Posted on 03/04/2016 5:03:33 AM PST by Kaslin
When losing to the star of a reality TV show, is it really so crazy to resort to reality-show tactics to defeat him?
I'm not referring to Marco Rubio's decision to fight fire with fire with Donald Trump and return insult for insult. I, for one, thought it was wholly appropriate for Rubio to give the schoolyard bully a taste of his own medicine. The evidence shows that Rubio's attacks, while tardy, paid off. Voters not already enraptured with Trump are open to persuasion, and late deciders broke disproportionately for Rubio on Super Tuesday in most races.
Indeed, once again, most voters voted against Trump, not for him, and that's where reality-show tactics come in.
Not counting "Top Chef" and "Naked and Afraid," I'm not a big fan of reality shows, but I've watched my share of "Survivor," "The Bachelor" and even Trump's own personal propaganda series, "The Apprentice." It seems to me that in many of these shows, the game is played the same way: Groups form alliances. Sometimes these alliances are formal, often they are tacit and voluntary -- but they are all temporary.
At the end of the season, the winner is the guy or gal who was in the right alliance until the alliance no longer served his or her needs. Fans may be happy or disappointed based on who emerges, but it's silly to say that Tiffany stole the Bachelor from Rhonda. That's simply how the game is played.
Well, welcome to the big leagues. Trump has been playing the game all along, and now that he's ahead, he doesn't think anyone should be allowed to change their tactics to beat him.
If this had been a two-person race from the beginning -- as the Democratic race has been since Iowa -- Trump would probably be as far behind as Bernie Sanders is. But Trump took advantage of the fact that the Republican field was so divided for so long. Nothing wrong with that.
But there's also nothing wrong with trying to stop Trump. Alliances are part of the game. The delegate system allows for it. And that's why Mitt Romney's advice in his powerful anti-Trump speech Thursday was entirely valid. If you're against Trump and you live in Ohio, vote for John Kasich. If you're against Trump in Florida, vote for Rubio. If you're against Trump in a state where Ted Cruz is ahead, vote for Cruz.
Starting March 15, primary winners get all of a state's delegates. Losers don't even get steak knives. In proportional Virginia, Rubio lost to Trump, but Trump got only one more delegate than Rubio. If no one gets to the convention with a majority of the delegates, the convention chooses a nominee. It might be Trump. Then again, it might not.
This may feel like cheating, but it isn't. It's just that conventions have been infomercials for so long, we're not used to the idea that one might actually matter. Also, for the last 50 years, any candidate who could make it past Super Tuesday as a front-runner was acceptable to a majority of the party, and the pressure to coalesce was strong. Things are different this time because Trump is different. His supporters -- many of whom are not Republicans, Trump is fond of noting -- may not like it, but the man is simply unacceptable to many conservatives.
When you say this to Trump supporters, they reply by hurling a word-salad about a shadowy organization called "The Establishment" that's working to thwart the will of the majority. Talk radio hosts rant about this cabal's effort to "steal" the nomination from Trump.
For instance, Romney's speech was denounced by many as an outrageous effort to sway voters. Similar criticisms were made when the magazine I work for, National Review, dedicated a special issue to opposing Trump.
"How dare you try to tell voters how to vote!" cried countless pro-Trump cable news commentators, pundits and radio hosts. It's a fascinating complaint coming from people who make a living by offering their opinions on how voters should vote.
It's also nonsense. If opposing Trump is now the definition of the establishment, then roughly 66 percent of GOP primary voters are members of the establishment. The "silent majority" isn't a majority and most certainly isn't silent. Alas, "The Loud Plurality For Trump!" doesn't look as good on homemade signs at rallies.
Trump is stoppable, according to the rules. And if he is stopped and that makes you sad, don't hate the players, hate the game.
When losing to the star of a reality TV show, is it really so crazy to resort to reality-show tactics to defeat him? “
The reason why you are losing is BECAUSE your mind only sees him as a “reality TV star”.
You think if you dial back your IQ, that somehow you are playing on his field (because he obviously must be stupid), completely neglecting that that TV show was a very mild form of “reality TV” at best that he really didnt even appear on the majority of, and forgetting that his other REAL JOB was running a large company worth billions and employing thousands.
but see, Cruz people are “too smart” to get this, so while I just gave you a major hint, you guys will just keep doing stupid and then wonder why it isnt working.
I have not seen Kansas
Florida 22 and Rubio pissed off the whole panhandle Super Tuesday.
Ohio is Close.
But New York and New Jersey I am sure that easy. Pa I am sure is Trumps
And when he's not stopped, nobody will be whining more than Jonah. He's become a profession cry baby.
I think what the Trump backers are doing is to quietly note which people in an official capacity are running around with their hair on fire while spewing purple prose or worse.
It’s sort of like that moment in a thunderstorm when you can’t see anything because it’s pitch black and the rain is pouring, and then a bolt of lightning lights up the landscape in sharp detail in all directions.
It’s been illuminating, but I don’t think there are enough lamp posts in America for what will happen to these people if Mr. Trump fails in his mercy killing of the globalist agenda.
Calling my reasonable statement childish doesn’t make it so. You are name calling rather than addressing what I said. Trump crushes anyone who disagrees with him. He is so proud of that tactic that he wrote a book about it. That’s documented and illustrated fact. He is the epitome of someone who can dish it out but not take it. He is an abuse of power waiting to happen.
*Rolling my eyes*
No, it is in fact cheating. Journalists are supposed to report the news, not be the news. The RNC is supposed to stay the hell out of the way of the people’s will in the primary. Neither of these things are happening, so yes, it is cheating!
I guess the ONLY COMPLAINT is why the GOPe feels like they have VETO POWER over the candidate their OWN VOTERS want.
If that’s how they feel, then perhaps they should dispense altogether with Primaries and Caucuses and simply meet in a smoke-filled room and pick someone - just as the Libertarians and Greens do (and probably do as well as they do also).
What we don’t like is being treated like USEFUL IDIOTS, who are ONLY PERMITTED to support their, selected, candidate, and then told in November to bend over and vote for him, because the “Democrat is worse”.
Nobody won that debate. Except for Hillary Clinton.
Interesting times we live in, huh? This is slowly changing from a circular firing squad into a knife fight in a phone booth. It will not be pretty. Not at all.
Guess we can look at it this way - Trump survives this once in a lifetime cabal that Jonah calls totally righteous then he’s as strong a POTUS as were ever going to have.
And those will vote for Hillary Rodham Clinton in November in the general election. Count on it.
Only a loser would rationalize this way, Jonah.
Milt Romley is a coward and a snake for trying to scam the rules to his own benefit. All he's going to accomplish is to f everything up for everyone.
What makes you think he sold Dove Bars on the street? I did a search on his biography and no where does it mention anything like that.
Excellent point
Pretty much spot-on.
Milt Romney? Who is Milt Romney?
He said it on television. Why the hell would he have that on his CV?
You people amaze me. Last night, on national TV, Trump reversed himself on H1B visas, the very thing he had two Disney employees campaigning with him on. It’s clear he’s playing you for rubes, but you simply drink the kool-aid and keep attacking on his behalf.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.