Posted on 10/09/2015 12:30:21 PM PDT by VinL
In unmistakable ways over the last two weeks, whether he has intended to or not, Donald J. Trump has started to articulate a way out of the presidential race: a verbal parachute that makes clear he has contemplated the factors that would cause him to end his bid.
It is a prospect that many in the political establishment have privately predicted as the actual voting grows closer.
In three separate television interviews, Mr. Trump, who has made his standing in the polls a central facet of his campaign message, spoke about what would prompt him to quit a race in which he is currently leading in the polls.
“I’m not a masochist,” Mr. Trump told Chuck Todd, the host of “Meet the Press” on NBC News, last weekend. “If I were doing poorly, if I saw myself going down, if you would stop calling me because you no longer have any interest in Trump because ‘he has no chance,’ I’d go back to my business.”
It was similar to what he said in an interview with the “Today” show a few days earlier, and at another point to “60 Minutes” on CBS.
In interviews this week, Mr. Trump insisted he was in the race to win, and took aim at “troublemakers” in the media who, he said, are misrepresenting his remarks. “I’m never getting out,” he insisted Friday on MSNBC.
Mr. Trump keeps noting that he still leads in every major Republican poll and is in a political position that others would envy, and he says he will spend the money to keep his candidacy alive. But he conceded ...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
He’s our only chance
Maybe Trump told Cruz something that nobody else knows?Yea that must be it. Cruz being the new messiah and all. < /sarcasm>
Or maybe there was a secret note in the pocket of that too big coat the dufus was wearing in that photo and Trump forgot it was there.
MSM desperation is a terrible thing to watch. :-)
All Trump is doing is stating the obvious.
“If my numbers aren’t there, I’m not going to waste my time and money”.
Last time I looked he was still leading.
NY Times pretty proud of itself for reporting the effing obvious.
Agreed. The only thing that can win for us is a Populist who leans right on most issues. Otherwise that 47% + those promised student loan forgiveness are gonna crush us. Even if it’s Hillary.
The more they attack him and the more petty and vicious the attacks become, the more I take the Donald seriously.
Leni
You Trump people make me laugh.
FUNYT!!!
Did Cruz’ remark initiated this speculation, or do you think Cruz ‘fragged” by donors with this information and delivered it.
It’s not possible that his donors are laying the pressure to him, is it as we end the first quarter of the presidential campaign?
It was the most polite attempt to take a shot at Trump I believe I’ve ever seen, and such a gift to the ravenous media.
<<< Will the GOP still try to kill their nominee? “ >>>>
I know this guy in Mississippi. Remember Mississippi?
These guys play dirty in the GOP and they line up with ANYBODY to work their will, even with black radical democrats.
Donors have to be 99% Establishment now days, and they have no mercy. The Party is bound and determined to be UniParty.
Trump is cracking that fact wide open.
Essentially you belong to them, or you go home. They want Jeb Bubba Bush.
Or maybe there was a secret note in the pocket of that too big coat the dufus was wearing in that photo and Trump forgot it was there."
And here you are, the liberal who can't stop spitting nails whenever Cruz's name is mentioned. You hate his guts, don't you?
As other Freepers have noted, you are most likely a paid operative.
Ha..he’s just messing with their minds....more column inches of free discussion.....(and Trump well in the lead in most polls)
There you go. Cruz will be forced to move to the middle by his donors. Trump already owns the middle. The middle won’t move to Cruz.
Cruz loses, even if Trump were knocked out and my vote went to Cruz, I would cast it knowing he would lose.
If Trump can be felled, it’s a cinch no one will stand. Except the GOP anointed, Jeb Bubba Bush, or his little clones Kasich or Rubio maybe.
These pretend journalists continually repeat that BS about all the free TV time Trump has gotten. But they neglect to add that most of the coverage from late June through most of September was devoted to damaging his candidacy and eroding his support by constantly harping on his remarks about illegal immigrants, and John McCain, and the Megyn BS, etc., etc.
But once they realized all that time devoted to damaging Trump wasn't working, they changed their strategy and starting giving more and more time to Carly and Rubio and others to try and build them up to challenge Trump.
Just a dishonest, BS article from the New York Times.
He’s the only one who will change the status quo, no one else will enforce the border just only talk lip service.
LOLOL....you are so right on!!!
It is truly pathetic on how they try to manipulate this...
Here we have a man who is the frontrunner by a good margin and yet they keep saying he will drop out...
Because they wanted him to drop out.. they’re deliberately badmouthing him just drive down his stock
total dishonesty of our press these days is beyond belief
Hey Rita,
I don’t know what’s going on, but after listening to the audio (link below), my view remains the same as it has been.
It helps Cruz to have Trump in the race for now, because Trump sits on the opposition. Cruz has money to burn, so he can sit back and wait. Essentially, Cruz is saying to the others- Donald is going to beat you in NH and Iowa. If you do nothing, you’re out after NH. On the other hand, if you expend your resources now and go after Trump, you might win Iowa or NH— however, if you don’t win, you’re broke. You’re choice!
I don’t know if I’ve made sense- but my position is, Cruz is helping the other guys if he goes after Trump- and so he’s not going to do it. Better to ultimately be one on one with Trump, than to knock Trump out, and have 5 other opponents pop up. I think he’d prefer to narrow the field going into SC and the southern states, and then confront Trump.
So, no, I don’t think his remarks were intended to hurt Trump. If you listen to the audio, seems his standard praise for Trump’s involvement, save for the remark, that ultimately, Cruz thinks he’ll win.
As for the NYTimes piece, that’s all Donald. He opened that door— and now the media will go full out on making the case that he’s ambivalent.
Bottom line, Rita— I don’t think Cruz intended, or wants to, hurt Donald— but mainly because, it doesn’t help Cruz, right now. If it were to happen in Dec or Jan, then I would think it was intentional .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI-DjxsuHdI
This is absurd. What candidate in their right mind would say they would never get out of the race even if their polls dropped to 0? Other than Jim Gilmore.
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