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.
Well, Conservatism always wins and looking at the polls and seeing Donald Trump at the top tells me that the list of possible GOP candidates is not good enough.
Yeah, after hearing this info I'm now officially done with the "Run Donald, Run" talk.
When Trump doesn't get the GOP nomination, he'll run as an Independent, splitting the vote and guarantee a 2nd Obama term.
He'll get his payback from the Dems under the table, "Chicago style".
No thanks...
1) I don't need to go back to the 2008 debates because obviously he did well since he is now the President.
2) The man knows how to talk for 15 minutes and say nothing substantial (to intelligent people like you and me) but to many Americans whatever he said sounds good
"he's much more intelligent than I am because I did not understand a word he said". That's the mentality of the people who voted for him.
I rest my case
The way to handle him is to turn his verbisity and his thin skin against him. Somethiing like: I’m sorry but would Mr.Obama please repeat that in English?
Given that the majority of Americans question Obama's eligibility, it's statements like this that will split the ticket more than Trump could ever think of.
Nobody says Donald Trump HAS to have a monopoly on this issue.
He is not President because he did well in the debates.
I've heard grown men tell me they cried after his words of wisdom during the debate. One of them a construction worker. The debates are not 100% of the reason why he's President but NEVER underestimate a man who uses big words and can make it sound like he said something.
Underestimate him at your own peril.
Per usual, Dr. Sowell sees the situation perfectly.
False and FALSE.
Clinton was a highly skilled, very bright crook who was out for himself. Obama is a true-believing crook on a mission to destroy America as we know it. One is more competent. One is less competent. One does less damage if successful. The other does far more!
“The birth certificate issue does more political damage to Obama’s critics than to the president himself”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Supposedly smart conservative guys keep telling us this. So does the Left. So does the MSM.
They are wrong and can provide no evidence to support their position. Common sense, the polling and the actual response of the Obamabots prove otherwise. The Birthers are hurting Obama and the Dems big time.
So what?
What does a BC have to do with actually being qualified to serve as president? Billy Ayers is nominally qualified to be president as far as the Constitution is concerned. And, the truth is, so is Barack Obama. It's just that being coy about the issue fits into his strategy right about now, what with all the soft-brained, cognitively challenged conspiracy whackos out there willing to make asses of themselves following a blind ally!
Just another member of the establishment trying to take the wind out of Trump’s sails. Not that I’m gungho for Trump but I’m not gungho for wisdom from people who give lessons to the peons from their elite media mountain tops.
Palin..........if she runs, is a STELLAR GOP CANDIDATE !
All of those who venture into the GOP primaries, with any guts, will take it to The Donald, as will the MSM.
The reason that Trump is making some headway, is because a whole lot of naive people are thrilled to pieces that he is hammering away at Obama ( even though he neither knows nor understand the entire thing with the BC, or the school stuff ) and saying the same dumb things that they would like to be able to say to the public at large. And THAT doesn't make him worthy of being president at all; in fact, it is a minus!
There are two kinds of people in the world, and one of them is the kind of person who wants to find out the truth.
Then, there is the kind of person who tries to figure out what the consequences of seeking the truth might be—and will even fabricate and horribilize the “possible” consequences in order to excuse his participation in a conspiracy of silence.
Birthers are the first kind of people; anti-birthers are the second kind of people.
What Trump's surge tells me, is that there are a lot of fools out there, willing to follow anyone.........irregardless of their past, their core, their abject lack of political experience, and their lack of conservatism!
It’s not exactly contrast that’s generated the attraction to Trump and Palin, it’s the ‘fight’, and the contrast only showcases the miserable condition of the Republican command.
Plans, policy, and records are important but that alone will not bring victory. Palin, Trump, and West are rewarded for their fighting attitudes, not their good and tender intentions.
And FYI...........Obama won NOT because of what he said or didn't say during the election season or the debates, he won because of his skin color,McCain's lousy campaign ( not to mention the fact that so many GOPers hate his guts and have done for decades ), and fraud.
Nope.........his putative father was a British subject, his adoptive father was Indonesian, ergo, Barry is NOT a NBC, since we have no proof that he ever gave up his dual citizenship!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.