Posted on 07/21/2015 8:17:59 PM PDT by Reno89519
The GOP field wants to talk about their ideas for America. But the media only wants to talk about one thing: Donald Trump.
Gov. John Kasich formally announced his White House bid at the Ohio State University on Monday afternoon, pitching himself as a serious conservative with a résumé that outclasses anyone else in the Republican field. But just as he wrapped up, his fellow GOP candidate Donald Trump was giving out Sen. Lindsey Graham’s personal cellphone number at a rally in South Carolina.
Kasich got Trumped.
Last week in Camden, New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie rolled out his vision for the future of criminal justice reform, a thoughtful synthesis of liberal and conservative ideas about community policing.
He got Trumped.
On Tuesday, Rand Paul even brought out a chainsaw, wood chipper and fire to destroy the U.S. tax code. He also announced a plan to defund Planned Parenthood.
Trumped and Trumped.
Jeb Bush’s economic policy speech? Trumped. Scott Walker’s $26 million money haul? Trumped. Carly Fiorina’s attack on Hillary Clinton? Marco Rubio’s thoughts on Iran? Bobby Jindal in general? Trumped, Trumped, Trumped.
Just 35 days since the brash real-estate mogul launched his presidential campaign with all the subtlety of a rhinoceros, Republican candidates have been gasping for air, choked off from media access and desperate to break out beyond an egomaniacal celebrity who is polling better than most of the field. The early jostling has a special urgency this year: The first GOP debate on Aug. 6 is just two weeks away, and only 10 candidates will make the cut.
The contenders have taken different tactical approaches. Some, like former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Graham, have attacked Trump with abandon, calling him a “jackass” (Graham) and telling him to drop out of the race (Perry) in response to Trump saying Sen. John McCain is “not a war hero” because he was captured. Top-tier candidates like Bush have taken a subtler approach, calling Trump’s language divisive while avoiding getting down and dirty with a world-class mud wrestler.
But every time any of them manages to get a little attention, Trump ups the ante.
Christie’s proposal for criminal justice reform drew on the many programs he brought to the streets of New Jersey and called for a compassionate approach to criminals who have been locked away for minor crimes. After delivering a detailed speech and touring a halfway house, he was ready for some tough questions about his take on a policy issue that has become the subject of intense national debate. Except that’s not what the press wanted to talk to him about.
“After the drug rehab round table, the only questions from the gaggle were about Donald Trump,” said Samantha Smith, a Christie campaign spokesperson.
Bush, who is second in the polls after Trump but is blowing away his rivals in the money race, laid out his vision of limited government on Monday, pledging to fight Washington’s bloat and extend the ban on former members of Congress going into lobbying.
“It got a little news. Not as much as Donald Trump,” Bush said on Tuesday at a campaign event in South Carolina. His first question after the panel? Trump.
Bush’s expression visibly soured.
“I respect the sentiments that people feel when they hear Trump talk,” Bush said. “The problem with Mr. Trump’s language is it’s divisive, it’s ugly, it’s mean-spirited.”
Walker, who is fighting for the top tier along with Bush and, well, Trump, has had a number of big policy moments in the past week, from signing a 20-week abortion ban in Wisconsin to saying he’d tear up the Iran nuclear deal on “Day One” as president to signing an executive order allowing National Guard members to carry guns while on duty.
Despite a sit-down interview withKelly O’Donnell of “NBC Nightly News,” the clip shown on Sunday’s “NBC Nightly News”? Walker responding to Trump.
In the interview, Walker said he tried to stay away from talking about his Republican rivals. Then he talked about Trump.
“I say on policy any of them can speak for themselves, but when it becomes personal like this, not just against John McCain, but really to me, that’s a swipe at any of our American heroes, particularly those who were taken as prisoners of war. At a minimum, he needs to apologize.”
A spokesperson for Walker declined to comment.
On Tuesday morning, just before Trump broadcast his cellphone number to the world, Graham called President Barack Obama “the Neville Chamberlain of our time” — ordinarily the kind of torqued-up rhetoric that would win him headlines. Instead, the news was soon all about his feud with Trump. But a CNN chyron later in the day didn’t even mention his name, reading simply, “Trump reveals rival’s cell number on live TV.”
Jindal had one of the most positive receptions at the Family Leadership Summit in Iowa over the weekend, with multiple standing ovations, and is experiencing a slight rise in recent polls. But no one noticed.
“While Donald Trump distracts other candidates nationally, we are making headway on the ground in Iowa,” Jindal spokesperson Shannon Dirmann said in an email.
We want the wall and we will have the wall. No more Mr. nice guy.
BUSH: “Its mean spirited”, so neener neener neener ya big meanie!
Bush said. “The problem with Mr. Trump’s language is it’s divisive, it’s ugly, it’s mean-spirited.”
Come live where I do, Chump. Then you’ll see who is divisive, ugly and mean-spirited.
Nicely put, I hope you don't mind when I borrow that wordage.
Bingo!
Yep!
Exactly the complaints the Left made about his brother.....If it comes down to a choice between Trump and anyone else but Cruz or possibly Walker, I would have to back Trump - warts and all.
He does have them worked up into a frenzy, doesn't he? The MSM is now doing an SNL caricature of the MSM.
Republicans and Democrats agree that you have “rights” - lots of them. They also agree that any question ABOUT your “rights”, or whether or not something IS a “right”, should not be decided by a political process because that is “divisive”. So, they both agree that the voice of “the People” as contemplated in Articles IX and X can only be voiced by nine unelected life tenure judges, and that five of them, at any time or for any reason, can give new “rights” and take away old ones, particularly if those old ones arise out of majority voting.
The ruling coalition is united around several things that the people are against. They are skilled at setting up phony issues (or issues that don’t concern the Federal government) to break up the formation of any possible other coalition.
Republicans and Democrats agree that the purpose of the State is redistribution. How much, and to whom, and under what circumstances, there are disagreements. But no elected officials of either Party believe that it is wrong to take from you and give to another of their own choosing, for reasons that make sense to them.
Republicans and Democrats agree that you have “rights” - lots of them. They also agree that any question ABOUT your “rights”, or whether or not something IS a “right”, should not be decided by a political process because that is “divisive”. So, they both agree that the voice of “the People” as contemplated in Articles IX and X can only be voiced by nine unelected life tenure judges, and that five of them, at any time or for any reason, can give new “rights” and take away old ones, particularly if those old ones arise out of majority voting.
Republicans and Democrats all believe in “diversity”. They, ignoring completely the results of all social science research on this subject, and contrary to millennia of human experience and wisdom, believe that the more “diverse” our country, its institutions, and any private entities within her become, the more cohesive and productive we will become.
Republicans and Democrats almost all believe in “free trade” and “immigration”. These things are good for various constituencies of both parties while they wreck the economy and the nation.
Many of the People, perhaps a majority, do not believe in any of these things. But in our existing system, captive as it is to the MSM-mandated “process” for choosing two candidates for POTUS neither of whom will change a thing, leaves the People with no voice.
-PJ
Had no idea there were more indies then pubs and demons. Medved is certainly not a Trump fan. He hates him. But he is really insightful in some of the things he says.
In the Nevada Poll he had a large Latino backing. They respect a leader—and they do not like Gang bangers in the Barrio.
Yes, Medved is brilliant and friends with Hillary. He always tries to soften the blows of tyranny which I appreciate. I hope Medved supports Trump, since Trump is “touching a nerve” in Americans.
Medved hates Trump.
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