Posted on 07/09/2015 5:45:10 PM PDT by Kaslin
On the left and the right, he's called a buffoon and a blowhard, and occasionally Donald Trump lives up to those descriptions (see his presidential announcement speech). And despite covering him constantly, most in the media insist Trump's candidacy is unserious and his viewpoints are dangerous.
And yet -- and yet -- he is doing well in public opinion polling -- so well that more than one headline has referred to his "momentum." He is leading among Republican primary voters in North Carolina, according to a recent Public Policy poll. A CNN/ORC poll has him trailing only Jeb Bush among Republican voters nationally.
That could simply reflect how visible he's been the last few weeks, but I think there's more going on here.
Trump's rise is a reflection of Americans' utter distaste for politicians and the way they speak, not their identification with most of Trump's views.
After all, everyone has an uncle or a buddy who talks like Trump. "And another thing!" you can hear them saying at Thanksgiving or the neighborhood bar. They don't speak in canned sound bites. They don't focus-group their opinions. They don't quote Edmund Burke. They don't refuse to answer questions that aren't pre-screened. They don't worry who will be offended. And, yes, they exaggerate from time to time.
Donald Trump's announcement speech was, frankly, a conversation you could hear at half the dinner tables in this country. And lest you think straight-talking boasts and cranky complaints about the decline of America are the sole domain of the right, take a listen to Bernie Sanders. Everybody's got an uncle like him, too.
For the past decade, both parties have stalled on immigration reform. It may feel like President Obama's executive actions granting temporary amnesty to millions was a big deal -- and it was -- but it wasn't a big solution. We still have a broken immigration system, and the sad secret is that both sides like it that way. Republicans get to rail against sanctuary cities, and Democrats get to call Republicans racists.
So for average Americans who hear Trump say he'll build a giant wall, even if it isn't a solution they agree with, it's one they can appreciate. It's simple. It's direct. It isn't wrapped in politically correct, insincere promises that no one believes.
Likewise, when Trump says he'll "bomb the hell" out of the oil fields in Iraq to combat the Islamic State, it isn't that average Americans think that's necessarily a good strategy. It's that, after feckless foreign policy created and then failed to contain the rise of this terror group, and a president who won't even call it "Islamic extremism" out of political correctness, Trump's uncomplicated and unreserved response is refreshing.
Now, all that said, do Americans want a president with some polish, discretion and discipline? I think so. We should demand that our commander-in-chief be informed by more than his gut or the fact that he "just sold an apartment for $15 million to somebody from China."
But who knows how deep Trump goes, because few are challenging him to get specific or substantive? Most reporters just find 10 different ways to ask him how much he hates Mexicans. But how would he getMexico to pay for a fence? What would he do with the "dreamers," the undocumented immigrants who were brought here as kids and were raised as Americans? How would he create jobs for Latinos? I don't know if he has good answers to those questions or not. But if someone would ask him, we'd find out pretty quickly whether he was a serious contender or more on a par with your neighborhood barfly.
There's a case to be made that Trump makes the other GOP contenders look good. Voters like straight talk, but they also don't want their leaders to fly them into a mountain. But there's also a lesson here for those hoping to compete in a Trump primary: Drop the politician's polish and talk like humans talk. Dump the focus groups. Ask your uncle instead.
Apparently, he’s getting air time. He’s got more plants and contacts throughout media and business that he can get noticed for sneezing if he wants to.
He has anywhere from 13-28% support (ie. not much) and he is painting the entire GOP with the same buffoon brush.
He is a LibTard’s wet dream.
Then why are the libs going after him so hard?
A conversation on the banned list by Rinos and libs.
Actually, Trump is helping the miserable, backstabbing,
Obama—supporting, conservative-attacking, GOP.
The GOP are the subhuman buffoons who lie to get
elected. Mr. Trump, compared to them, is a patriot.
It’s early. The furor over illegal immigration will die back, it may take a while. but it will die down and he’ll have to start talking about other topics, and bringing some specifics to the table.
Right now Trump is getting a lot of notice because he says what the people are thinking and they like it. Nobody else does that.
Give it some time and see what develops. That’s why I haven’t made a solid decision yet. Too early, wait and watch, it’s still over a year to go, a lot can happen before then. I’m liking what I hear, if he goes for the gold, which I think he will do, he just might get my vote. Cruz is the only other one I’ll consider so far.
But I’ll wait and see...
This allowed them to brush off the principles he ran on even after he buried them twice.
Looks like they haven't changed an iota.
If Trump is the human equivalent of a nuclear weapon that takes out the insestuous corrupt oligarchy that is D.C., well then push the Button.
Mr. Trump is that man who will get the Dim elected even if they run a goat.
To bad crests aren't brains. Most Americans want a wall, moat and a minefield.
Atheist RINOS for Trump!
He’s been fun, but he is taking away media attention from Ted Cruz and Rand Paul who are more serious than I believe Trump to be. Don’t know how he can prove he is serious, but even if he is, the Establishment uniparty will never allow him To be a viable candidate.
I guess the ROVE-LOVERS here will keep going after Trump, but as long as he is making Jeb, Rubio, Christie, and the other OPEN BORDERS Republicans squirm, he still get my vote.
The ROVE-LOVERS here will just have to find their own cheap labor, after President Trump cuts off their spigot from South of the border.
“This allowed them to brush off the principles he ran on even after he buried them twice.”
I submit that they were confident that once RWR’s 8 years were up there would be nobody to follow up and continue his ideas. They knew that the likely successor, GHWB was a pantywaist who could be rolled, and they were right. And until Trump took the field we’ve had virtually nobody.
At the moment we are looking, please God, at a potential 16 year dynasty of Trump/Cruz.
Am I being too optimistic here?
So, we really WANT open borders and illegal alien criminals living next door?
Right now I’d take nearly anyone from outside the Washington political establishment. Those bastards all dine at the same slop trough.
The establishment and media can avert their eyes all they want, but the issue Trump is riding concerns illegal aliens, and many, many people very much concur with what he is saying.
“...he’ll have to start talking about other topics, and bringing some specifics to the table.”
Are any other candidates doing that, either democrat or Republican?
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.