Posted on 07/13/2015 5:19:54 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
It’s safe to predict that South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham won’t be the 2016 Republican presidential nominee. Nor will former New York governor George Pataki or Dr. Ben Carson. Many observers doubt The Donald will be the nominee, although I am pleased he has made illegal immigration part of the discussion.
On the Democrat side, few political pundits believe Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, former Virginia senator Jim Webb or former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley will be their party’s nominee. But they might force Hillary Clinton to answer questions… sharing more than her favorite ice cream flavor.
So why are these people running?
Part of the answer has to do with marketing their brand. In a recent column on this topic, Will Leitch of Bloomberg Politics wrote –
“There’s no better way in America to build your brand than running for president. Just the audacity of standing in front of a room of people—of getting a room of people to show up—and saying “I’m running for president” elevates a person. Whatever your goal, whether it’s getting yourself a better spot on a certain committee, consideration for a veep slot down the line, or just a television talk show, having “presidential candidate” before you name does nothing but help you. People listen to you in a way they might not otherwise. You felt differently about Herman Cain because he was standing on a stage with a person who might become president of the United States, even though, independent of that fact, there was no real reason to feel differently about Herman Cain. That’s what running for president gets you…”
In “Why on Earth Do So Many People Run for President?” Paul Waldman suggests another reason so many people decide to throw their hat into the ring:
“If you decide to run for president, it means you think you should be president, because you’re the cleverest, wisest, and most virtuous of all Americans (or some combination thereof). Most people who think that, however, are not just wrong but spectacularly wrong.”
Or as Julian Zelizer offered in “Why Are So Many Running for President?” –
“Their goal seems to be a desire to elevate their own role in the public arena. With such a vibrant world of political media, consulting and think tanks, running for president can enhance a person’s stature and offer opportunities. Mike Huckabee earned himself a spot on Fox News after previous runs.”
Focusing on critical issues
Perhaps these long-shot candidates have one or two critical issues they don’t want ignored. Whether or not it was his intention, Donald Trump made illegal immigration his critical issue. For voters like me who have had it with America’s illegal immigration sinkhole, Trump’s comments got the discussion started again. As Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on July 5 –
“I salute Donald Trump for focusing on the need to address illegal immigration. The Washington cartel doesn’t want to address that.”
The so-called “good” people who illegally come into the United States, especially from Mexico, are criminals because they broke our laws to get here. Also, along with these so-called good people come some not so good people: drug pushers, rapists and murderers. (Anyone for an evening stroll on San Francisco’s scenic Embarcadero waterfront pier?)
In a July 7 phone interview with Fox News’ “On the Record with Greta Van Susteren,” Trump said –
““I’m the one that brought up illegal immigration — this wasn’t even a subject, and I brought it up. And I brought it up before the young lady was killed. And then that became a big story. But you have thousands of instances where illegal immigrants that come through our porous border are killing our citizens, and lots of other problems they’re bringing with them.
“I mean, the jails are loaded up, the hospitals are loaded up with people, and it’s a horrible situation — nobody ever brought it up. And then I watch some of the political pundits and they hate when I bring this up, and I sort of say … you know, aren’t we all on the same side?””
By raising illegal immigration, Donald Trump has forced other Republican candidates to clarify their position regarding the millions of people who ILLEGALLY enter our country, many from Mexico. Thanks to The Donald, I will be writing to several CEOs starting with Macy’s that I am disgusted with how they support illegal immigration. I can also cross several candidates off my list (even if they become the nominee).
Welcome legal immigrants!
As the world leader, the United States of America is proud to be a nation of legal immigrants. I am the proud granddaughter of legal immigrants.
Donald Trump should have better communicated his thoughts about illegal immigration when he announced his candidacy. However, many people understood what Trump was expressing. In “Pastor to Hispanic Church Speaks Out on Trump Immigrant Crime Statement,” Pastor Samson Dunn of Catalyst Church in Phoenix wrote –
“… From what I heard, Mr. Trump was saying America is being exploited by the Mexican government and the thousands of Illegal immigrants that are flooding our border. And what Trump said resonates with many Mexican-Americans who are frustrated that it has taken this long for someone to address an issue that they face every day.”
The overall arc of what Trump continues to highlight and what many Americans continue to believe is that we need to build a wall to secure our southern border and then we can have a conversation about bringing people out of the shadows.
And boy has that shadow grown! In 1986, President Reagan assured the American people that the Immigration Reform and Control Act was a one-time amnesty deal for a shadow covering approximately three million illegals. Today, that shadow has grown to 12 million illegals and some say that number might be as high as 20 million.
¡No mas!
No more! On Election Day 2016, I will not vote for the Republican nominee solely because he or she is better than the Democrat. (Let’s face it a mannequin would be better than Hillary Clinton.) I am tired of Republican candidates using the conservative base to do all the heavy lifting during the primary and election, but then ignore us once they are elected to office.
Maybe I should run for president, too. My campaign marketing slogan would be: I’ve Had Enough! (¡He tenido suficiente!)
Christie’s denial on Fox this AM made me laugh so hard I almost spilled my kauphy.
As a minimum, Trump will help keep the election discussions PRO-AMERICAN, PRO-CONSTITUTION and less on the side of ANTI-AMERICAN, BLATANT COMMUNISM, the Rat platform.
Maybe the election will be about this but what about after the election and the RINOs, rats, and the robed rats at SCOTUS go back to business as usual?
We gave the GOP a landslide and nothing happened....almost everyone in DC can be counted on for nothing except taking care of themselves.
Stupid article. Never once did he mention the motive of wanting to serve our country. Could it be that not one single one of them is propelled by that motive?
“....almost everyone in DC can be counted on for nothing except taking care of themselves.”
Initially, for sure. But the ONLY chance we have is to keep a blatant Marxist, et al, out of the WH. We need a fighter, BAD!!!
mmm..Donald Trump..running it all.
all is lost.
Good piece. One thing people probably don’t realize, just yet, is they will have OTHER CHOICES if the Republicans manage to drag Jeb (or Walker or Rubio) to the nomination.
Either Trump, Buchanan, or someone else well-known will run Third Party, and I, for one, will now vote that way, for the FIRST TIME (and no, I never voted for Perot, even though many others did).
With Trump making Border Security a MAJOR ISSUE in this campaign, there will be at least ONE CANDIDATE running on that platform - the only question for Karl Rove and other Republican power brokers is whether they want that person to be running as a Republican.
More black crime victims are victimized by other blacks.
More white crime victims are victimized by other whites.
(victims of Richard Speck, John Wayne Gacy, The Green River serial killer, were almost all mostly whites)
I am almost certain, without doing lot of research, Hispanics suffer the most from illegal Hispanics from south of the border. Do not be shocked if Trump does well among Hispanic voters.
That little prick drug lord in Mexico just threatened his life. This should be interesting to see who gets snuffed first.
Get a grip man. You are better than this.
O cannot run again.
That’s a very interesting point. Trump has clearly found a key issue and of all the candidates,he’s the last one I see losing the primary and then just quietly going away. And he sure doesn’t need to elevate his public profile.
But Trump is kicking the hell out of liberal ideas. And I will support him until he flames out.
I could not agree more. We need General Patton!
Trump may not win. He is an expression of what the voters find troubling about government leadership.
He is a symbol...nothing more.
Good enough for me as long as he never wins.
The pendulum is swinging right this time...and it might swing hard right.
Hang on and keep on loving your wonderful country.
I disagree. If actually wins the whole enchilada it’s the end of this country.
Go, Donald!
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