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Trump Backers Shouldn't Complain about How the Game is Played
Townhall.com ^ | March 4, 2016 | Jonah Goldberg

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.


TOPICS: Cheese, Moose, Sister
KEYWORDS: moronpost
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To: Timmy

Like I’m going to respond to someone who chooses the name “Timmy” as his defining moniker. Buzz off!


41 posted on 03/04/2016 5:44:12 AM PST by miss marmelstein (Richard the Third: With my own people alone I should like to drive away the Turks (Muslims))
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To: miss marmelstein

But you did.


42 posted on 03/04/2016 5:47:41 AM PST by Timmy
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To: miss marmelstein

He said it on Television? Where, when, and what is wrong with it? Maybe he was trying to earn money to help himself with the cost of his college studies at Goucher College, where he graduated in 1991?


43 posted on 03/04/2016 5:51:17 AM PST by Kaslin (He needed theThe l ignorant to reelect him. He got them and now we have to pay the consequences)
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To: Kaslin

Its amusing trumpsters like it when trump attacks but whine when he is attacked. Not such tough guys!


44 posted on 03/04/2016 5:52:40 AM PST by RginTN (Donald J Trump- why would the people of Ky want a rookie senator when they have Sen Mitch Mcconnell)
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To: MNJohnnie
Actually the way the game is played is EXACTLY what the Trump supporters are upset about.

When Trump signed up to run as a Republican, he signed on to the rules that govern the process of selecting (yes that is the right word) a candidate. If Trump and his supporters don't like the rules, then they can blow up the process. But that is kinda like setting of a nuke in a room because you don't like the color of the paint. That will also guarantee a democRAT victory.

45 posted on 03/04/2016 5:53:10 AM PST by The_Victor (If all I want is a warm feeling, I should just wet my pants.)
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past

So it is OK FOR YOU to act this way but some how a major issue if Trump shoots back at his attacker?

The hypocrisy there is pretty strong.


46 posted on 03/04/2016 5:56:59 AM PST by MNJohnnie ( Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered)
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To: Kaslin
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.

This is an ignorant statement. When has the out-of-office party ever had a two-person primary? Answer: Going back to 1960, never.

-PJ

47 posted on 03/04/2016 6:01:17 AM PST by Political Junkie Too (If you are the Posterity of We the People, then you are a Natural Born Citizen.)
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To: Kaslin
I didn't say Milt Romney, I said Milt Romley.

Milt Romley, Milt Romley, Milt Romley.

AKA Mittens, The Mittster... and as of yesterday, Failure and Embarrassment and cowardly, craven venality personified in all worldwide media.

Milt. Romley.

48 posted on 03/04/2016 6:07:31 AM PST by OKSooner (Burn it down. Burn it to the ground and punish the guilty, then figure out what to do next.)
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To: Timmy
Last night, on national TV, Trump reversed himself on H1B visas, the very thing he had two Disney employees campaigning with him on

Why did he do that? That issue could have won him a lot of support among educated professionals.

49 posted on 03/04/2016 6:17:50 AM PST by Fiji Hill
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To: MNJohnnie

Act what way? I merely pointed out Trump’s own proudly touted tactics and the fact that he whines like a victim if someone does half as much in return.


50 posted on 03/04/2016 6:18:10 AM PST by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: Kaslin

I get the whole alliance thing and thats how the game is played, however, I dont see Trump complaining about the establishment tactics one bit!

perhaps you can apply this arguement to his supporters, but you cant use this argument to criticize Trump.


51 posted on 03/04/2016 6:20:07 AM PST by GotMojo
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To: Kaslin

What is he, your cousin? Calm down, he’ll survive my awful attack.


52 posted on 03/04/2016 6:22:56 AM PST by miss marmelstein (Richard the Third: With my own people alone I should like to drive away the Turks (Muslims))
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To: Kaslin

What is he, your cousin? Calm down, he’ll survive my awful attack.


53 posted on 03/04/2016 6:23:14 AM PST by miss marmelstein (Richard the Third: With my own people alone I should like to drive away the Turks (Muslims))
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To: Kaslin

He didn’t complain.
He was doing just fine
Then candidate/not candidate/candidate/thief Romney decided to jump in for what, again?
To steal the nomination by gumming up the works and throwing millions of dollars into the system. He didn’t endorse a candidate, so he obviously wants the nomination but doesn’t want to run. A lazy man letting others do his dirty work and he takes the prize.

Kinda how he runs his businesses, no?


54 posted on 03/04/2016 6:28:15 AM PST by mabelkitty (Trump 2016!)
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past

Hahaha. Trump is abusing his power in the Republican party? Is that the latest attack? All he’s done is run a campaign and has gotten more votes than others. Exactly how is he abusing power and what power exactly does he have in the GOPe other than those free citizens whom have chosen to vote for him?


55 posted on 03/04/2016 6:39:44 AM PST by wiseprince
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To: Kaslin

Townhall.com shouldn’t complain about being called a shill for the anti Trump movement either.


56 posted on 03/04/2016 7:04:51 AM PST by armydawg505
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To: wiseprince

No. I said Trump is an abuse of power WAITING TO HAPPEN, that is if he gets elected to the highest office in the land.


57 posted on 03/04/2016 7:05:23 AM PST by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: Kaslin
When you say this to Trump supporters, they reply by hurling a word-salad about a shadowy organization called "The Establishment"

It's not shadowy. It operates right out in the open. We're talking about you, Jonah. Along with Mitt Romney, John McCain, Linda Gramnesty, and all the other tools, shills, toadies, lickspittles, catspaws, cronies, spokesmodels and plutocrats.

If the establishment steals the nomination at the convention all bets are off and everything is on the table.

58 posted on 03/04/2016 7:19:23 AM PST by MaxFlint
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To: Kaslin

“When losing to the star of a reality TV show”

“Reality TV show”???

Whatever became of the billions of dollar business that made the reality show possible?

What about the long struggle to grow the business?

Could Jonah Goldberg be hired to star in that same show?

What kind of TV show could Jonah Goldberg be hired to star in?

It could possibly be a TV show where Goldberg discourses about people who actually accomplish things, other than just talk about people who do things, which is what he does.


59 posted on 03/04/2016 7:25:08 AM PST by odawg
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To: Kaslin

Bullsh!t Jonah. There was a deal made between the Republicans and Trump if he would not run third party. It is the Republicans who are reneging on the deal. So go pound sand Jonah.


60 posted on 03/04/2016 10:32:23 AM PST by Parley Baer
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