Posted on 02/02/2016 8:57:16 AM PST by conservativejoy
Donald Trump does everything in a big way. Even losing. Not only did he lose to Ted Cruz in Iowa, but he came very close to a humiliating third place behind Marco Rubio. As recently as yesterday Donald Trump was saying he wanted to win in Iowa, and if he didn't, that it would all have been a big waste of time.
"Unless I win, I would consider this a big, fat, beautiful-and, by the way, a very expensive-waste of time," Trump said this weekend, speaking to supporters during a whirlwind tour of Iowa.
Well, I guess it was a big waste of time, then. But why exactly did Donald declare political bankruptcy in Iowa?
1) The Shamu-Seaworld effect. Trump had big crowds, the largest, at his rallies. What happened to all these people? Big crowds also used to go see Shamu the Killer Whale at SeaWorld. That didn't mean, however, that most people there wanted to see Shamu elected mayor of Orlando. They went there to be entertained. There was a recent estimate that only 8% of attendees at Trump rallies were planning to caucus for him.
2) Lazyness. Donald Trump was too lazy to campaign the traditional way, avoiding bus tours, small towns, and one on one meetings with voters. Instead he flew in on Trump Force One, spoke for an hour, and then flew home to his bed in New York. He felt he didn't have to follow the traditional rules of campaigning because he was Donald Trump. In a state where personal contact with the candidate is expected, Trump was wrong.
Not only was Trump lazy, but his supporters were lazy, perhaps taking a cue from their idol. On websites they would yell in all caps "TRUMP WILL WIN! TRUMP WILL WIN!" but they were so busy jamming down their caps lock key that many of them didn't even bother to vote. It was said that a record turnout would guarantee a Trump victory. There was a record turnout all right, but it was a record turnout for Ted Cruz.
3) A lack of ground game. Trump and his campaign manager, Corey "The Big Lebowski" Lewandowski never identified supporters. They never set up substantial phone banks. They never followed and tracked their followers. When reporters went to the field offices of all the campaigns, they were only excluded from the Trump offices, because there was nothing for them to see. Had Trump deigned to actually run a ground game, he might have won the caucuses. You have to wonder, if he is so lacking in political acumen to understand this, how lacking in political ability is he going be if he wins the White House?
4) Arrogance. Trump, so buoyed by the polls, wore his arrogance on his sleeve. He said Iowans were stupid if they didn't vote for them. He called Megyn Kelly a bimbo indirectly, and tried to be cute about it by saying "I would never call her a bimbo, but..." It wasn't cute at all, it was disgusting. He even said he could shoot people and not lose support. That's the language of a Kim Jong Un, not the President of the United States. And then Trump showed his disdain for the entire process by skipping the last debate. His arrogance was his undoing.
5) Attacking conservatives. Trump turned off a lot of conservatives (including Mark Levin, Rush, the National Review, and others) by attacking Ted Cruz from the left (for not supporting ethanol) and in vicious, personal terms, calling Ted Cruz a "Canadian anchor baby". There is a way to campaign against Ted Cruz but calling him a "maniac" for standing up to Mitch McConnell is not that way. Once it became clear that Trump was attacking Cruz from the left, he lost a lot of conservative support.
So who, then, are actual Trump supporters? They are a much smaller number of people than originally thought. Like Ron Paul supporters from 2012, they dominate chatrooms and online polls, but like vampires can't be seen in the light of day. They are followers of the cult of personality and turn on a dime as Trump commands: if one day Trump says he wants Megyn Kelly out of the debate, they agree; if the next he says he never demanded it, they engage in immediate 1984 groupthink, and say it never happened, just like Trump's liberal political past never happened or never mattered because he was liberal as a crony capitalist "businessman". Unfortunately, his followers, while devoted, are not large enough in numbers to get him elected President.
The fact that Donald Trump doesn't understand any of his missteps or the effect of his slash and burn rhetoric reflects a political autism that makes him unqualified to be president or even the GOP presidential nominee. (Abridged version originally published in American Thinker)
“Ah, those wonderful “Cruz Values”...”
Was that before or after the media announced Carson was suspending his campaign?
If I reply to it "as is"?
Not being "Everyone", my hick-level understanding bows to your Sensei-level mastery.
I definitely think that you're right about NH.
However, as to the rest? Personally, I think you've misread things and I disagree.
Iowa, to me, is sorta like the NFL preseason in a lot of ways, but the win counts.
Cruz and his team needed to win the "preseason" for the fans, the vendors and especially for the Big D Donor$ they need to support him and the team. Cruz and his team did what they needed to do.
As an outsider on everyone's hit list, who's not even supposed to be serious, Trump and "The Donald" also did well. Trump and his team did what they needed to do.
It's been a great season so far, more entertaining than any I can remember.
With so many with so much in the game, we'll just have to wait and see how it turns out.
Why is everyone surprised that an evangelical who has been campaigning in Iowa for over two years won?
I would have been more surprised if Cruz lost in Iowa. Iowa for Trump is a throwaway. New Hampshire for Cruz is a throwaway. After that it is game on.
Well, I like your positive outlook.
“To infinity and beyond...”
:)
This same writer probably thinks Hillary Clinton won in a landslide.
Drudge headline: “Hillary wins 6 precincts — by coin tosses...”
The article is mostly on the mark - Iowa was Trump's to lose, and hubris got the better of him. He thought that he could wing it - i.e. not show up to the debate, not do the traditional small town inn and diner campaigning, forgo much organization, and paid the price. All of these things are especially critical in caucus states and states with a small population.
“He came in a very respectable second...”
Well, it’s looking like third place now. Besides, when Hillary came in 2nd to Obama, Trump said she got “schlonged”, therefore coming in 2nd is getting schlonged. Deal with it.
Or just plain dummies, who can’t differentiate between truth and fiction. “Carson suspended his campaign, caucus for Cruz”. Idiots.
This gloating is rich! They act like Cruz had a massive win, which clearly is not the case.
They should enjoy it while they can, they are setting the stage for Rubio to sweep in, which might be what some of the more ‘active’ and vile posters are really rooting for.
You’re telling me that after 6 debates they STILL couldn’t figure out who they wanted? FAIL
It was dirty tricks and I fully expect Cruz supporters to vanish over this, it’s all good, we see how easy it is to tick you guys off - Palin is proof.
Please try to refrain from behaving as if Cruz pulled off a massive win, clearly that is not the case.
Although I never thought a guy named Hussein would have gotten elected 7 years after 911, my disallusiment is not complete in wiping out my faith in Americans ‘eventually’ doing the right thing.
Early on Trump did indeed hit on lots of pent up anger with most people, including me, but that could only go so far and eventually he reverted to Mr. Nasty Rich SOB and let some not so well hidden liberal tendencies show through.
Cruz’s history and calm not nasty non-personal responses showed many he has the conservatism, but more importantly the metal for the office. Frankly I was not surprised by Cruz, that is exactly the way he ran his Senatorial campaign against a similar nasty person, David DoWorst, against all the odds.
HA HA HA HA!!!!! Where in my post did I infer that this was a massive win for Cruz? Deflect much?
The point undeniably was that this was MASSIVE LOSS for Trump.
You can spin that anyway you want, it won't fly.
Massive loss? I don’t see it that way but I’m sure it pleases you, so enjoy your victory. It’s going to be short lived - it’s going to be a golden path laid for Rubio - and you guys keep playing the same old game over and over, and over and over.....so damn sad.
If that is true why hasn’t it been all over today?
I think some Cruz staffer said something that he “claims” he heard on CNN but CNN says it is BS. Shouldn’t be too hard to sort that out.
I seriously doubt Cruz ever made that “announcement” but feel free to correct me if I am wrong.
As always, my opinions are worth exactly what you paid for them.
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