Posted on 07/16/2015 5:37:51 AM PDT by cotton1706
Donald Trump’s rise in the polls has caused heartburn for many people in the Republican Party, but it is the second-tier candidates in the presidential field who have been hurt most of all.
Candidates who have years of political accomplishment to their names are being starved of oxygen by the business tycoon. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, three-term Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are among the figures being sidelined by Trump — and their annoyance is bubbling to the surface.
Earlier this week, Graham complained about the rules for the first major televised debate, which is less than a month away and will be limited to the top 10 candidates in the polls. At present, Trump would easily make the cut and Graham would not.
“I think my voice needs to be heard on foreign policy,” Graham said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “It’s July 2015. I don’t expect my numbers to be any better than they are. But I expect to be given a chance to take Donald Trump on, to talk about why I’m different than Rand Paul, to challenge everybody on the stage and have them challenge me. So this debate construct, I think, is bad for our party.”
Graham also slammed Trump for his controversial comments on immigration, saying that he was using his voice to “demean and slander a whole group of people.” And he insisted that debate rules that might exclude not just himself but also the sole female candidate in the GOP race, Carly Fiorina, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, showed Republicans being “really dumb as a party.”
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Linda is sad
We’ve listened to that ‘second tier’ of candidates for too many years. It is time for “new school.” They are “old school.”
Standard template: “women and minorities suffer most.”
perry, graham, christy.... aren’t
>>> ..... showed Republicans being “really dumb as a party.”
Well well well, what do you know! I actually agree Gramnesty’s assessment. Not the people, but our elected representatives.
Dumb as a party. I would have used much stronger word(s), but dumb is a start.
Apparently reality is starting to come to candidates who will be watching the debates from home!
Truth is
TRUMP EXPOSES CHEAP LABOR IMPORTERS
Cue the violins. Snort!
We know what Graham’s foreign policy consists of. WAR! MORE WAR!
Crowding out—weeding out—is a good thing. I wouldn’t want to have 17 or 20 candidates drawing nearly equal votes in the primaries—so a candidate with, say 8 to 10% of the vote could capture a state’s candidates.
I’m not much of a fan of Donald Trump, primarily because of his over inflated ego, but I really like his message.
He is spot on and tapping into the anger of Americans on a range of issues.
Even if he doesn’t make it to the White House, his message has invigorated conservatives and if nothing else will drive the debates.
Awesome stuff!
Second tier also equates to RINO, along with many in top tier. Now if this same momentum would also carry into congressional races, we may get somewhere.
We’ve been trying to elect second tier candidates for a long time. Dole, McCain, Romney, and now a third Bush.
Lower tier candidates CAN sometimes be elected, e.g., GHWB and GWB. And even lower tier ones HAVE been elected. Barf Obunga twice, for instance. And he is so bereft of true qualifications that he doesn’t even move the needle off ZERO on the Gravitas Gauge.
There can be no winner-take-all primaries before March 15, which is after Super Tuesday on March 1.
Texas, for example, on March 1, will likely split its delegation with many second-tier candidates, while Florida will award all its delegates to one candidate on March 15.
Trump/Palin 2016! Liberal Heads Explode, Nation-Wide! ;)
Agreed. The populace perceives an existential threat to the nation. There is no appetite for same-old same-old.
People want someone who recognizes the threat and will do something about it.
It’s really inconsequential that Trump has views we disagree with. Those who assert that we’re making a mistake because Trump’s no conservative are just plain missing the boat. We don’t care. We think Trump is a necessary component of saving our nation. Trump supporters place the survival of our nation far above anything else - above anything that won’t matter if our nation dies before our children and grandchildren can enjoy America like we have.
I hope that Cruz and Trump team up...actually I believe they already have done so...in order to save the nation. I even believe Trump will do something unselfish and magnanimous that will surprise everyone (except Cruz) in order to save the nation.
Since they can’t beat Trump in the polls the GOPe will rely on the tried-and-true method of using the “rules” to “disqualify” the opposition.
The second tier candidates who’ve spewed the Jeb line and publically insulted Trump are the ones who are losing out. Oh, darn.
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