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Now Is No Time to Be Voting for President Based on Emotion
NRO ^ | September 15, 2015 | Thomas Sowell

Posted on 09/15/2015 3:43:16 AM PDT by nikos1121

In a country with more than 300 million people, it is remarkable how obsessed the media have become with just one — Donald Trump. What is even more remarkable is that, after six years of repeated disasters, both domestically and internationally, under a glib egomaniac in the White House, so many potential voters are turning to another glib egomaniac to be his successor.

No doubt much of the stampede of Republican voters toward Mr. Trump is based on their disgust with the Republican establishment. The fact that the next two biggest vote-getters in the polls are also complete outsiders — Dr. Ben Carson and Ms. Carly Fiorina — reinforces the idea that this is a protest. It is easy to understand why there would be pent-up resentments among Republican voters. But are elections held for the purpose of venting emotions? No national leader ever aroused more fervent emotions than Adolf Hitler did in the 1930s. Watch some old newsreels of German crowds delirious with joy at the sight of him. The only things at all comparable in more recent times were the ecstatic crowds that greeted Barack Obama when he burst upon the political scene in 2008. Elections, however, have far more lasting, and far more serious — or even grim — consequences than emotional venting. The actual track record of crowd-pleasers, whether Juan Peron in Argentina, Obama in America, or Hitler in Germany, is very sobering, if not painfully depressing.

Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/424008/donald-trump-voters-election-egomaniac

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: patronizing; sowell; trump
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To: xsmommy; demshateGod; SoothingDave

Exactly. He remains an empty vessel into which desperate conservatives can pour their fears and nightmares. They will vote against whom they imagine him to be, no matter that it bears no relation to reality.

But the most virulent Trump supporters AND opponents don’t see him as an “empty vessel”. They emotionally ascribe properties to him. But he mostly is: immigration is about the only issue he can be definitively pinned down on and criticized.
That will change of course.


121 posted on 09/15/2015 7:28:35 AM PDT by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat/RINO Party!)
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To: Axeslinger

“Wow...way to project and infer things that were patently not said”

Isn’t that the problem with your post? According to you the country is going to hell because of Trump. You didn’t bother to mention the folks who are actually responsible, that, to me, is something you should deal with before excoriating others for supporting a particular candidate.

” I will blame all of you who are worshiping at the cult of personality...who project all of your desires upon a man with ZERO demonstrable conservative principles”

Who gives a crap who you blame? We already know you have no capacity for rational thought when it comes to identifying who is responsible for the condition of our country.

As for me, I am a single issue voter - it’s the most important issue for America - illegal immigration. If Trump keeps his position on illegal immigration I will vote for him.

If he does that ONE thing, he will have accomplished more for America than the entire presidential field for the GOP could ever accomplish, indeed, the entirety of Congress over the past 20 years - including any “conservatives” that you can name.

One issue - Illegal immigration. That’s it. You should vote for him on that basis alone, as should every American. Nothing else matters.


122 posted on 09/15/2015 7:30:19 AM PDT by RFEngineer
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To: dsc

Either that, or the media prefers to do the cheap, sensationalistic story about the reality TV star versus the menstruating journalist to covering Republicans having serious discussions on policy.


123 posted on 09/15/2015 7:33:40 AM PDT by SoothingDave
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To: nikos1121
The fundamental error that Dr. Sowell is making here is this. He is correct about the appeal of Hitler, Peron & Obama. But he totally misses the point, why many would rally to someone who is showing the ability to counter the mob appealing demagogues, with charisma of his own. It is not the charismatic that is evil, it is the misuse of charisma to destroy a people's heritage.

What Trump is rallying is the desire to fight back against the demagogues who are destroying our heritage. Why tie our hands by automatically rejecting someone who shows he knows how to fight back? Trump is talking about restoring traditional America, Hitler, Peron & Obama were preaching "new orders."

Here is my piece on Obama's adoption of Hitlerian tactics, which includes not only what he was doing, but to what purpose he was doing it--an absolutely essential distinction, that Dr. Sowell ignores. (Leftwing Chickens Coming Home.)

124 posted on 09/15/2015 7:35:14 AM PDT by Ohioan
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To: SoothingDave
Which candidate meets with your approval?
125 posted on 09/15/2015 7:37:29 AM PDT by Chgogal (Obama "hung the SEALs out to dry, basically exposed them like a set of dog balls..." CMH)
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To: RFEngineer

One more time, I’ll try to use smaller words...the country is not going to hell because of Trump...he’s just the latest symptom. The country is going to hell because of the people who would vote for him (or similarly Obama 7 years ago...same thing) merely based upon what they’re projecting onto him. Pretty sure I mentioned all those people pretty extensively in my last reply.

And apparently you care who I blame because you brought it up.

I agree with the importance of your one issue, but you’re placing your faith in a man who has no track record of actually being a conservative based solely upon his saying what you want to hear.


126 posted on 09/15/2015 7:39:03 AM PDT by Axeslinger (Where has my country gone?)
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To: Chgogal

I don’t want Bush, Huck, Santorum, Christie, Carson. I think Perry or Walker can make good arguments about their governance.

Cruz would be good. The others I don’t know enough about at this point or can’t remember who they are.


127 posted on 09/15/2015 7:44:08 AM PDT by SoothingDave
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To: SoothingDave
How much do you know about Trump and his self made empire?
128 posted on 09/15/2015 7:45:34 AM PDT by Chgogal (Obama "hung the SEALs out to dry, basically exposed them like a set of dog balls..." CMH)
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To: Ohioan

Are you really arguing that Hitler didn’t appeal to the heritage of the German people?


129 posted on 09/15/2015 7:45:57 AM PDT by SoothingDave
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To: Gaffer

Couldn’t agree more.


130 posted on 09/15/2015 7:47:20 AM PDT by uncitizen (i hate gutless people, too.)
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To: SoothingDave
Perry stepped down, so he not an option, which is a shame.
131 posted on 09/15/2015 7:47:26 AM PDT by Chgogal (Obama "hung the SEALs out to dry, basically exposed them like a set of dog balls..." CMH)
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To: nikos1121

The actual track record of crowd-pleasers, whether Juan Peron in Argentina, Obama in America, or Hitler in Germany, is very sobering, if not painfully depressing.


Agree with your comment but think that Cruz is rock solid and will be rock solid.

The above comment says


132 posted on 09/15/2015 7:47:27 AM PDT by eartick (Been to the line in the sand and liked it)
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To: Chgogal

Self-made or not, I have seen enough to know he is a self-promoter. I see nothing in his past or present to make me want to trust him.

He backtracked on defunding Planned Parenthood.

Not wanting to fight to defund is, simultaneously, a damning indictment of the GOP Congress leaders and just totally peachy if Trump says it.

My mind still has a problem with doublethink.


133 posted on 09/15/2015 7:50:27 AM PDT by SoothingDave
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To: Chgogal

Yes, it is


134 posted on 09/15/2015 7:51:14 AM PDT by SoothingDave
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To: nikos1121

There is never a good time to vote based on emotion.


135 posted on 09/15/2015 7:51:14 AM PDT by GSWarrior (Click HERE to skip this tag line.)
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To: SoothingDave
Hitler was at war with heritage. The lie that the Nazis were on the Right, was just that, a monstrous lie. For a list of all the Leftist aspects of National Socialism, see Lies Of Socialism.

The only group to the Left of the Nazis were the Bolsheviks.

136 posted on 09/15/2015 7:52:12 AM PDT by Ohioan
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To: Axeslinger

“I agree with the importance of your one issue, but you’re placing your faith in a man who has no track record of actually being a conservative based solely upon his saying what you want to hear.”

Again....Illegal Immigration, if you listen to so-called “conservatives” is not the problem America thinks it is.

Regarding politicians not doing what they say....can we at least agree that if a candidate doesn’t say they will actually meaningfully change the environment that allows illegal immigration - that they are unlikely to do it?

That still leaves Trump - who may or may not do what he says just like any other candidate.

He is no more or less credible than any other candidate - “conservative” or not.

So, who are you going to vote for? The guy who says “I’ll fix it” or the guy who nuances and squishes on the issue?


137 posted on 09/15/2015 7:55:11 AM PDT by RFEngineer
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To: SoothingDave
You are talking style when it comes to, shall we say his brash in your face NYC trash talk.

Did you watch the rally yesterday?

138 posted on 09/15/2015 7:55:35 AM PDT by Chgogal (Obama "hung the SEALs out to dry, basically exposed them like a set of dog balls..." CMH)
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To: SoothingDave
I take it you did not watch it and that you know diddly squat about Trumps business history.
139 posted on 09/15/2015 8:01:42 AM PDT by Chgogal (Obama "hung the SEALs out to dry, basically exposed them like a set of dog balls..." CMH)
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To: Ohioan

I didn’t say he was left or right.

How was Hitler “at war with heritage?” He didn’t appeal to the German people as Germans?


140 posted on 09/15/2015 8:02:07 AM PDT by SoothingDave
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