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Trump in 2012? Maybe Not Such a Bad Thing
American Thinker ^ | April 3, 2011 | Jack Kerwick

Posted on 04/03/2011 12:53:30 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

Donald Trump will announce in June whether he plans on being a contender for the presidency in the Republican primaries later this year. For several reasons, my excitement over the prospects of a Trump candidacy is mounting.

Let me say first, that in a perfect world, the very idea of a man like Trump running for the presidency, on either party's ticket, would be unthinkable. This isn't to suggest that Trump is a bad man, but only that he has no experience in the art of governing. It is a common misconception among many on the right that success in business is likely to translate into success in politics. Not only does this assumption ignore the fact that the frameworks of incentives and constraints within which politicians and free enterprisers respectively operate are by and large mutually antagonistic; it ignores as well the fact that success in business could just as easily portend political failure.

Any business is an enterprise. An enterprise is defined by the goals toward which it is oriented, the goals toward the realization of which each of its members is expected to contribute. Now, obviously, the enterprises that constitute a "system" of "free enterprise" are not compulsory organizations. However, a state is indeed such an organization. It is a mistake of the first order, then, to confuse government with a private employer and citizens with employees.

Free citizens must be free to determine enterprises of their own choosing -- not those that the government decides to impose upon them. And what this in turn implies is that a government belonging to citizens, not subjects, free men and women, not servants and/or slaves, simply cannot be patterned on a business or enterprise model, for it exists for no other reason than to facilitate peaceful and orderly co-existence between individuals engaged in all manner of self-chosen pursuits.

A wildly successful businessman like Trump is no less likely to lose sight of this than someone devoid of all business experience.

There is another reason why, in a perfect world, no conservative would treat Trump with any seriousness in connection with the presidency -- namely, Trump is no conservative. That "business" and "conservative" are considered virtually synonymous terms by right and left alike is a standing testimony to how effectively the left trades in fictions. A person's involvement in business is no signifier of his political orientation, it is true, but it is also true that the tycoons of the largest businesses -- what the left derisively refers to as "Big Business" -- usually donate to Democrats. That he has contributed to the coffers of no small number of Democratic politicians proves that Trump is no exception to this rule.

Still, our world, the real world, is far from perfect. Given current political realities, Trump may be just what Republican voters need at the moment.

As Trump himself has noted, if not for pervasive voter disenchantment with President George W. Bush, we wouldn't now have President Barack. H. Obama. In 2008, voters in both major parties and everywhere in between had grown weary of Bush's "compassionate conservatism." Of course, being but a euphemism for ever larger government -- that is, exactly that thing against which Republican campaign rhetoric rails -- it was neither compassionate nor conservative, as conservatives understand these concepts. The Republican Party claimed to have learned this lesson, but beyond vague references to "spending," no GOP 2012 hopeful has so much as explicitly repudiated Bush "conservatism," much less specified the respects in which their governance will differ from that of the last Republican president.

Trump, in glaring contrast, has already indicated the willingness, the eagerness even, to make it abundantly clear to both the party and the nation how and why he will be no Bush Republican. This the party faithful and -- more importantly, to hear the Republicans tell it -- the independents and "moderates" regarding whom the politicians from both parties spare no occasion to woo both need and deserve to know.

But this is not all.

It would be a gross understatement to describe The View as Obama-friendly. Yet just this past week while making an appearance on it, Trump did what no other Republican, much less a Republican with presidential aspirations, would so much as think of doing: he unabashedly expressed his skepticism concerning Obama's birth certificate. With a single utterance, the Donald in effect legitimized a group of people whose concern for this very same issue earned them the scornful name of "birthers" and rendered them a collective object of derision by left-wing pundits as well as such "respectable" right-leaning personalities as Bill O'Reilly and Michael Medved. And what Trump did for this issue, he will be able to do with any number of issues that McCain and the GOP establishment sought (and continue to seek) to avoid like the plague.

This is the point: there is simply no way that anyone can succeed in depicting someone as internationally famous as Donald Trump as a fringe figure. This, obviously, isn't to suggest that Trump would be anything at all like an invulnerable candidate; no one is without weaknesses. But Trump's enemies (among the establishments of both parties) will simply not be able to dismiss him as an "extremist."

Finally, there are enough disenchanted Democrats, along with similarly disenchanted independents and Republicans, who would be more than willing to give Trump their ears. When this Washington outsider -- indeed, outsider to politics! -- promises that upon his election to the presidency, "business as usual" in Washington will become a thing of the past, they will have good reason to believe it.

Trump in 2012? This may not be such a bad thing.


TOPICS: Issues; Parties; State and Local
KEYWORDS: birthcertificate; certifigate; obama; rino; rudy2; sleeperfreepers; soclib; trump
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To: freekitty

Yuck!


81 posted on 04/03/2011 9:38:12 AM PDT by Salamander (I think I need some rest......but sleepin' don't come very easy in a straight white vest.)
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To: napscoordinator

Did you vote for Reagan?


82 posted on 04/03/2011 9:39:57 AM PDT by Salamander (I think I need some rest......but sleepin' don't come very easy in a straight white vest.)
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To: Conservative Vermont Vet

I loved watching him yank O’Really to heel.


83 posted on 04/03/2011 9:45:29 AM PDT by Salamander (I think I need some rest......but sleepin' don't come very easy in a straight white vest.)
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To: Lumper20

Amen.

*Must* be done or “cleaning out the GOP” will be a moot point.

There will be no USA *left* by 2016.

He HAS to go ASAP.


84 posted on 04/03/2011 9:56:50 AM PDT by Salamander (I think I need some rest......but sleepin' don't come very easy in a straight white vest.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Do you think he could get the republican nomination? If not, what would he run as?
I like the issues he’s bringing up too. He has the money and the fame, why not take it to court. He’s the only one asking the questions we’re all asking but the issue still seems to be getting nowhere. WHY! Why aren’t more of our politicians following up on what Americans want answers to.
Is the Donald sincere or is this splitting the ticket and the obomination will continue.
Why isn’t Sarah, Huckabee, my senators all asking these same questions. The American people sure are.


85 posted on 04/03/2011 10:08:04 AM PDT by sunny48
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To: Dengar01

Oh really?

In that case, I’d like to take this opportunity to tell them:

You are -all- Servants Of Satan!!!

Have a nice day....:)


86 posted on 04/03/2011 10:14:48 AM PDT by Salamander (I think I need some rest......but sleepin' don't come very easy in a straight white vest.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
So far from what I have seen I could support him.

He is very direct and has the ego needed.

He is no dummy and oddly enough is a lot more socially conservative than I would have thought on abortion, guns, and homosexual marriage.

Man...and what a hot first lady...woowee....and hot first daughter too

would it be the first Jews actually in the White House family...his daughter married a Jew

and first foreign born first lady

he has a past and the media would turn on him like they did McCain but people just don't sweat the divorces like they once did...a sad commentary but a reality

two things he is exposed on:

any questionable crap from his many deals...I'm sure the media will find dirt...it's impossible not to have some with partners etc

ex wives...what will Ivana and Marla say about him..if they want their children's daddy to be POTUS then hopefully nothing but accolades

I do not think we need professional politicians to lead..no way and Trump's business experience is pretty strong...success, failure, success and so forth

I at first was amused but after listening was impressed. He's sharp, tough, self deprecating...something Obama never does hardly and he looks folks in the eye.

87 posted on 04/03/2011 10:15:43 AM PDT by wardaddy (ok...Trump---Sarah----Michelle.....any of them are ok for now---tain't picky)
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To: StAnDeliver

as I understand he would run GOP...if he runs 3rd party then you would be right


88 posted on 04/03/2011 10:18:40 AM PDT by wardaddy (ok...Trump---Sarah----Michelle.....any of them are ok for now---tain't picky)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
He has no experience like Obama had. And no leadership skills like Obama had when he got elected.(sarc)
89 posted on 04/03/2011 10:21:31 AM PDT by jarofants
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To: Salamander

hear hear ..man he leaned right into him and did not blink

O’Butthead is so used to bullying wimpy men and polite women

i could smack him but he looks a lot my deceased daddy...weird..the eyes and brow to nose structure..uncanny

dad wore better ties though


90 posted on 04/03/2011 10:23:55 AM PDT by wardaddy (ok...Trump---Sarah----Michelle.....any of them are ok for now---tain't picky)
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To: Will88
Your right I'd just soon look at Michelle Obama the next for years rather than Trumps third wife.
91 posted on 04/03/2011 10:26:38 AM PDT by jarofants
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To: napscoordinator

Rush has been married 3 or 4 times, so I guess you don’t listen to him? Ronald Reagan was married twice so I guess you didn’t like him? Should I continue?


92 posted on 04/03/2011 10:32:04 AM PDT by jerseyrocks
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To: wardaddy

During the second installment, BOR lipped off about something and Trump lunged forwardly so suddenly, for a second, I thought for sure he was gonna belt him.....;D

If <0 wants “Get in their faces” politics, he should be careful what he wishes for.

If nothing else, the debates would be amazing.


93 posted on 04/03/2011 10:40:42 AM PDT by Salamander (I think I need some rest......but sleepin' don't come very easy in a straight white vest.)
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To: Salamander

Did you vote for Reagan?

I am not ancient like you. So no I did not vote for Reagan. Man we have some oldies on this site.


94 posted on 04/03/2011 10:41:02 AM PDT by napscoordinator
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To: jerseyrocks

Rush has been married 3 or 4 times, so I guess you don’t listen to him? Ronald Reagan was married twice so I guess you didn’t like him? Should I continue?

Rush is not running for President so I don’t care about his personal life. Reagan was President way before I could vote. You guys sure are trying. So many liberals on this site today.


95 posted on 04/03/2011 10:42:19 AM PDT by napscoordinator
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To: napscoordinator

“I am not ancient like you. So no I did not vote for Reagan. Man we have some oldies on this site.”

Ad hominem instead of actual factual rebuttal.

Game over.

Go back to playing with your XBox, kid.
[and enjoy it while you can...*you* aren’t getting any younger]


96 posted on 04/03/2011 10:45:43 AM PDT by Salamander (I think I need some rest......but sleepin' don't come very easy in a straight white vest.)
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To: napscoordinator

I just looked at your page.
Unless you’re lying, you’re not that much younger than I am.

Hypocrite.


97 posted on 04/03/2011 10:47:57 AM PDT by Salamander (I think I need some rest......but sleepin' don't come very easy in a straight white vest.)
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To: Salamander

Could I vote for Reagan? NO. I find it kinda sad that you are comparing Ronald Reagan with Donald Trump. How embarrassing for you. Secondly, Ronald Reagan never went bankrupt before. Donald Trump has twice. Why you are trying to convince me of voting for Trump I don’t understand. What is it about him that is so appealing to you. He is for birthers and that is it. This reminds me of you folks who want Joe the Plumber for 2012 just because he stood up to President Obama. I mean yes I give credit to Trump for making the Birth Certificate a front page issue, but come on? President??? He would be another Arnold for sure.


98 posted on 04/03/2011 10:51:57 AM PDT by napscoordinator
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To: Salamander

Fine. I will and Trump won’t be President no matter how much you call me names. He has been bankrupt twice and you want to have him handle our economy. Really? You tell me WHY you want him as President because I just don’t understand this sudden desire to have him as our President. Three weeks ago people were joking about him and calling him a RINO and now suddenly he is our conservative Savior? Really? I don’t get it. However I have no doubt you could explain it to me.


99 posted on 04/03/2011 10:54:39 AM PDT by napscoordinator
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To: napscoordinator

How in God’s name did you [bizarrely] base *all* of those [unfounded] assumptions from one simple, short question that was directed ~solely~ at the issue of “divorce”?

You certainly do have a penchant for running off on wild tangents.

[do you hear voices or something?]


100 posted on 04/03/2011 10:58:46 AM PDT by Salamander (I think I need some rest......but sleepin' don't come very easy in a straight white vest.)
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