Posted on 07/02/2015 4:36:28 AM PDT by Kaslin
I can’t believe it’s come to this – I’m about to defend Donald Trump. It’s not that I have anything against Donald Trump, but I don’t have anything for him either.
Unlike many of my fellow conservatives, I haven’t completely negated his chances of winning already. Many have written him off as a clown show in the race only for publicity, or a non-serious person working some angle for his own benefit. He may well be, but unless and until he shows that, I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
That’s not to say I support him, I’m just resisting the urge to dismiss him until he deserves to be dismissed. That may be tomorrow. Or it may never happen. The same is true for all of the declared candidates at this point.
None have offered specifics of their vision for the country, only a 30,000-foot sketch and platitudes. Having interviewed and had private conversations with several of them, I’ve been impressed and depressed by their answers. But we’re a half-year away from the first vote being cast, so they have time to get up to speed and fill in the gaps, or they will lose (and deserve to).
Trump, on the other hand, has been dismissed by media and the Republican establishment for his “unartful” language. That, to me, is his most intriguing characteristic.
I’ve been a fan of his TV show, less so of his political history. Someone who donated to so many Democrats, and was a registered one until 2009, has a lot of explaining to do. And while I suspect it has to do with the cost of doing business, especially in New York, I’m going to keep my guard up.
But I’m not going to write him off.
The most appealing part of Trump to me is what has the media and the establishment in a tizzy – his blunt, bordering on crass, language.
When liberals wet themselves with outrage over Trump’s announcement comments on immigration, I shrugged. Nothing he said was wrong. They just didn’t like the way he said it, and they hated that he said it. The GOP establishment quickly fell in line, panicking over the comments. But note how they argued semantics, word choices (or omission), more than they did the substance.
Does the liberal media and Republican establishment really believe Latin America is experiencing an exodus of its best and brightest? Are the waves of illegal aliens flooding the southern border Ph.D.s with venture capital seed money walking into the United States to found their tech start-up? Or are they low- and no-skilled workers who are barely literate in their native tongue coming here to be hired by companies willing to break the law to avoid the added administrative, labor and tax cost of hiring Americans?
As for the “criminal” aspect of his statement, one need only conduct an Internet search to find the disturbing truth about that. You won’t read about it in the New York Times or Washington Post, and it won’t be covered on the nightly news. But finding cases of illegal immigrants committing violent crimes are far more common than anything that drives masses of unshowered activists into the streets.
So it really comes down to these people, the media leftists and GOP establishment, not liking what Trump says and how he says it. The left wants future voters dependent on government; the establishment wants the cheap labor, unburdened by payroll taxes or workman’s comp costs. The Chamber of Commerce, or as we called it when I worked in the U.S. Senate, the Chamber of Compromise, couldn’t have scripted it better itself.
Donald Trump is a lot of things, both good and bad, but one thing he is not is stupid. Yes, he was born into money, but he didn’t rest on it. He could’ve lived the life of a Hilton or Kardashian, but he chose not to. He built an empire. And you don’t build an empire without pissing off some people, especially in New York. So what?
We aren’t electing Miss Congeniality; we’re electing a president. Trump’s unapologetic embrace of success, and especially capitalism, is a much-needed trait in America today. The left has been demonizing success, in business anyway, for decades.
Republicans have fallen into this trap, expressing concern and offering plans to address “income inequality” rather than telling people to work their asses off if they want to get ahead, to take risks if they want rewards, and to deal with the consequences of their actions. Trump does that.
You don’t see him slouching around in cargo shorts and faded T-shirts trying to pretend he’ “just like you.” He’s not. He’s worth $9 billion and you aren’t and probably never will be. But you could be.
Trump is a loose cannon, and whether he has the discipline to learn the issues beyond the 30,000-foot level remains to be seen. But he has the skills to. It’s foolish to write him off already, and mostly done from a place of cowardice or discomfort with him being so blunt. For all their bluster, the GOP establishment has adopted the same position as NBC, Univision and Macy’s have. Well, GOP establishment, I don’t watch NBC anymore, never watched Univision and have no use for Macy’s…
I’m not sure where Donald Trump will end up in the field. He can stick around as long as he wants because he doesn’t need to beg for money to finance his campaign. But no matter how long he lasts, if he doesn’t win I do hope his attitude when it comes to dealing with the media and those who attack him rubs off on whoever eventually wins. If you thought the media was tough on Republican nominees in the past, you ain’t seen nothing like what the Clinton machine is ready and willing to do.
I’m not even going to bother deconstructing stupidity. Its a waste of time because stupidity by its nature is too stupid to know how stupid it is.
Years ago while making door skins for Cadillacs in a union shop, I heard a constant drum beat about the evils of outsourcing from people sitting on their asses. Aside from the obvious problem I began to see the complexity of modern cars and the infeasibility of producing a totally American made car. there were probably 30 different companies involved in creating the parts and pieces that made up the final product I sent out the door to Cadillac. Making a totally American made car line would take up so much of the workforce that other industries would suffer.
The Cadillac job was the bread and butter job that carried the bulk of the cost for the shop while other departments made parts for Fords, Toyotas, Chryslers etc. Not all jobs are feasible by themselves and the smaller the mass produced part the more infeasible it becomes to pay someone $15 per hour to produce.
you assume a constancy that doesn’t exist. all you consider relevant is the result of a fluke of history
at the close of the second world war and for say 50 years there after the world was getting over the destruction wrought by the war. once things began to normalize and business and industry resumed functionality, the need to rely on America diminished. during the period, Americans achieved prosperity resulting from continued escalation of wages and salaries. That escalation was not sustainable.
at some point it became less expensive and more competitive for companies to subcontract their manufacturing in places not subject to the excessive demands of American workers. Competition killed the golden goose.
additionally, with the advent of container shipping and instantaneous communications, and document transfer, companies could operate globally...... and do.
And, China is in transition. the business in china is Chicaps, not totally Chicoms. I know you can’t grasp that simple fact but it is true. that fact once understood leads to the ultimate understanding.
you just plain don’t understand your basis for understanding is out of date at least 50 years
Anyone who thinks they can punish business into returning to America is a fool.
Yep - and the irony is, it's punishment of businesses by our own government that drove them away in the first place, through central planning and big government - and these fools don't realize that is exactly what they are advocating themselves.
But I don't give two sh**s about China. If in order for 500 of my neighbors to get their jobs back every living Chinaman had to eat grass, I'd be fine with that.
If we want business to come back to America, we need to sweeten the pot, not spray them in the face with pepper spray.
F China. F Mexico.
you miss the point entirely....... the chinamen don’t want to eat grass. they are beyond just being satisfied with rice and want more
your 500 neighbors are never going to revert to what was. the future demands they compete
it is not a matter of liking or disliking China. China is an emerging economic force to be reckoned with. the same is true of the Pacific Rim, not just China
Unions are already to a great degree in check. It's up to US citizens to elect pols who can't be bought off by them. Add to that, one of the most obnoxious unions (SEIU?) supports invader labor. Union excesses can be brought under control, in fact it might be a good thing if a union came along that actually represented a living wage and decent conditions and EVerify for its members.
do you have any idea why companies are off shoring? That is, any idea that’s not part of Richard Trumka’s or Bernie Sanders’ talking points?
I didn’t think so.
To take advantage of slave and near-slave wages and working conditions. It's not to give us lower prices. When I can find them (and it's getting easier) made in the USA products are price-competitive with comparable quality products that are imported.
Wholesale white t-shirts cost me $1.75, v. $6 for American made. American garments aren't competitive. Besides, who wants to make t-shirts? T-shirt manufacturing is the entry point for poor countries into foreign trade.
Yep right out of the socialist play book, and obviously written by someone who’s never actually had to run a business.
I knew you would step right into this steaming pile. You are eaten up with liberal class envy and rage and don’t even know it. Sad really.
Our jobs have left this country due to the REGULATIONS an employer faces everyday employing someone!!!! OMG you have to watch EVERY WORD you say in the work place, there are sooooooo many employee laws in place an employer can be sued at the drop of a hat this is WHY jobs have left our country!!!!! I mean I want employees to have a safe work place however this country has taken employing someone to the extreme and the cost of this to employers is NOT WORTH IT!!!!!!
Well let’s see the statistics on Mexicans raping and being raped before Trump is written off. Even if ten rapist illegals get into our country...that is too much.
Can you flesh that out a little for me?
I live in a 99.98% white town. We have a reasonable high school with a GREAT vocational program. Really smart kids leave town and go to Stanford, Duke, and Harvard. Lots of kids go to UNH.
Lots also stay. Their parents are, or were, line workers making clothing and small electronics.
When you say the bottom half of the white population have to "compete", what exactly do you mean? Compete at what? Compete with whom?
These people will ALWAYS need a place to go to work where a supervisor tells them what to do and how to do it, in exchange for good effort, regular attendance, and reasonable output.
They are not going to start writing code and starting social media companies.
If they don't have work, they will provide a steady supply of depression, self-harm, petty criminality, and drug use.
That's not what I want for the future of America.
I buy quality products that last forever. American Giant is an example of a company that makes high-quality natural fabric tee shirts and sweatshirts in the USA. They cost a bit more, but don’t wear out. FWIW, for the cheaper stuff, Honduras and the Dominican Republican produce good quality tee shirts, and I think with (1) fair working conditions and (2)providing near-shore jobs that employ people who might otherwise be invading the US.
[Damn, expand your teeny mind.] He can't.
Thinking about getting back into it, have a business plan in mind. Any input about the most effective way to get my brand out there? Go big with advertising or go small with individual successes and gradually move up?
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.