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Grow Up!
Townhall.com ^ | January 30, 2016 | Thomas Sowell

Posted on 01/30/2016 5:29:18 AM PST by Kaslin

Of all the many things said about Donald Trump, what was said by Roger Ailes, head of the Fox News Channel, said it all in just two words: "Grow up!"

It is amazing how many people have been oblivious to this middle-aged man's spoiled brat behavior, his childish boastfulness about things he says he is going to do, and his petulant response to every criticism with ad hominem replies.

He has boasted that his followers would stick by him even if he committed murder. But is that something to boast about? Is it not an insult to his followers, if it is true? Moreover, his cockiness is misplaced, because he still does not have a majority among Republican voters, while you need a majority of all the voters to win any state in the general election.

Trump has a showman's talent for telling people what they want to hear. But you can listen in vain for a coherent argument from him, based on facts and logic, much less an understanding of the inherent limitations of the office of president.

More than two centuries ago, Edmund Burke said: "Constitute government how you please, infinitely the greater part of it must depend upon the exercise of the powers which are left at large to the prudence and uprightness of ministers of state."

In other words, the personal character of the people to whom you entrust the powers of government matters even more than what kinds of government institutions there are. There have been some good kings and some bad presidents, as well as vice versa.

In a world where the future of this country is threatened from within by increasingly angry polarization, and where external threats can become nuclear, are we really going to entrust the safety or this country to a man who still needs to grow up?

Is the fact that he loudly expressed our own disgust with the political establishment a sufficient reason to gamble the whole future of the country by putting him in the White House?

The White House is not a place for on-the-job training. You are supposed to be ready, or at the very least grown up, before you walk in the door. Aging happens automatically, but maturity is optional -- and it is an option that Donald Trump has not yet chosen to exercise.

The issue that Trump raised about Ted Cruz's having been born in Canada is not the first time he has tried to challenge where someone was born. "The Donald" was among those who tried to say that Barack Obama was not born an American citizen, and who disgraced themselves, while undermining other critics of Obama who had serious objections to his policies.

On the other hand, messianic demagogues have often spoken at least part of the truth. But they have also often led their followers to their doom, whether at Jonestown, Stalingrad or innumerable other places. That is a very high price to pay for an exhilaration of the moment.

Donald Trump is not the only one who needs to act like an adult. With this country starting to unravel from within, while ruthless enemies overseas are developing both nuclear weapons and intercontinental missiles to deliver them, we face problems that cannot be solved by candidates with glib words or by voters who vote for whoever meets their emotional needs.

If you don't understand the issues, but want to do your patriotic duty, then stay home on election night, whether in the primaries or in the national election in November. Uninformed voters turn elections into a game of playing Russian roulette with the future of America.

Conservative candidates will also have an opportunity to show their maturity and their patriotism. This is not the first primary season in which the conservative vote has been split among so many Republican candidates that it virtually guarantees that someone who is not a conservative will win the Republican nomination.

At some point during the primary season, it becomes clear that some candidates have no real chance of winning the nomination, much less the general election. At that point they can either continue hanging on, keeping the conservative vote split, or they can withdraw and throw their support to some other conservative candidate who has a chance.

A lot of people need to grow up, and to do something for this country that has done so much for them.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cluelessrant; growup; lilliputian; thomassowell
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To: Popman; mylife

My life was not referring to Sowell.


121 posted on 01/30/2016 6:57:58 AM PST by MEG33 (God Bless America And Our Troops)
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To: Gaffer
All the better to make Kennedy out as some sort of hero.

I quite agree, Kennedy had always postured himself as an anti-Communist and did not want to appear to be a pushover. However, his supporters maintain that that was necessary so that the world is not believe that America was a pushover.


122 posted on 01/30/2016 7:00:37 AM PST by nathanbedford ("Attack, repeat, attack!" Bull Halsey)
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To: nathanbedford

We are flirting with disaster again.
Russkies just buzzed one of our RJ135 and almost put them in the drink.
China is being belligerent Iran just took hostages and used it as photo op then pissed on us again.

Trump is a capable man but I would not go to war for him.

He might get shit done but he will do it with our backs.

I swore pledge on the constitution.
Cruz or lose


123 posted on 01/30/2016 7:00:38 AM PST by mylife
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To: beandog
Unlike you, I don’t have a boy. I support a grown up adult, Ted Cruz.



Yeah Teddy's campaign in Iowa has accomplished a massive, epic FAIL with that "Shame the Voter" tactic. Looks good on him. And you.

You will get what you deserve and I will sit back and laugh.

Projection mutt. That is what is for breakfast for you.
124 posted on 01/30/2016 7:01:27 AM PST by mkjessup ("Sneers, Jeers & Tears" - that's your typical Trump-hater for ya.)
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To: mylife

——Trump is a capable man but I would not go to war for him——

His order to the military will be something like “do what is necessary”

they will do it


125 posted on 01/30/2016 7:02:11 AM PST by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPc;+12, 73, ....carson is the kinder gentler trump.)
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To: Rides_A_Red_Horse

And he sure has


126 posted on 01/30/2016 7:03:54 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

We have profession politicians and a man with absolutely no work experience at all “leading our country” and look where we are. We’re licking the boots of ISIS and every other group that hates America. We have people who’ve been out of work for 7 years. We have a military at the lowest since prior WWII, we have healthy people signing up for Social Security, we’ve lost most of our manufacturing base to China, Japan, and other countries. Look at Boeing....they’re building a manufacturing plant in China. Will China be building our military aircraft????????????
I’m for letting a business man lead our country. He’s told us what he expects to do. He may be Loud and may sound boisterous and has stubby fingers,(most Scotts have stubby fingers and Scotsmen don’t back down), but he has shown he is a negotiator and get things done. (These are my thoughts)


127 posted on 01/30/2016 7:03:55 AM PST by tillacum
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To: Kaslin

Ok, I bite. Just tell us what I am buying when we vote for Cruz. Tell me what we are going to get that we are not getting from Trump. We really want to know. Persuade us. Please. So we may know the truth and not fall into error.


128 posted on 01/30/2016 7:04:27 AM PST by AndyJackson
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To: nathanbedford
Histrionics can come from the most rational appearing people.

I disagree with Dr. Sowell on his assessment of Trump.

Funny thing, I still respect him immensely.

129 posted on 01/30/2016 7:04:34 AM PST by Lakeshark
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To: Kaslin; All
Image and video hosting by TinyPic
130 posted on 01/30/2016 7:05:20 AM PST by mkjessup ("Sneers, Jeers & Tears" - that's your typical Trump-hater for ya.)
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To: SubMareener

And, he will have traded his present perfectly comfortable position for an ignominious review by history.


131 posted on 01/30/2016 7:05:47 AM PST by AndyJackson
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To: nathanbedford

We agree then. I think much more courage was shown by Reagan, myself. I don’t necessarily say what would happen with Trump and a Cuba, but you must agree that a lot of what we got from the media of the 60s was force fed crap

They hid Kennedy’s drug and woman problem, his back problem, his partying with his brother and the flavor of the day - just like they pretty much hid FDR was a cripple during WWII and before.

We will have to see how things shake out and take it from there.

It is hard to say with a Trump as President meme for me in an emergency crisis, but I SHUDDER to think of Obama as President, or Jeb Bush as President (or any of the others with the exception of Cruz). I am going to vote for Trump. We’ll see the hint of what’s to come tomorrow night and in NH and after on Super Tuesday. I’ll take Trump or Cruz as the nominee because I already know about all the others in that slate.


132 posted on 01/30/2016 7:06:30 AM PST by Gaffer
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To: nathanbedford

Kennedy would be considered as an extreme right wing extremist today.

My how the world has changed.

We need to get this country back to the constitution and stop twitting about Charlie Sheen for president.


133 posted on 01/30/2016 7:07:29 AM PST by mylife
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To: Popman
maybe if you read Sowell writings for about 20 years like I have, your Trump like response would be more tempered...

I have read Sowell for 20 years and to start with a Trump-like smash all the furniture in the room and shake the chair rail in your opponents face - like Sowell does here - is totally uncharacteristic of Sowell. Only problem is that it is Sowell's furniture he smashed up.

134 posted on 01/30/2016 7:07:52 AM PST by AndyJackson
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To: MEG33; mylife
My life was not referring to Sowell.

Based on his post, you would need to be a mind reader to not think he meant Sowell...

I suppose he was referring to Trump as a punk azz thug ?

135 posted on 01/30/2016 7:07:53 AM PST by Popman (Christ alone: My Cornerstone...)
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To: redfreedom

If you watch Fox News than you would know that is not exactly true. Some do and some don’t. It depends on what you are watching


136 posted on 01/30/2016 7:08:32 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
A person of Dr Sowell accomplishment surely must know this sort of infantile personal attack is the last refuge of the writer with noting to say in favor of their candidate.

Useless preaching to the choir that does more to damage the author's reputation then it harms the target.

137 posted on 01/30/2016 7:08:57 AM PST by MNJohnnie ( Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered)
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To: mylife
Forget Charlie, it's gonna be Kanye West.


138 posted on 01/30/2016 7:09:20 AM PST by nascarnation
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To: House Atreides

Poor House, his candidate sucks so bad he is reduced to racing around the web posting infantile snarks at the other cnaidates since he cannot make a case for his candidate


139 posted on 01/30/2016 7:09:55 AM PST by MNJohnnie ( Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered)
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To: bert

That’s what we do, but dont use the military like Obama did.
Man he punked them bad.

I don’t trust Trump.


140 posted on 01/30/2016 7:10:01 AM PST by mylife
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