Posted on 07/19/2015 1:01:23 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Even before Donald Trump found himself on defense for disparaging Sen. John McCain's military service, Sal Russo wasn't too impressed with the real estate mogul's presidential prospects.
Russo knows a thing or two about populist uprisings and anti-establishment candidates. The former Reaganite spent eight weeks advising billionaire Ross Perot's third party campaign in 1992. In 2002, he consulted for a conservative challenger to moderate Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan in California's Republican gubernatorial primary (his candidate won the nomination). A few years later, Russo founded Tea Party Express, a group he still runs.
On Saturday, Trump came under fire for questioning whether McCain's time as prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, during which he was severely tortured, qualifies the Arizona Republican as a war hero. The day before, in a telephone interview with the Washington Examiner from his home in Sacramento, Calif., Russo discussed the billionaire businessman/reality television star's upstart bid for the GOP presidential nomination.
Russo's verdict: The frustration with Washington and the political establishment that Trump has tapped into with his unorthodox, blunt style is very real and shouldn't be dismissed. Trump has risen in part by taking a hard line on illegal immigration. But the New Yorker's comments have been interpreted by some as broadly anti-immigrant, and Russo said that Trump's message lacks the substantive seriousness and positive, uplifting vision required to turn anti-establishment agitators, like President Ronald Reagan, into winners at the ballot box.
The interview with Russo was edited for length and clarity.
Examiner: What do you make of Donald Trump?
Russo: Both Trump and Bernie Sanders are taking advantage of abject frustration with the established order — on the left and the right. People think the system doesn't work. The manifestations are, of course, candidates that speak very boldly but not necessarily in ways that make them universally popular. The problem with their electability is, protest candidates aren't usually successful. Those that are successful articulate a vision for the future.
Examiner: Has Trump caught fire with Tea Party voters?
Russo: I would say no to that. We continually poll our donors to see what they're thinking and he has not polled very well.
Examiner: In 1992, you spent about eight weeks in Dallas advising Perot, another billionaire businessman rabble-rouser. Any similarities?
Russo: I don't think the overlap is clear with Trump other than the frustration and [voters] liking the blunt, straight talk. And Perot was pretty folksy — he was far less provocative than Trump.
Examiner: You live in California and witnessed first hand the 2003 recall of Gov. Gray Davis, which featured another celebrity-turned-politician in Arnold Schwarzenegger. Any similarities between that race and what you're seeing with the Trump phenomenon?
Russo: Schwarzenegger has the celebrity that Trump has, [although] in the campaign Arnold never said anything too provocative. That's where Trump — a lot of things he says strains credibility. He hasn't laid out an agenda where people can relate to it. But when you look at Arnold saying, 'I'm going to blow up the boxes,' nobody was offended by that. It was, okay, he's going to go up there and clean up. It's an important pivot point, credible even if unspecified. If voters like you and trust you they'll impute to you what they think should be done. But you need to be likable.
Examiner: Is Trump hurting the Republican Party's brand and jeopardizing the eventual nominee's chances against Hillary Clinton?
Russo: I would generally say no to that. I don't think anything is damaging particularly. The nominee defines the party. When we have a nominee that person is going to define the party and what the alternatives are. I hear all that hand wringing; I think it's pretty silly. I don't think it's going to matter. If Trump's on the ticket, it matters.
Examiner: Can Trump win?
Russo: We have never in modern times elected a protest candidate as president. The candidate with the more forward looking agenda has tended to win all of the time. So the big question is, can Trump turn his protest movement into something more appealing to the general public? The personality candidates seem to often be the protest candidates, which means there is a limited shelf life. People want a vision.
That’s it! Vote Jeb!!! Your Overlords command it!!
Actually, we will suffer a net loss of jobs as there will be fewer exports.
That hardly sounds pro-life to me. Even Stern wasn't buying it based on interviews he did with him over the past 20+ years.
We are a colony, a deep in debt colony. Up until the mid 60's (LBJ) we had manufacturing (and jobs) here in the USA then the "free trade" illness stuck and we've lost our manufacturing base, lost our middle class jobs and are now 17+ trillion dollars in debt. But hey (made in China) things are cheap at Walmart for those that can still afford to shop at Walmart. I hear dollar stores are doing well. And the 1% is doing great selling what left of the USA to China.
He said at least twice that he was “ pro life “ .
The Donald has to know this. One of the few things he has said that I agree with is when he said he is not a stupid man. He has proven that; he sure knows how to pander.
He described himself as strongly pro-choice as late as 2000. So what has changed? What was behind this transformation that now makes him pro-life in 2015? Oh yeah; he is now running for president and needs the tea party members who are mostly pro-life as well.
Coincidence or playing to the base?
Q: Evangelicals want to feel secure that they’re going to have a nominee that’s solid on those social issues.
A: One thing about me, I’m a very honorable guy. I’m pro-life, but I changed my view a number of years ago. One of the primary reasons I changed [was] a friend of mine’s wife was pregnant, and he didn’t really want the baby. He was crying as he was telling me the story. He ends up having the baby and the baby is the apple of his eye. It’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to him. And you know here’s a baby that wasn’t going to be let into life. And I heard this, and some other stories, and I am pro-life.
Q: So those stories did change you, they came around and changed you?
A: They changed me. Yeah, they changed my view as to that, absolutely.
Source: David Brody interview on CBN.com , Apr 8, 2011
Well whatever, as a free trading nation we are broke, we have high unemployment and we are deep in dept. Only the federal reserve printing presses are keeping us afloat. As a non free trading nation (pre 1965) we had the highest living standard in the world and were the wealthiest nation in the world by far. So I’d say history agrees with me. And Oh by the way the same thing happening to us happened to Great Briton once Great Briton adopted free trade as an economic model mid 19th century. Dido Spain in the 17th century.
Don't get me wrong either. I am not a one issue guy. But I was responding to a post that pointed out 3 or 4 of his flip flops. I just added a couple more the poster omitted. We have a too many insincere politicians who pander to the party's base by flip flopping and claiming they "evolved'. The current occupant of 1600 PA Ave comes to mind.
Yep. The Tea Party is furious with Trump for attacking a backstabbing RINO. /sarc
We were a free trading nation well before 1965. Free trade didn't harm us; it was the growth of government, high taxes and most recently illegal immigration that have started us down the road of decline. Top it off with social and moral decay and you have the mess we are in right now.
On the other hand painting a white stripe down a black cat's back don't make the cat a skunk Pepi.
I’m saying I want to see proof. Real, actual proof. Not what Donald Trump claims.
Just four years ago, he was saying we HAD to have national health care. Now he says he’s Obamacare’s biggest opponent.
The comparison of Trump to Reagan in terms of party switching will be valid when Trump backs up what he says with real, proven conservatism. I want to see cattle, not just hat.
Reagan won the cold war.
He gave us the largest peacetime economic expansion since World War II.
And if you’re going to come here and disparage him, I’d respectfully suggest you bring your hard hat and pack a lunch.
Love it!
Donald Trump, a proud conservative since June 2015!
I came to the conclusion some time ago that “Tea Party” is meaningless. It’s become just a phrase. From the beginning the label was used by many opportunists, many of whom where terrible candidates and/or of questionable conservationism. “Oh look at me, I’m tea party! I hate Congress, that’s why I want to join it so badly!!”. It’s also used by the party establishment sometimes. Any Republican or third party douche can claim to be a part of it and to speak for it.
So I just call myself a conservative. That word is also co-opted by people like the “severely conservative” Romney but at least it really means something.
Oh yes the entire GOP field runs to shite on Trump cause he’s kicking their butts
Only Cruz was quiet
That’s cause he has sense
Both Perry and Walker ran to enemy media outlets like Chuck Todd to bash Trump
Makes it easier to tell the traitors frankly
Trump can kill the GOPe
That makes him worthy
Eff McCain
Seeing what the function of a "Rodeo Cowboy" is.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.