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Trump is (much) different than Ross Perot was, as a candidate.

Though their positions are similar. They are (/were for Perot) for American jobs, and they are standing up against the establishment. In that regards they are very similar. I am in support of you in this regards.

However there is one very big difference.

Trump isn’t running against any party. That is the very big difference this time. He is running for the GOP nomination.

Perot was right, but he was running against every established principal in American politics.

Trump is completely different in that regard. He is competing for the GOP nomination.

Big difference.

Well, don't kid yourself. Trump is raising important questions that many in the GOP don't want to talk about bug he has the EXACT same weakness as Perot, which is he speaks in broad generalities but in most cases (other than the fence) has no real POLICY solutions. For example ISIS: "I will find a general who will win." Really? It only took Abraham Lincoln four years to do that. But what does that mean? You have to define winning. Does that mean ground troops in the Middle East? Does it mean rebuild Iraq?

He will "negotiate tough with China." Great. Does that mean he would retaliate for the recent hack? How? Would he impose tariffs on Chinese goods? How about Chinese money?

The point is, a CONSERVATIVE has all these questions pretty much worked out in advance as Reagan did. Again, he is raising important issues. But so did Perot, except he didn't have solutions. Perot used to say "We need to get under the hood and fix it." But then he could never specifically tell you he'd do "under the hood." The reason people here on FR get so worked up---good and bad---over various candidates is that most HAVE spelled out what they would do "under the hood".

Trump will change the dynamic of the primary—his voice will cause people to support him. His fame will cause people to listen to his populist message—He’s saying what many people think—The GOP is wrong to lump him with Perot or Mittens. He knows how to pull the strings—he isn’t plastic say-anything-gut to-get -elected like Romney. You feel he believes all this stuff in his heart. Is he perfect—No, is he a new Reagan? No. Is he Calvin Cooledge? Maybe. Is he Hugy Long? Perhaps.

I would say it differently.

He is not competing for the GOP nomination.

He is negotiating for the presidency. He is brokering the deal for the presidency and negotiating for it. Big difference in approach.