Posted on 08/17/2015 12:20:23 PM PDT by Red Steel
CLEVELAND, Ohio – On second thought, maybe this Donald Trump thing is for real.
In July, the real estate mogul-turned-reality TV star seemed little more than a passing fad in a Republican Party known for its presidential flavors of the month.
And then Trump went ahead and dominated the race like few others have in history. National poll after national poll pegged him as the frontrunner. So did polls in Iowa and New Hampshire, the first two states on the election-year calendar.
Yes, Trump's universal name-recognition in a crowded field of relative nobodies is helping him. So, too, is the free media coverage he is "earning" with his antics. But John Kasich summed it up astutely at the GOP debate in Cleveland this month.
"Donald Trump is hitting a nerve in this country," Ohio's governor said. "People are frustrated. They're fed up. They don't think the government is working for them. And for people who want to just tune him out, they're making a mistake."
This has all been a long way of saying ... maybe it was a mistake to exclude Trump from our Republican presidential power rankings, though we're far from the only ones to underestimate Trump-mania. But like Trump after a failed business deal, we move on and make adjustments. This month, we account for Trump's impossible-to-ignore rise.
Remember, these rankings consider who, given current trends, is most likely to win the GOP nomination. Some of these candidates had very strong months but won't necessarily be the last man – or woman – standing at next year's convention in Cleveland.
With that, let's count down from 10. Our slideshow begins here.
The four establishment candidates at the top. What a shocker.
Jonah Goldbert, Jay Cost, Jim Geraghty, Byron York, Ben Shapiro probably each write one column A DAY attacking Trump. Truly astounding.
Damn right!
If they think Yamamoto awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve, they haven't seen ANYTHING yet.
Americans are patient, tolerant, and slow to anger--BUT THEIR ANGER HAS TURNED TO A RAGING FURY!
AND THEIR RAGING FURY IS PROPELLING TRUMP!
Damn right!
If they think Yamamoto awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve, they haven't seen ANYTHING yet.
Americans are patient, tolerant, and slow to anger--BUT THEIR ANGER HAS TURNED TO A RAGIN FURY!
AND THEIR RAGING FURY IS PROPELLING TRUMP!
Somehow, I think you have encapsulated the current political climate better than any thing I have read. Worth the double posting :)
The Bushes have not been paying attention.
If they had been, George W. would not have refused to fortify the Mexican Border and halt illegal immigration--in violation of his Oath of Office to enforce U.S. law--and would not have spent more money than any President since Lyndon Johnson!
Barbara would not have suggested that Sarah Palin stay in Alaska.
George H. W. would not have embraced the Clintons!
I was so mad, I accidently posted it twice!
“Representative Kasich was chairman of the House Budget Committee after the Republican Revolution in 1994.
He did an amazing job at that time.”
yes and before that he put up with a lot of Obey crap during budget hearings. That was when the dems all voted by proxy with the Obey chairman overruling everything Kasich tried to do.
I was so young and optimistic in those days, sigh.
Then we had the government shutdown and Bob Dole gave away our advantage.
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