthrough moment during New Hampshire's 1980 primary campaign, to remind folks that he "paid for this microphone" and will darn well be heard. (Interestingly, and by coincidence, both Trump and Reagan were stars at one time for the same company -- GE.)
Sure, Trump will have to deal with his stand on President Obama's birth certificate, but that will hardly hurt him in more conservative Republican primary states.
Moreover, a Trump candidacy will force the other candidates, most of whom are unsurprisingly the types to offer the usual political ideas, to confront issues that even GOP candidates normally don't have to face in the primary season.
Trump says he is suspicious about the official unemployment numbers. So are many others who just don't say so. He believes our troops should maintain a presence in Iraq, and that America should even consider taking control of the Iraqi oil fields to keep ISIS and other American enemies from getting them first. He wants a tariff on China to end currency manipulation. And he's generally conservative on virtually every tax-and-spend issue.
Sure, his candidacy might be a long shot. But so too was Obama's in 2008. And regardless, Trump would shake up the GOP field and a bunch of stale, complacent D.C. insiders and consultants who need to be told, "You're fired."
But they both realize the $$$value$$$ in having their names out there & people talking about them.
No it wasn't. The entire enemedia establishment was behind him as the only alternative to their girl Hillary.
Donald Trump may be rich, but he's hardly rich enough to buy his own media establishment.
Because there are just enough stupid people on the right to fall for his BS and waste a vote on him.
Trump should run in order to bump Jeb outta position and then ...
If Trump runs and make a major issue of our totally out of control banking system and economy, that’ll be a good thing. He will also liven up the debate, bringing more exposure to constitutional conservative philosophies. That helps us all.
Not I, because I have absolutely no plan to vote for him, just as I have no plan to vote for Rand Paul
He will stop wasteful spending.
We don’t need a clown to suck all the air out of the room when there are good candidates like Cruz, Walker and Pence.
Stupid idea. What is wrong with these people who keep wanting Trump, Palin, Romney or the Bushes to run?
He should run...
for mayor of New York City.
I'm disappointed that Rand Paul didn't pursue the Federal Reserve issue that his dad articulated so well.
Oh... For Executive Office...
Here I was hoping he’d take up jogging.
This is as bad as Bush #3. What has Trump excelled at besides self promotion? How many times has he or one of his corporations declared bankruptcy?
He is a perfect example of how to make a million in the car business, you start with a billion.
Other than for the comedy value I don't see any reason why Trump should run.
Because we have a serious stupidity shortage in this country. And I am serious. What used to be stupid has now morphed to evil. We would do better getting back to plain ordinary stupidity.
“Cruz, Walker and Pence”
Are any of those three running for certain?
I’d vote for Trump in a second. The press has already given him several media colonoscopies. It would throw them into fits. Maybe he’d pick a strong VP,,what if Trump picked Cruz as VP? The money will follow Trump and that will pizz off the Dems. There is no perfect, stellar Republican. Get over that purist attitude. Whatever Pubbie runs will be subject to microscopic scrutiny of their past including which ice cream truck they liked as a six year-old. Trump has already weathered bad press and believe this,,THE PRESS IS THE ENEMY. They haven’t destroyed Trump yet. Press animosity HAS to be considered. There are so many squishy politicians who are too timid to say they are running. Everyone is considering it.
Trump will knee-cap Elizabeth Warren with his ‘no bank is too big to fail and some banks think they are more important than they are.’ Warren is staking out ‘bad’ banks and ‘bad’ Wallstreet as her territory and Trump will take a big bite out of that without apology.
If he picks a serious VP, I’m totally on board with it. Esp if Cruz doesn’t run for POTUS.
Just my two cents.
BUMP
Trump often says things that need to be said.
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