Posted on 08/08/2015 10:49:31 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
On Friday night I swung by Sean Hannity's show on Fox News to chew over Thursday's GOP debates. You can see the video here.
We discussed Hillary Clinton's weakness re Bernie Sanders, and then moved on to the Republican side of things. The debate attracted an audience of 24 million people, the highest cable-news rating of all time, versus an audience of three-and-a-half million for the allegedly iconic Jon Stewart's farewell show (his second highest audience ever) and the highest non-sport cable rating in history.
Much of it was generated, presumably, by non-political types tuning in to check out frontrunner Donald Trump. Of course, much of the party doesn't accept him as a genuine "frontrunner". On Thursday, a lackluster Jeb Bush and Scott Walker, the Number 2 and 3, seemed to see themselves as the real frontrunners, playing it safe. I don't think that was a smart move, as I said to Sean:
"Donald Trump — you would have to drive a stake through him. So simply because no one did drive a stake through him, he survived, and therefore, he won. So he's still in the game and he's still locking down whatever it is, 25 percent, 32 percent I think it is in South Carolina now. So he's the guy to beat. I thought most of the others did well within their own terms, although they're actually quite narrow terms. And the disappointment, I think, was with the number two and number three because I think Jeb Bush and Scott Walker, in a sense, were both sitting on their non-leads. They both of them, I think, took a sort of conscious decision to kind of do a low-key don't-frighten-the-horses thing and hope that when Trump implodes, that they're still in the number two or number three slot....
(Excerpt) Read more at steynonline.com ...
Very well said, as was the balance of your post. Your statement above is the key to Trump's current popularity.
Perhaps it's his decades of correctly reading opponents, clients, partners, and bureaucrats, while building his development empire that gave him the keen insight to read the American people as he's done. Perhaps he simply lurked at places like FR, or maybe he simply looked around himself and got as pissed off as the rest of us.
However he managed to tap into that anger, the fact is, he did it, and it's catapulted him to an almost insurmountable lead in the race.
I concur with your observation about Cruz. He just has not found a way to tap into the beating pulse of the people at such a level that it animates them to follow him to hell and back. For what it's worth, I think this race is where he cuts his teeth - not where he lands the big job.
Much as I'd like to have him as president now, it doesn't appear to be in the cards this early in his career. I think his time will come, but he's going to have to grow in power, influence, and support, before he overcomes the establishment machine.
Thanks for the nice comeback, beaversmom and it was great having an intelligent conversation with you. Since we're both running out of steam at this hour, I'll leave you with this concise quote from Ayn Rand, which totally dismisses her as one I can I take seriously. Full stop. End of the line.
Abortion is a moral right—which should be left to the sole discretion of the woman involved; morally, nothing other than her wish in the matter is to be considered. Who can conceivably have the right to dictate to her what disposition she is to make of the functions of her own body?
She’s nuts on abortion. Her “reason” led her to that extreme position. Even atheist Christopher Hitchens had *some* appreciation for babies in the womb. I think she also had extreme positions about the disabled if I remember rightly. She’s a weird cross between right and left. I just can’t get excited about someone that let her reason and pragmatism take her to an extreme level. She’s frustrating like a Spock on Star Trek. Not much human compassion and care there, and not a balanced human, IMO. Somehow that part in her brain didn’t get developed, or was wiped out along the way.
And how could Cruz "stand out" when he was barely recognized by the moderators?
I totally disagree with her. Her position discounts half the population and discounts the individual human life. She’s as cold as those bitches talking about baby parts over dinner. This is what I’m talking about with my initial impressions of her. She’s devoid of much, if any, human feeling for others.
As I posted yesterday, I'm still undecided about Trump and haven't yet concluded if he's the real deal or just stringing us along. The phenomenon does take me back to seven years ago (there I go again, Windflier with my FR history) and how quite a few FReepers were gaga over none other than Levi Johnston. There are a number of other threads but a few highlights from the past have these doozies:
AWESOME!! The ratings will GO THROUGH THE ROOF on WED!!
Kudos Levy....Now is he as nice and handsome Governor Palin's hubby?
love this kid. Self proclaimed hockey playing, F-——ng redneck that loves to kick a__. I wish I could come out of retirement to skate one more shift with this kid and drop the gloves with the fifth column. Good for you son.
To me he looks just like the pictures of a young Todd Palin: strong-jawed, good-looking kid.
WTG, Levi! I’m liking this family more every day.
I was really impressed at the way this 17 yr old kid handled himself in this situation, particularly since he has also been villified and ridiculed all over the country and the Internet. He looked strong and collected at the RNC. He has the makings of a good, tough man. They make a cute couple and I hope all goes well for them.
Great news. This is going to turn out to be quite a love story. Who do you think will play Bristol’s part in the movie?
ooohhhh. He’s a cutie. Im proud of him.
I'll say, this young man has a spine. What a way to flip the bird to the Left.
Your baby will have you as its mother and Levi as its father.
I like Mr Johnston already. Sure the engaged couple jumped the gun, but they made the best of it and he strikes me as a sincere and honest man.
I’m proud of him being not a coward but a man, standing with his girl, marrying her (as reported they wanted to marry already before she got pregnant) and by accompanying her to the convention, defying the ghoulish cult of the MSM and ‘rats!
And on and on the adoration fest went...with some even calling for Levi Johnston to join the Cabinet in a McCain/Palin adminstration. No, I'm not equating Levi Johnston with Donald Trump but there is a similar cult of personality theme in both cases. Because Levi was mocked by the media, quite a few FReepers rushed to elevate him to heroic status in September 2008. That may or -- may not -- be the same scenario with Trump.
Well, we now have 20/20 hindsight on Mr. Levi Johnston and now he's uniformly and rightly held in the lowest regard here in FReeperdom. In my mind, Trump is still an unfinished book with a number of chapters yet to be written. I honestly don't know if he's another flameout like Levi or if he's the next Calvin Coolidge or Ronald Reagan. In either case, I'll be around these parts to either eat crow or maybe say, "I told you so" in a nice way of course. :)
“Anyone who thinks there is an incremental way back from this is fooling themselves. Its like playing a game knowing you are being cheated and just accepting it. Look at how many GOP candidates just accept political correctness defined in left wing terms as if it is the only natural way things can be and the worst of them not only accept it but they feed it and rush out to declare “I’m not a bigot like that guy!”, “I’m not a sexist like that guy!” and on and one like pathetic wimps hoping to curry some advantage in the eyes of the ever sanctimonious and duplicitous media.”
Well said. And 100% right on.
Actually Steyn has recorded some Christmas Carols. Does that count?
Enough has been said about Trump, I won’t rehash.
I thought Walker missed his chance to become the main alternative to Trump. He may not get another. He had the most to gain and didn’t.
I keep hearing the talking heads say how great Rubio was, I still don’t see it.
Cruz was solid, as expected. The only one who did better than I was expecting was Huckabee, who made great points while looking and sounding confident. He might get a boost.
I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in the polls over the next few days.
Spot on. “The GOP thinks the issue is Trump. Much of the base thinks the issue is the GOP.”
Steyn makes fun of Cruz for being a fellow Canadian
It’s all I’ve ever heard from him about Cruz.
Everyone says Cruz did well. People I know who ‘ don’t follow politics’ say Cruz did well
That’s mostly how I see it except that I believe Hillary will have another stroke and be sidelined by her health.
Unlike Perot, I see Trump winning a three way race.
The wheels are just beginning to turn - I predict Trump will still be around next March and Cruz will be a bit more prominent and be starting the end-game strategies.
The reality is that the GOP establishment, after their appalling behavior in the Hastert years, were given a second chance by the base in 2010, and a third chance in 2014. Now they're demanding a fourth chance - and people go, well, ... but a Republican president will at least get to appoint rock-ribbed Supreme Court justices, like, er, John Roberts, who constitutionalized Obamacare, and, um, Anthony Kennedy, who gave us federally mandated gay marriage. Boehner, McConnell, Kennedy, Roberts... Not much to show for a party that's been supposedly dominant for 35 years, is it?
The GOP thinks the issue is Trump; much of the base thinks the issue is the GOP.
It’s hardly Trump’s fault that the media talking heads are deliberately whipping up a frenzy over the Megyn thing — they are the ones continuing to comment on it or ask him about it, and that RedState moron used it to gain himself another fifteen minutes. That is evil. They fail to do their jobs of reporting substance, and believe they are the ones who should anoint the candidates, not the People. Last Thursday night was not a debate; it was a gotcha interview that Little Miss Megyn tried to conduct like a prosecutor at a criminal trial. She is incredibly arrogant.
Great post. We agree.
Don't click on the topic if it bores or upsets you so much.
It’s a different standard in which to judge a candidate from the standard we’re used to, where the candidate lays out his plans ahead of time. Trump says, I don’t know the specifics yet, but I’ll figure them out, and if you doubt me, just look at my record.
You nailed it. He is a developer, with astounding natural talent and drive. Our system is in collapse. He is willing to redevelop it from the foundations. I hope he gets the chance, because putting up new wallpaper and drapes is what most of the others either want to do, or are only capable of envisioning.
Your Levi Johnson theory is inapt. Trump has conducted a very public life, with measurable accomplishments. He has a 40-year track record open for examination.
“...I forgot the name of the freeper that said......they should wrap their heads with duct tape so when they explode, they will still have all the pieces...”
That was Glenn Beck, from back in his old radio days when the show was actually entertaining, before he turned all preachy & earnest & weepy & the downfall of Western Civilization is nigh unless you follow his advice right NOW!
FWIW, his sidekicks Pat & Stu still do rollicking talk radio the oldfashioned way, & they should give him the boot.
Anyway, let Trump be the bulldozer while Ted Cruz lends the ideological steel to the debate which it needs.
CRUZ or lose in 2016!
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