Posted on 08/21/2015 1:25:40 AM PDT by Kaslin
I cannot be that rare. Quick— show of hands. How many of you have largely enjoyed the Donald Trump phenomenon yet winced at his occasional behaviors that seem far beneath the presidency?
I know I just described a lot of people, but most of the shouting is coming from die-hard Trump fans who will not hear criticism of him, and unhinged critics blasting him with rhetorical artillery far beyond his actual sins.
Why? Because while Trump may not be the eventual GOP nominee, he is a window to some truths about two groups of Americans.
I am a member of one: the group of voters sick of mealy-mouthed politics as usual, tired of political correctness, weary of being lied to by candidates who talk a good game and then melt upon taking office.
As such, I have enjoyed Trump’s directness, born of his total lack of fealty to establishment elites and their donor/consultant instincts that reward tameness and mediocrity.
Those folks constitute the other community thrust into the spotlights of Trump Fever. From tut-tutting columnists who cannot believe he is still atop the polls to swiss-cheese conservatives threatened by his boldness, the wave of Trump Derangement Syndrome has not been beneficial for sufferers who have not been able to restrain their angst.
In response, some Trump defenders have gone beyond mere defense against outsized criticism, lapsing into the most unfortunate of supporter behaviors: the position that their guy can do no wrong and any critique of him must be met with symmetrically exaggerated condemnation.
My head hurts.
So since he is going to be around, probably for quite a while, I offer some tips for folks driven to the opposite extremes here in the Summer of Trump.
First, for his over-criticizers:
—Realize that in bashing him, you are seen as attacking every corner of his large fan base. Coming at Trump with a scalpel is smarter than the sledgehammer— an approach that will make you look like a fan of the faint-hearted weasels who have run things for too long.
— Asking odd questions like “Can Trump govern?” shows that you may actually believe the current generations of ruling class geniuses have done a good job of it. It can surely be said that Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid (and to be bipartisan, John Boehner and Mitch McConnell) “can govern.” And it is precisely those sorry governance results that have earned a giant deserved middle finger from Trump and his supporters.
— Don’t get so hung up on the man personally. Realize that half of his support is from people who probably will not vote for him in actual primaries, but who are surely enjoying the defibrillating jolt of the approach has has brought to several issues.
— Lose the bewilderment over how conservatives can even back him. Do the math. After decades of being hosed by candidates preaching 90 or 100 percent conservatism and delivering about a third of that, if Trump is around 75 percent conservative, there is faith that he will deliver every morsel of that, or at least try harder than the big talkers and meager warriors of today.
Now to Mr. Trump’s reputational guardians, the folks who are loving his ascendancy so much that even measured criticism of him brings out their long knives:
— Just enjoy the ride. Your man’s golden moment could last anywhere from a few months to Inauguration Day. But whatever happens, real voters will be the determining factor, not a few pundits or rivals who are knocking him around. And if Trump were to evaporate tomorrow, he has cemented immigration, trade policies and American exceptionalism as issues the entire field will likely address with greater vigor. Be happy.
— Be aware that decrying “political correctness” is a bat that swings only so far. If Trump says something that is truly beyond the lines of civility and beneath presidential temperament— and he has before, and he will again, that’s just part of the journey— whining about political correctness makes you look boorish and thin-skinned. Save PC laments for deserving examples. They are plentiful.
— Rather than defending the indefensible, ask something of your candidate. Tell him that you love his plain talk and his take-no-prisoners approach to issues, and that you admire it so much you’d like him to actually win the presidency, which will not happen if he doesn’t get a handle on some of his adolescent outbursts. Tell him you want the guy who will build a border wall, pound ISIS and deal smartly with China, but not the guy who wastes his time (and ours) obsessing about “losers” and spouting about Heidi Klum and Rosie O’Donnell.
Trump loyalists, Trump-haters and those in between simply watching the spectacle should all know that we will be engaged with each other for a good while. His poll numbers will not be tanking by Halloween, or maybe even Christmas. Real voters in real primaries may get a crack at his fate, making pundits and social media mavens on both sides deliciously irrelevant.
Poor analysis.
The closest analog I can find is the Mac vs. PC wars. One side is blissfully content with their choice, and the other is driven to belligerence by the fact they can’t change that opinion.
Enough belligerence, and the first side replies in kind.
To wit; Trumps not really that good AND don't get PISSED OFF..
Don't be " One that flew over the Cuckos nest.. "
Totally underestimating the ANGST........ up in here...
Take you pills and STFU...
here is papertyger, once again complaining that it is a poor analysis. Than Papertyger you write your in depth analysis, and be prepared for others to criticize your analysis. I for one am just about to leave FR permanently as the rhetoric is Trump is what is best for America. Sure he has some good ideas, but he is no different than Barack Hussein Obama - an egotistical blowhard whom will not allow a difference of opinion and than he shows that he is a lose cannon. Next I will hear from Company Man another belligerent antagonist that goes after people personally and attacks them on FR. Where praytell is the administrator - No profanity, No personal attacks, No racism and no violence in the post. I have enough going on in my own life, i put my mother in a nursing home now the stupid family members are complaining it is too far for them to visit. Oddly enough when caring for them in my own home they did nothing to help, and it was to far to visit than too! I have a business to run too!
Is STFU appropriate - there are others whom read this and personally I a sick of the profanity. Maybe it is time you wash your mouth out with soap and clean your potty mind
Ted Cruz is a firebrand, but has not been given the attention given to Trump.
Most here would not mind having someone with a proven record of conservatism being the mouthpiece for conservatism.
But we do not have that in Trump.
So, while we are enjoying the way Trump talks on immigration, we are also prepared for the other shoe to drop....and the pro-abortion, pro-gun control, socially liberal Trump to return.
Many fear that will happen after Trump secures the nomination.
Your candidate will do and say whatever his donors, lobbyists, and handlers tell him. Social issues are wonderful, but, no president to date has done a darned thing about abortion. We have obama and his ilk trying to take guns away from law-abiding citizens. Gay marriage is going to be a headache for quite a while. In the meantime, illegals pour over our border, bringing crime with them, and are turning this country into a 3rd world hell hole. There are many issues to consider in this election, and I don’t think we can just elect someone because he may or may not agree with us on everything. Having said that - Trump has made mistakes in the past, and has acknowledged those. He is moving right and dragging some of the GOP with him - some of those so-called conservatives are moving left, so that door swings both ways.
Man, you’re really butt hurt after our last go round, huh!
Don’t let the door hitya where the Good Lord split ya!
My understanding is he treats deals as sacrosanct once they're made. I can't see him going back on the positions that get him elected even if he doesn't really like them.
He keeps on saying he is committed to “women’s health” which in my neck of the woods is abortion.
Wow, an article filled with Straw Men. How original.
But you haven't heard him say he's opposed to abortion?
Yes, so what does Women’s Health mean? I also hear it is his wife’s hobbyhorse.
If your opinion is that Mark Davis should STFU so be it. He however has the right to give his opinion, just as I have the right to give my opinion to you.
See my post reply to the poster in #15
“How many of you have largely enjoyed the Donald Trump phenomenon yet winced at his occasional behaviors that seem far beneath the presidency?”
Barack Obama is president and is that the best he thinks he has on Trump?
“I for one am just about to leave FR permanently . . “
So?
Walker did not do the bidding of the GOP when he broke the gov't unions, defunded Planned Parenthood (years before the current scandal), enacted concealed carry, drug testing for welfare recipients, voter ID, etc.
No candidate has Walker's perfect track record. EVERYTHING he did in Wisconsin was 100% conservative.
The GOP did not help Walker's recall until he showed his strength on his own while never apologizing for conservatism.
All Trump & Cruz have are words, no deeds....and that is always troubling.
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