Why Donald Trump Didn't Run as a Democrat

Real clear politics ^ | July 21, 2015 | Carl Cannon

[Sola Veritas]

Maria Konnikova is not someone Donald Trump would typically describe as “a loser.” Fluent in Russian and English, she writes authoritatively on psychology and culture. Her work has appeared in prestigious publications ranging from The Atlantic to Scientific American. After graduating magna cum laude from Harvard, she received her Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia University.

Four years ago, Konnikova wrote a piece for a publication called Big Think, postulating that Trump’s perpetual boorishness is attributable to mental illness, specifically a condition called narcissistic personality disorder.

History professor Jelani Cobb, writing in The New Yorker, focused on another facet of The Donald’s persona. “[I]n all the ways that matter, save actual performing, Donald Trump is not a politician—he’s a rapper,” Cobb postulated. “If elected, he’s less likely to represent George W. Bush’s third term than Kanye West’s first one.”

[austinaero]

Oh and BTW, you have NO idea how wrong you are when you say I am out of line.

I just don’t whine like you do. Not honorable.

[Karl Spooner]

That is off limits.

Sorry Lib, but I don't think so.

[austinaero]

Exactly. This Sola person thinks they are the official rule-maker of the thread.

[austinaero]

Come on TNMOUTH and Sola Dumbass,

It’s been a few posts since you’ve let your condescension fly.

Tell us again which candidate has done more to bring up VET issues than Trump.

Neither of you have been able to answer that. Shocking.

[Karl Spooner]

Insane as McCain.

[dragnet2]

Now “Senator” McCain does deserve attacks for many wrongs, but his military service is not one. That is off limits.

Off limits by whom?

Lots of veterans have spoken out against McCain's military service. There are videos, interviews with all kinds of vets and it goes on and on. It's all over the Internet and elsewhere.

But suddenly it's off limits?

[lodi90]

Staying home is how we got Obama.

---

Running Dole 2.0 and Dole 3.0 is what got us Obama.

[DoughtyOne]

Guys like Trump and Rush Limbaugh have larger than life personalities. It’s their livelihood. They market themselves. It’s part of their business image.

This is not a sign of some mental disorder. It’s merely a sign of a person with extreme drive. And folks, in many instances it’s a sign of nothing more than being a very successful Capitalist.

Or a successful politician. Or showbiz celeb. That's all true.  Yes, I agree with your additions.

But you could ask if the self-promotion is all for show or if it reflects something about the person's psychological make-up. And you also might ask if the businessman or star or politician takes self-promotion or self-involvement too far -- to the point where it becomes counterproductive or destructive.  I believe that is a reasoned approach, but much of this is subjective.  One person's threshhold for too much, may be another persons groove.  This is where it gets dicey for me.  I'll expand a bit more at the end on this subject.

When people say a politician is narcissistic, they may only mean that the person they're talking about is a typical politician -- somebody who gets ahead by promoting themselves in a business where they are themselves the product they're selling. But what if the self-promotion and the underlying psychological dynamic becomes so strong that it works against their stated goals?  Well, that's again a reasoned question.  The answer is again subject too.  And even if it wasn't, what is there to do about it?

What seems to be the end of the road in this, is that a determination is made and intervention is implemented.

I don't see Trump or Limbaugh in anything close to these terms, and I think it is VERY IMPORTANT to realize that there are a lot of evil Leftists in this nation who would love little more than to assess Limbaugh or Trump and force an intervention down thier throats and the troats of their followers as that applies.

Do you have any idea how many years ago Limbaugh would have resided in a paded room if a Leftist had been in charge of his evaluation?  

I'm not sure you have any idea how dangerous this road is.  And ultimately, the first comment I made still stands.  There are clearly some mentally deficient (read that dangerous) people on the Left.  Why swoop in to rescue Trump from himself?

There's an agenda here.  This isn't some benign workup here.

In the old Soviet Union, Mental Health was the weapon of choice getting non-believers expelled from society for their own good.  (no, the good of those doing wrong, and we all knew it)

This is where the Left in the U. S. would like us to go next.  They're working as hard as they can to use P. C. activism, to further this.  This is the ground-work to declare Trump mentally troubled, thus disqualifying him for public office.

It is offensive to the max, and just plain dangerous.  It's downright Hitlerian.

We don't all conform to one little mental package.  Remember the catch phrase of the last few decades.  DIVERSITY...

It's just adorable unless it challenges the Leftist goal.

As I said, "This presentation causes me to come to two conclusions. This woman could use a good work-up herself, and a lot of FReepers should join her for a group-discount."

I was absolutely right.

[austinaero]

Sola referred to McCain as “Captain McCain”

Isn’t that telling.

I think Sola Dumbass and TNBigMouth have turned tail and run off to another thread. Posers.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

“Trump is a buffoon”

Sorry. Absolutely disagree. Not my cup of tea, but he is definitely not a buffoon. He’s actually showing that politicians, in general, are just not very impressive. Trump is serving a significant purpose at this stage of the game, essentially nullifying the political correctness mafia. It’s highly unlikely you’ll have to ‘not vote for him’ in the general, and I understand your points, but I definitely don’t think ‘buffoon’ is an accurate characterization.

[Karl Spooner]

Whether they realize it or not, Jim is being awful kind to them for lasting this long.

[austinaero]

I agree!

[Gunslingr3]

Don’t forget, Donaldomaximus also donated to his possible opponet, Hillary Clintonista.

On that score I give him credit for responding to the press, 'that's the game, and everybody has to play it.'

I think he would have given money to whatever Senators NY has. Few get to his level without paying some 'protection' money. Bill Gates learned about that the hard way.

[Sola Veritas]

“You want to pretend Trump hasn’t helped Vets.”

As a veteran, I DO NOT CARE what you may believe Trump has done. IF he has done anything, it was totally self serving.

The bottom line to me is that Trump is an evil deceiver. He has deceived you good lady, and many otherwise fine persons on this forum. He is harming the GOP primary and killing any chance of getting a real conservative candidate that will address issues I care about like getting homosexuals out of the military, reversing the recent SCOTUS decisions on homosexual marriage, etc.

Donald Trump WILL NOT DO JACK ON THAT, and he won’t do jack on helping get rid of abortion on demand. Senator Cruz, and some others, might be able to do so. I know they will at least try.

That is an honest answer. I don’t care about your “veteren’s” issues, and I am one and drawing a military retiree pension. That pension is NOTHING and being a veteran is NOTHING if the homosexual agenda continues to progress, and abortion continues to end innocent lives. The MORAL issues MUST come first. Donald Trump will NEVER do anything on that, and he cannot be trusted to do anything good.

[Karl Spooner]

I seen his speech today about that. Trump sounded repented about it. Plus, he said he doesn’t want our money to run for president. I think he may be the man.

[austinaero]

Well you are stupid. Because there are vets who have spoken openly about how he has personally helped them.

It’s not about what I think. It’s what happened. YOu want to discount your fellow vets? What. A. Shock.

You are beyond pathetic.

[austinaero]

Well you got yours,,so no wonder you don’t care about your fellow vets.

Funny how you feel so superior as to lecture me.

BTW, how do you know what Trump isn’t going to do?

[DoughtyOne]

I want you to take a look at the things Trump has addressed.

1. Who else has
2. Who else has gotten action (sanctuary cities)
3. What leftists have you seen address the issues Trump has
.a. illegals
.b. sanctuary cities
.c. the military
.d. our veterans
.e. jobs
.f. bad trade deals
.g. that idiot stick McCain
.h. the border

There are others I can’t remember now. What Leftists do you know of that has pushed these issues?

You can game few of these, but all these and more?

I can appreciate where you’re coming from.

The guy is serious. I may not continue to support as we get nearer to the primaries and nomination, but until Trump tips his hand, count me in.

Trump is just the kind of guy that gives being rich a good name.

He has done good things with his money too.

Take him to task when he’s wrong. Accept it when he’s right.

Right now your fellow travelers are the GOPe, the DNC, the RNC, the leaders on Capital Hill, Barack Obama, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, John McCain, Matt Lauer, the Sunday Morning talking heads, the Washington Post, the Des Moine Register...

Think about that...

[odds]

>>”Four years ago, Konnikova wrote a piece for a publication called Big Think, postulating that Trump’s perpetual boorishness is attributable to mental illness, specifically a condition called narcissistic personality disorder.”<<

He isn’t ‘mentally ill’. A narcissistic personality is necessary in politics, and Hillary is no less a narcissistic personality. In Trump’s case, I’d say he has a well-developed ego. He has achieved more than enough in the business world at least to have developed a giant ego.

But I agree that Trump is in it for himself, shoots from the hip, and in the process he is making a broad set of policy statements that are, individually or collectively, very appealing to voters. Those statements being about: ISIS, China, Iran’s nuke deal, Southern border, Immigration, and Russia. And, each of the mentioned are BIG issues.

I think he will manage the immigration issue and building a wall on the Southern border. That’s very good. It is the foreign policy issues that concern me; and whether he can deliver and HOW he intends to deliver.

A big plus with Trump is that he is a very good and experienced negotiator. Though should he become president he will be negotiating with those outside of USA, some of whom, are very experienced negotiators too, but their style is not or may not be as aggressive as Trump’s. Moreover, in foreign policy, Trump does not have the advantage of being completely ‘in control’.

By the way, Hillary, as a dem, is perceived as a hawk outside the U.S. — But, within USA to gain popularity and votes, Trump is doing well countering Hillary, SO FAR. Whether this will continue will depend.... for one, seems to me Trump needs to become even more selective in his offensive...

That said, I support Ted Cruz; he is the most conservative, has emotional intelligence besides intellectual one, and is a ‘quiet achiever’. I particularly like the fact that Cruz hasn’t tried to lock horns with Trump...

[2tipsea]

LOL, exactly! I like how you wrote that so “authoritatively”!

I just checked my DSM on my little bookshelf and I must agree Obama meets more criteria than Trump, although both may technically fit that disorder:

“Grandiose sense of self-importance,” a “tendency to exaggerate,” has ongoing “fantasies of unlimited success” and “demands excessive admiration.” Also, “a sense of entitlement” and “lacking in empathy.” As well as a “haugty and arrogant attitude”!