Posted on 02/02/2016 10:49:53 AM PST by nathanbedford
Like a downfield receiver who turns to run before securing the ball and muffs the catch, Trump turned his eye to the general election and began to run toward the middle and so he muffed the election in Iowa.
Trump believed the polls, he thought he had Iowa in the bag, he was counting on New Hampshire and almost immediately thereafter South Carolina; he thought he was unstoppable all the way to the nomination. All candidates by necessity project confidence in their ultimate victory but Trump went beyond that, in describing his upcoming tenure in the Oval Office he assumed he had already won the election. His narcissism kicked into high gear.
Like all narcissists he abandoned his friends and betrayed his supporters immediately it was more profitable to seduce a new group of potential friends, supporters and voters.
So Trump began to run toward the middle. He told us what great people Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi were. He had praise for Mitch McConnell. He told us how he could "make deals" with all of them. He flirted with single-payer healthcare. He became less definite on immigration. Trump attacked Cruz from the left on the issue of biofuels in Iowa thus betraying an unseemly eagerness to pander. Trump demonstrated that as president his dalliances with big government crony capitalism would not stop, he would simply be playing the same game from the other side of the table.
The candidate who had achieved front runner status by pretending to champion the cause of disenfranchised conservatives against the GOPe/unitary party abandoned those who had supported him as the new Messiah to pander after a new pool of voters in the broader, richer, land of crony capitalism and government largess.
In short, Donald Trump unwittingly betrayed the kind of president he would be if elected, he would not be loyal to any conservative principles, he would not be loyal to the Republican Party, he would not be faithful to any cause except the advancement of Donald Trump. He did it because his ego told him he could get away with it because he believed he had already won the nomination and because it advanced, he thought, the fortunes of Donald Trump.
I think you have it about right. In the final two weeks before Iowa, he re-allied himself with the Washington establishment figures and trashed the most bold conservative in Washington. A guy conservatives have rallied around. Going on offense against Cruz is expected. The vitriol of nastiness and the attacks matching the left/GOPe was enough to change the entire story about Trump. He proved for the moment he is not one of us, but rather one of them. He’s still in position to make a run, but if he had taken a different course in the final weeks, he could have won and been nearly inevitable.
What is giving you doubts?
You really need to do more research before commenting. There have been many articles talking about the level of Cruz's infrastructure in the upcoming states. He even has a strong organization in California, which is the last primary of the season. Of all of the candidates, Cruz is the one who has spent the most time and effort laying the foundation for a strong GOTV in all of the primary states at least through March 15th.
I am concerned that Trump might appear a loser.
Amen
That's a little harsh for a close second place, don't you think?
In keeping with your analogy, I fixed it for you.
-PJ
How do I get into the Cruz-dementia club?
Is a disbelief of reality required? Then never mind.
Trump came within 1 delegate of Cruz with very little effort and money. It’s all coasting for him from here.
I am a Cruz supporter.
He got one extra delegate. All the “votes” don’t count towards the nomination, only delegates. One more delegate out of the 1,200+ needed for the nomination.
Trump got 7 delegates, Rubio got 7 delegates,
For Cruz it was a slightly favorable TIE.
ALL: If the Broncos beat the Panthers by a point in the SuperBowl, I'd be wary of Taxcontrol's potential posting that the game was a "tie."
I remind everyone that the best dealmaker ever was Satan. It didn’t work out well for mankind. Trump’s bromance with Carl Icahn says a lot. For those who have never had dealings with or against Icahn, he is just as ruthless as Gordon Gecko in the movie “Wall Street.” I have many friends that had their careers destroyed by him, and not because they were bad companies, but because he just decided he had to have them, and carve them up like turkeys and sell the parts...Icahn was the consummate model for the ‘Hostile Takeover’. Perhaps some feel like in order to win, we must sacrifice everything to do so. I understand that business model, but I do not agree with it. If that is the person that Trump heralds, watch out. Conservatism will win out in the long run.
A candidate should represent his constituency well. So what better way to represent l_ _ _ _ s?
Not all NYers Love Trump. I know a few and claim Trump doesn’t speak for them - maybe his upper East Siders but again not all.
I just thought Trump lost because Iowa picks losers.
Hyperbole much?
Seriously, though, what are you comparing this to? There have been many, many contests in the past. This one is mild compared to the Adams-Jefferson battles of the campaign of 1796!
This, of course, assumes he was committed/loyal to any conservative cause to begin with.
* He was openly pro-abortion 1999-2011.
* He ran with the gambling industry in Atlantic City before bankrupting himself & many investors.
* He said in 2000 that Republicans were wrong on gun related issues.
* He said in 2000 he was in favor of universal healthcare.
(IoW, to know the "real" Trump just hit the rewind button 15-16 years)
If it wasn't for Trump on Sept 11 the Empire State building would have been next.
And the Brooklyn Bridge.
It was his Speech at ground zero that calmed down the survivors....his leadership...NYC values
Interesting analysis; thread.
HOORAY Trump
HOORAY Cruz
glad to hear that i thought it was mostly Rudy but glad to hear he and Pataki weren’t the only New Yorkers!
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