Posted on 04/25/2011 9:50:49 PM PDT by jazusamo
The boomlet for Donald Trump as a Republican nominee for President of the United States ought to be a wake-up call for Republican candidates and Republican Party leaders alike.
Why has Trump surged ahead of other Republican candidates and potential candidates in the polls? It is not likely that his resurrection of the issue of Barack Obama's birth certificate has aroused all this support.
The birth certificate issue does more political damage to Obama's critics than to the president himself, because it enables the media to paint those critics as kooks. Nor are Donald Trump's political positions such as to create a stampede to his cause.
Radio talk show host Mark Levin has rebroadcast Trump's varied and mutually contradictory statements on political issues and personalities over the years. It was a devastating revelation of Trump's "versatility of convictions," to use a phrase coined long ago by Thorstein Veblen.
What then is Donald Trump's appeal-- and why should it concern Republican leaders in general?
What Trump has that so many other Republicans are so painfully lacking is the ability and the willingness to articulate his positions clearly, forcefully and in plain English. Too many Republicans talk like the actor of whom a critic once said, "he played the king like he was afraid that someone else was going to play the ace."
What electrified so many Republicans about Sarah Palin in the 2008 election campaign was that she was such a contrast to the usual mealy-mouth talk that was more common among other Republican candidates, including Senator John McCain. Whether you agreed or disagreed with her position on the issues, you didn't have to wave your hand in front of her eyes to see if she was awake.
Donald Trump is dangerous in at least two senses. If, by some tragic miracle, he should become the Republicans' candidate for president in 2012, that would be the closest thing to an iron-clad guarantee of a second term in the White House for Barack Obama.
That would be a huge setback for the Republicans-- and, far more important-- a historic catastrophe for this country.
What seems more likely is that Donald Trump as a candidate for the Republican nomination would use his superior articulation skills-- not to mention brash irresponsibility-- to trash all the other Republican candidates for that nomination, leaving them damaged goods in the eyes of the public, and therefore less able to gather the votes needed to prevent the reelection of Obama.
Why Republicans seem not to understand the crucial importance of putting the same time and attention into articulating their positions as the Democrats do is one of the enduring mysteries of American politics.
It was obvious that the Democrats coordinated their talking points and catch-phrases-- "social justice," "tax cuts for the rich," etc.-- even before the overheard and recorded statements of Senator Chuck Schumer about Democrats' plans to repeatedly use the word "extreme" to characterize Republicans.
But how many Republican catch-phrases can you remember? Republican rhetoric tends to range from low key to no key.
Nor is there much evidence that Republicans have asked themselves how the left-wing of the Democratic Party gained such ascendancy in recent years, in a country where millions more people identify themselves as conservative than identify themselves as liberals.
In short, there is little or no evidence that most Republicans see any need to fundamentally change their approach to the public. But if they think that they can rely on Obama's declining popularity to win the 2012 election, they may be in for a rude shock. Worse yet, the whole future of this country and of western civilization will be in jeopardy, in a world where the likes of Iran and North Korea become nuclear powers, while we engage in empty talk at the U.N.
Barack Obama's declining support in public opinion polls make some conservatives feel that his reelection hopes are doomed. But Donald Trump can be Barack Obama's secret weapon in his fight to remain in the White House. The Donald can be his Trump card.
The article sounds like it was written with Levin’s talking points. That and Glenn Beck was against Trump before Levin so Levin was just jumping into the anti-Trump Bandwagon and a few days late. But, nobody has the stones to call out the media on Obama’s past. Trump at least is doing it even if I am not big on him. Sounds better than idiots like Jan Brewer.
For some reason Palin supporters often describe her in rhetoric that is more typical of how democrats became fanatical about Obama.
I really liked her speech at the 08 convention. She does
however make mistakes, and I think people become put off
by all of this weird hero worship.
“versatility of convictions,” describes Obama too.
Nonsense and gibberish.
Thank God someone else is seeing through the fog of this scheme. Back when I posted this part of my article Trump wasn’t part of the Obama team:
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The Five Year Plan For a Socialist America (VANITY)
My Mind | Feb. 16, 2011 | RetSignman
Posted on Wednesday, February 16, 2011 4:58:10 PM by RetSignman
The Five Year Plan For the Socialist State of America.
Sometimes you have to put aside the fear of looking the fool or on the outer fringe of conventional thinking and just state your thoughts. I will risk that to clear my mind of what I believe may be the plan, vision and goal of the enemy’s of our Republic .
I believe Obama to be a ‘manufactured president’ who has been sinisterly crafted by these people who have lived in the shadows of our country for decades. They have waited for just the right time, the right person and when they knew the masses will accept false hope from a carefully crafted man. They had to wait for that one moment in our history when the puppets of the left had finally taken control of Congress. The hat trick of gaining the presidency was THE moment of glory for them...the Final Solution.
All of the above is nothing new to most thinking Americans and gave rise to the Tea Party and the historic mid-term elections but where I may wander off from conventional thinking is that the Five Year Plan of these ‘shadow dwellers’ had taken that into account. In the very beginning it was important to establish Obama as a mysterious character because it would be fuel to incite fear and outrage in the coming years.
His ‘religious’ background with a racist pastor...more fuel. His ‘slip’ in an interview when he stated he was a Muslim which would normally would have been deleted by the complying media...more fuel. Sending back the bust of Winston Churchill and trashing Israel...all part of stirring hatred. It has purpose for his handlers.
It was important that his lack of provable history be locked away from the general public because it adds as an excellerant to the anger, confusion and mistrust the thinking masses have about his goals. It causes the thinking that our Republic has already been overthrown. Many his appointments of his regime brought more outrage when they started acting above the law and against the Constitution.
His handlers and their media are not trying to hide any of this or fight to have debunked because it is their intention to create a demand for his removal by the public and Conservative groups. They know he cannot be reelected based on the hatred and mistrust they have created over the last two years so it is paramount that they put this action before 2012.
You have been seeing the beginnings of their final stage with the occasional blurbs coming out by left wing politicians and their media about his origins. In the coming months it will become a national dialogue of the media. THEY WILL MAKE SURE THE DEBATE ABOUT HIS BIRTH CERTIFICATE IS CENTER STAGE and sucking all the oxygen out of the coming election in 2012. Once the snowball starts rolling it will activate the thugs of Obama’s Army and all the usual suspects to take to the streets.
Their media are going to do their part by spewing information that all the chaos is created by ‘fringe groups’, racists and Conservatives. They will give full coverage to all Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and their cohorts to provoke mass protests. They will claim that ‘they’ are trying to remove the first black president from office and try to instigate massive protests. Of course, the unions will be called on to repay their debt to the president for his support of their causes and do so with enthusiasm .
I myself listen to Rusty Humphries and Rusty has had on plenty of people calling out Obama’s past connections and life. People like Jack Cashill, Jerome Corsi, Alan Keyes and many others. I am sure he doesn’t agree with Levin on much concerning the B.C. Issue.
While I applaud Trump’s audacity to challenge Obama, I do agree with Sowell. This is a dog and pony game that will not end well for the Republicans. Worse, though, would be if Trump doesn’t get the nomination and runs independently. While I feel Obama was probably born in the USA, I feel that he is probably not the child of two American parents.
We do need to start focusing on the election before us, not this dog and pony show. We need to get real conservatives elected, and Trump is NOT one. He is another Romney, going with the flow, and we’ll be farther down the Socialist sinkhole than not. Palin, West, Cain....now here are some real conservatives.
The Donald has had his 15 minutes of fame, let’s move on. We need to let Republicans know we are interested in what they have to say and not think that we are counting on Trump. They need to get their ideas out there.
>> I don’t buy Sowell’s argument <<
Tom Sowell has never been wrong and never will be.
Then my apologies, it sounded to me like you were bought on to voting for Hillary’s stalking horse as a candidate. His bashing and revealing of Obama is a gift—as long as he doesn’t eventually go third party or, God forbid, become our nominee.
A lot of people.
A lot of her supporters are her own worst enemy. They got so used to bashing the media for anything negative said about Palin that now they bash potential voters for anything said about her. Rather than take the diplomatic route and try to get the voter to look at Palin as someone they could vote for. Instead they insult the potential voter. Even worse, they the same to other Palin supports.
I saw a cartoon in a local GOP publication. It shows a ship with a huge group of people on board. On the side of the ship it's written "Sarah Palin Voters". In the distance a few other ships for other candidates but only two or three people on board those ships.
One of the Sarah Palin supporters says to another "I really wish Sarah Palin would get a handle on those gaffes of hers". With anger the other Palin supporters tossed him over board. From there he swam towards one of the other ships.
In the next scene the waters were full of Sarah Palin supporters swimming towards the other candidates' ships which were now getting full.
The Three Palin supports now left on the ship, one looks to other and say "that'll teach them for bashing poor Sarah"
Is that the weird hero worship you speak of?
I prefer Sarah Palin over all the candidates out there but I'm not going to overlook her mistakes - and they are minor mistakes for a candidate. But she needs to improve.
Many of her supporters are actually hurting her more than helping. They shelter her giving her a false sense of confidence (almost to the of being cocky)and they bash her opponents to the point where they move to improve themselves before the debates.
Better to lower expectations of your candidate rather then to raise them above what is reality.
Lowering the expectations of Trump and all the others while raising the expectations for their candidate...
That's a recipe for disappointment.
Plus our best candidate hasn’t made her candidacy official. Yet.
Re: Trump vs. Obama
Trump would wipe the floor with Obama during any debate. Not only that Trump is flat-out far more likable and, if he wins the nomination, I bet Trumps media campaign would be fun to see.
Re: Plain speaking
Sowell is right about that. Republicans rarely do a good job.
And to further add that during a debate in which Obama blatanly lies about some fact or issue which inevitably is all he does, don’t you think The Donald is going to call him a liar to his face on that point?
Or to tell him to stop his whining that he “inherited” this or that or continuing to blame someone else for his problems. I think many people are waiting for a person of strength to stand up to this fraud and say “shut up and lead or get of the way”.
The Donald has had his 15 minutes of fame, let’s move on. We need to let Republicans know we are interested in what they have to say and not think that we are counting on Trump. They need to get their ideas out there.
Eligibility may not be the issue for him, it may be discovery of a long history of document, social security and identity fraud, not to mention election fraud.
It IS a winning issue. Have the dems continue to make excuses why Obama is unable to provide a Certificate of Live Birth (or LFBC) and not the Certification, which was issued in 2007. See which independents and Hillary supporters (PUMA’s) will to contribute to his re-election coffers with his continued reluctance to address the issue head on.
And when Lt. Col. Terry Lakin is released in 3 weeks he will become a cause celebre. Maybe Trump will highlight his case. It will not only bring down Obama but the dem party as well for promoting and protecting this fraud. Also any repubs standing in the way of full disclosure too.
When Trump is attacked he attacks back with even stronger language than used against him. None of the wimpy Pubies out there even dare to attack back as strongly. The only ticket I like is Christie/Rubio or the reverse. The Dems are pushing and hoping for Romney because they know he will be an easy target. How’s he going to answer the question if he wears sacred underwear from a lefty in a press conference?
You could not be more wrong. It is in no way hero worship. It is just enthusiamsm for a true fiscal conservative.
Reading her books in an objective fashion anyone could see she has been consistently pushing for smaller government. She is not like other politicians who bend with the wind. If all of a sudden she came out for anti-Liberty measures I would drop my support her in an instant. Above all, I cherish the Constitution. I support those who sincerely respect it and strive to limit the power of government.
What you mistaken for hero worship is just good ole enthusiasm for someone who just may fulfill her promises.
With Sarah it isn't blind worship at all, it is still "trust, but verify."
I mean that any Democrat could have won after Bush and McCain capitulated to Wall Street on September 15th. Obama’s performance may have added to his majority, but it did not give him the victory. What bstill amazes me is the way that the Republican Establishment turned on Palin when it became obvious that she was not going to play Joe Biden to McCain’s Obama. She upstaged McCain from the start, which is why they found her intolerable. I am reminded of the 1920 race when FDR ran for VP alongside Cox. FDR had no hope that Cox would win, but he enjoyed the campaign immensely because he was given a national stage on which to perform.
But it is amazing howe this works. Somewhere along the line, the powers that be decided that Hilary could not win, which is why they did a job on Bill. Bill made the mistake of speaking the truth, that Obama was the “clean-wellspoken black candidate” after which the elites lusted. To compare him with the likes of Jesse Jackson was, well, intolerable. So the first “black President” was humilated in order to elect the first stage black President. Golly, if they had only chosen Morgen Freeman, a black guy with real class.
Republicans need to stop shirking before a hostile press. The 'press' ain't gonna vote for them - ever.
Probably one of the very few times I disagree with Sowell.
I think that his legitimacy as president is the culmination of the thuggery, manipulations and lying that led to his election.
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