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Trump says he’d probably run as independent if he doesn’t win Republican nomination
Hotair ^ | 04/12/2011 | Ed Morrissey

Posted on 04/12/2011 6:44:19 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

Gee, this seems so …. familiar:

CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO OF DONALD TRUMP's STATEMENT

Donald Trump will “probably” run as an independent candidate for U.S. President in 2012 if he does not receive the Republican party’s nomination, he told the Wall Street Journal in a video interview on Monday. …

“I am very conservative,” said Mr. Trump. “The concern is if I don’t win [the GOP primary] will I run as an independent, and I think the answer is probably yes.” Mr. Trump said he thought he “could possibly win as an independent,” adding, “I’m not doing it for any other reason. I like winning.”

As for foreign policy, Mr. Trump said he is “only interested in Libya if we take the oil,” and that if he were President, “I would not leave Iraq and let Iran take over the oil.” He remains sharply critical of the Chinese, asserting that as President, “I would tell China that you’re either going to shape up, or I’m going to tax you at 25% for all the products you send into this country.”

The only difference between Trump and H. Ross Perot seems to be that Perot was a better businessman. About four minutes into the interview, Kelly Evans hits Trump on his flirtations with bankruptcy over the years. Trump insists that he never filed for bankruptcy, which is true in terms of his personal finances, although Trump came close enough to it. His businesses were another matter. Trump’s Taj Mahal casino had to go through bankruptcy, which cost Trump half of the casino. The Trump Plaza Hotel next went through bankruptcy, which caused him to lose 49% of the hotel and resign from its management. Two years ago, Trump Entertainment Resorts filed for Chapter 11, and in 2008 his Trump International Tower in Chicago defaulted on a $40 million loan. In response, Trump blamed the global economic collapse and tried to have it declared an Act of God to relieve himself of responsibility for the default.

That’s not exactly a great track record for a chief executive. It’s worth noting that his own investors have booted him from management at these holdings after his risk-taking and failures.

Otherwise, this is a second coming of Perot. Trump has the money (at least for now) to mount a vanity campaign as a third-party alternative to the two major-party nominees. This would end up splitting the anti-Obama vote and set the President up for an easy re-election through a popular-vote plurality that would translate into an overwhelming Electoral College majority. Liberals are not going to flock to Trump’s side for any reason, which means whatever Trump draws will come directly from those who were already inclined to vote against Obama. It would be a nightmare scenario for Republicans in this cycle, a sort of Charlie Crist on steroids and junk bonds but with a viable Democratic opponent in the mix.

The GOP should nip this in the bud now. Can we agree that the starting position for anyone seeking the Republican nomination is that they will support the outcome of the primaries?

CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO OF DONALD TRUMP's STATEMENT


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2012gopprimary; birthertrump; donaldtrump; gop; independent; potus; thirdparty; thirdparty2012; trump; trump2012; trump4trump
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To: OldDeckHand
Trump doesn't help anyone but Trump. He's a tireless self-promoter who is ALWAYS looking to play the angle that best serves his own ends - and those ends are always himself.

Name one politician who doesn't have these primary qualities?

41 posted on 04/12/2011 7:16:25 AM PDT by eeriegeno (<p>)
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To: blondee123
Trump knows that the GOP wants Romney. I would vote for Trump as an independent, over Romney as a FAKE republican!

So if the party doesn't nominate who you like you'll take your ball and go home - and then waste your vote on a 3rd party candidate who has no chance to win and will only divide the right of center vote? How very adult of you.

As bad as Romney is, he's better than Obama.

Listen, between 2012-2016 we will likely have between 1-2 conservative Supreme Court retirements. This will shape the future for decades to come. ANY Republican is better suited to nominate the next Supreme Court justices than Obama - even Romney.

Even if you have no other reason to vote for the Republican nominee, making sure Obama does not get to chose the replacements for Scalia or Kennedy is still so important that it will be worth dedicating time, money and energy to elect said nominee.

42 posted on 04/12/2011 7:16:46 AM PDT by Longbow1969
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To: apillar
He seems to be making the Republican party “an offer they can't refuse” basically he is saying embrace me as your candidate for 2012 or I will guarantee an Obama victory.

He's putting the media in a dilemma too. Should they attack him as a birther or endorse him as a second Perot who'll facilitate the reelection of 0bama?

43 posted on 04/12/2011 7:17:06 AM PDT by 668 - Neighbor of the Beast (Public education is WELFARE.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Welcome to Ross Perot II !! (And maybe another Obama victory??)

My sentiments exactly; just the way Clinton won a second term!


44 posted on 04/12/2011 7:17:34 AM PDT by raisincane (Food and gasoline prices are rising along with my temper.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Welcome to Ross Perot II !! (And maybe another Obama victory??)

My sentiments exactly; just the way Clinton won a second term!


45 posted on 04/12/2011 7:17:49 AM PDT by raisincane (Food and gasoline prices are rising along with my temper.)
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To: ScottinVA

I wonder who has the biggest ego, Trump or Zero?
what we would have her is a battle of the egos.


46 posted on 04/12/2011 7:20:52 AM PDT by Catsrus
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To: Longbow1969
Romney is NOT better than Obama. He's a complete idiot. My point is, the GOP will pick our candidate "once again" and not us.

Perhaps we all need to be more vocal to let the GOP know we have a voice & it's not what they want anymore!

I do not want to see Bozo another 4 years, I don't want to see him another day, but Romney? You know well & good that is who the GOP has hand picked for us, another case of "holding our nose" and voting!!!

47 posted on 04/12/2011 7:21:14 AM PDT by blondee123 (TRUMP=WINNING OBAMA=YOU'RE FIRED!!!)
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To: SeekAndFind

GOP = Whigs. I highly doubt a true Conservative candidate would run against Trump, but stand behind him.

Our country is at a breaking point. Perot’s time was not a breaking point. We did NOT have a usurper in our White House as we do now.

I believe this is a “do or die” time for America. When Perot ran, it was NOTHING like it is now.

I am not advocating a 3rd party; however, I am no longer dismissing it.

Look at what the GOP did to us with this freakin last budget. They CAVED and screwed the American people!!

I am tired of spineless GOP’s pretending to be American Conservatives. I have had enough.

How many GOP and their supporters have put themselves on the line as Trump has?

Answer.....NONE!!! They even mock him, as do the GOP.

We are about to go over the cliff. God works in mysterious ways....perhaps Trump is the answers to the prayers we keep praying, but when He gives us what we’ve asked for, we mock it.....and Him.


48 posted on 04/12/2011 7:21:35 AM PDT by NoGrayZone (“Too often, Republicans have the fighting instinct of sheep"...RUN SARAH RUN!!)
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To: Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus

I don’t blame Trump, I blame the STUPID FR on here that actually support Trump. Trump is a Liberal in from history and in deed. He suddenly pretend to be conservatives and all the dummies on here believe him


49 posted on 04/12/2011 7:22:39 AM PDT by 4rcane
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To: 668 - Neighbor of the Beast

Maybe the plan is a Trump/Hillary independent ticket. That would pull from both sides evenly and he is big friends with her. I can see this happening and them winning.


50 posted on 04/12/2011 7:24:27 AM PDT by TN4Bush
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To: momtothree

He seems to be pretty effective at dividing FReepers.


51 posted on 04/12/2011 7:25:16 AM PDT by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin! (look it up))
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To: raisincane

Yep- totally agree- Notice Trump liked (vietnam veteran )
John f-—ing Kerry OVER Bush- considers him a personal “Friend!”- Trump is just carrying the Demonrats water to split the vote 3 ways.


52 posted on 04/12/2011 7:25:22 AM PDT by mj1234
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To: Chance Hart

He certainly seems like the “only man in the room” right now, I’ll grant you that. Look what just happened in Congress. The “tea party freshman” all rolled over and played dead while Little Miss Crybaby Boner handed the dems a staggering budget victory.

This was what the 2010 election has brought us? The biggest bunch of wimps in the history of the American Republic?

The problem with Trump is not knowing where he stands. But wherever that is, he will stand as a MAN.

Right now my disgust and hatred of the “Republican” party (with a few notable but weak and mainly silent exceptions) knows no bounds.

And I am NOT saying I want a 3rd party. Third Party = Obama Second Term. I know that.

What I AM saying is that 95% of all elected Republicans are down on their knees giving BJs to the ENEMY and it’s downright sickening and disgusting to watch.

And then along comes Trump, and bravely trumpets the truth about Our Kenyan President and I’m sorry, but I just can’t help being intrigued.


53 posted on 04/12/2011 7:27:10 AM PDT by samtheman
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To: SeekAndFind
Photobucket
54 posted on 04/12/2011 7:27:45 AM PDT by RetSignman ("It's about saving our Republic, STUPID")
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To: eeriegeno
"Name one politician who doesn't have these primary qualities?"

Well, we all - to some degree - have that quality. Trump however, has his share, and several other's.

Trump quite simply is a shameless self-promoter, and he does it almost exclusively to enrich himself. If Trump really cared about China, the deficit, gas prices etc, he wouldn't float the balloon about running as an independent, because such a candidacy would GUARANTEE Obama's reelection, and consequently ensure that those problems continue to go unsolved for another 4-years, at least.

55 posted on 04/12/2011 7:29:39 AM PDT by OldDeckHand
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To: momtothree
He does acknowledge the problem with running as an independent:

"The concern is that if I don't win, will I run as an independent, and the answer is probably yes," he said. "That bothers me only from the standpoint that if I don't win, we're not going to get a Republican, and Obama gets re-elected."

Not sure what to think. Since nothing has happened yet, I won't freak out over it. As of now, I like what he's doing, and saying, and the difference between him and Perot is that Perot never really criticized Clinton all that much, and Clinton was the one he helped.

Trump, OTOH, is firing on all cylinders against Obama, who we presume (possibly incorrectly) would be helped by an Independent Trump run. I do believe if Trump did run as an independent he'd do it truly because he thinks he can win. He's not the kind of guy to play a role to be second fiddle to anyone else, especially Obama and/or the DNC.

Watch and see, that's all we can do. Perhaps he truly thinks he can siphon enough Dems who are unhappy w/Obama as well.

Dare I say also that Trump might be the only one who can beat Obama even on the Republican ticket anyway, so if he's not the GOP nominee, it may not really matter that much what he does.

56 posted on 04/12/2011 7:30:35 AM PDT by RockinRight ([insert tagline here])
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To: SeekAndFind

The money quote from Trump:

“I’m not doing it for any other reason. I like winning.”

Can we now drop the pretense that he is in this for anything other than himself? For his already incredibly inflated ego?

In his view he has conquered everything else, real estate, reality tv, blondes, and the like, and now what’s left for him to conquer. The presidency. Not because he has vision, or ideas, or the ability. No. He wants it because he doesn’t have it.

He’s tolerable as a tv buffoon, but a serious candidate for President of the United States of America? Please.


57 posted on 04/12/2011 7:31:21 AM PDT by dmz
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To: SeekAndFind
Well, I fully expected Trump would drop the other shoe...and he did. It's crystal clear that if Donald Trump ran as an independent 'conservative', he would split the Republican vote and guarantee an Obama win in 2012. I'm not positive that, despite Trump's criticisms of Obama,he isn't attempting to re-elect Obama by splitting the GOP vote or is simply letting his massive ego control him to the point where Trump will run (at considerable personal expense...who gives money to a 'billionaire'?) simply because he relishes the attention he's getting. Donald Trump doesn't have a prayer of winning the 2012 Republican presidential nomination so his talk of running as an independent is either a threat (nominate me or I'll ruin the GOP's chances to get rid of Obama), sheer bravado (he eventually decides not to run) or a ploy to inset himself into the 2012 presidential election and help re-elect the Marxist messiah.

Whatever the truth, the second Trump stated that he might run as an independent, he lost me. Although we all like the Obama citizenship debate Trump raised (what ever happened to that, anyway?) few, if any, conservatives really wanted Trump as the 2012 Republican candidate for president. Now, I see that Donald Trump is playing some kind of egocentric game that, should he follow through (with an independent run) could keep Obama in power and by doing so, finish off Obama's mission to destroy the United States he hates so much. That is unforgivable and so, Donald Trump, his money, his ego and his ridiculous hairdo can go you-know-where.

58 posted on 04/12/2011 7:32:44 AM PDT by Jim Scott
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To: SeekAndFind

Well, Trump just let all the air out of his soaring balloon.


59 posted on 04/12/2011 7:32:58 AM PDT by Paine in the Neck (Napolean fries the idea powder.)
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To: TN4Bush

I can’t see that at all. Trump may say Hillary’s a “good friend” but that doesn’t mean much in their circles. Nor can I imagine Hillary Clinton wasting her time on an independent run.

Anyway, handwriting’s on the wall and could not be clearer. Trump is who he’s always been, which includes being a donor of significance to uber-leftist and corrupt politicians; now he’s talking independent run which is an obvious deadly poison for the GOP.

We should say thanks for the 0bama eligibility airing, now go away Donald.


60 posted on 04/12/2011 7:33:38 AM PDT by 668 - Neighbor of the Beast (Public education is WELFARE.)
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