Posted on 10/20/2015 9:48:14 AM PDT by BlackFemaleArmyColonel
Neurotically ignoring the fact that Donald Trump’s position on immigration has catapulted him to the lead for the Republican presidential nomination, the media diminish his soaring poll numbers with a scrolling series of rationalizations. Trump might or might not be the nominee, but the dismissals of him are wishful thinking, not historical fact.
All summer, for example, we were smugly assured that polls mean nothing this far in advance of an election. Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-Fla.) campaign manager Terry Sullivan assured Politico: “Show me the candidate who was first place in August who ended up winning in February.” I hope Rubio’s advisers are as sure about this as they were about amnesty being a big hit with voters. Then it was September, and Trump was still in first place, so Rubio boasted to CNN, “We want to be in first place in February, not in August or September.”
The way things are going, at some point, Rubio’s line will have to be, “We want to be in first place in March, not in February. No, wait! We want to be first place in June, not in April.” In fact, most candidates who were in first place the summer before an election year went on to be the nominee. Luckily, Politico is not a website primarily concerned with politics or it might have known this. Among them: Ronald Reagan in August 1979, Walter Mondale in August 1983, Michael Dukakis (tied for first) in August 1987, Bob Dole in August 1995; George W. Bush in August 1999 and Mitt Romney in August 2011.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Amen
I’d have to disagree with Ann on several points.
Reagan was a true down-the-line and solid Conservative. On issue after issue. Trump strays off the reservation on frequent occasions. Single payer healthcare for example. I would describe him more as a right-leaning Populist.
Reagan was a class act. He was rarely dismissive or insulting to people who disagreed with him. On the contrary he diffused them with gentle humor. Trump goes after his opponents with a jackhammer to the nose, and does not spare their feelings.
Both have a populist crossover appeal to blue collar Democrats. Both speak their mind in a way that makes the Beltway Establishment squirm, which people love.
Trump’s MO is more in keeping with the times. Our politics have become much rougher and coarser over the past 35 years. I am not sure Reagan could be elected today. And we have to save this country by sticking with the best viable alternative who can....which appears to be Trump.
You hate conservatives, I get it.
Yeah...he’s actually *better* than Reagan, at least on the issue of illegal immigration.
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Except that we have from Trump nothing but words. He hasnt done anything yet except talk, as he has yet to be elected.
Reagan has actually been president and we look at what he did.
The time for comparison comes after Trump has been in office for 2 terms. Then let the comparisons begin.
If Trump ever gets the chance, he will implement a weaponized form of amnesty.
When the truth don't help, just lie, right Nick?
Corey Lewandowski is a pro-amnesty Republican establishment golden child. That’s the truth. Trump has no credibility on immigration.
Remember Reagan’s 11th Commandment. Never attack a fellow Republican. Trump violates that commandment every time he opens his mouth.
Is this backwards day or something?
He is not like Reagan, but Trump’s rise in the polls and the liberal Republican establishments reaction to him is the same way they reacted to Reagan’s rise in 1980. I am a Cruz supporter but Trump unless he just utterly self-destructs, has a good chance of being the nominee.
Then the question to the beloved Republican Party intelligentsia is do the practice what they preach? Since 1988 conservatives have been reminded by the Republican establishment they must support the Party nominee no matter what and have done so up to this point.
Will the liberal Republican intelligentsia do so if Trump is the nominee? My money says no way in hell, liberals only support liberals, it’s totally a one way street with this bunch.
they have simple answers to all the world’s complex problems.
Yes they do and they also have the fortitude to carry them out unlike the eternal what if crowd, that have been around since Eve first bought into the Hath God said, argument.
Agreed.
Yeah.
He gave us an amnesty and legalised millions of lawbreakers.
If only Reagan had confined himself to mere words.
No you do.
Nick, I’m going to make a huge donation to this forum as soon as you throw in your hat for Trump.
All those out there saying "Trump is no Reagan" remind me of folks who are forever reminiscing about the "good old days" and how everything was better "back in their day."
Well Ronald Reagan is not coming through that door. We are never going to have Ronald Reagan again so we might as well stop comparing everybody to him and look for a new game-changing president.
Would not be surprised if 30 years from now, people were going around saying "that guy is no Donald Trump."
FR Trump comparison list:
Also Jesus chasing the moneychangers from the temple.
-Obama
-Romney
-Clinton
-Soros
-Any random bragging, multiple baby mama-having rapper
-Liberace
-Jm J Bullock
-Huey Long
-George Bush
The thing that hits me is how many times Reagan dumped the old wife for a new, younger trophy wife, just like Trump. Plus, think about all the times Reagan pointed to his financial success as the measure of a man.
Then there are the 1000+ radio addresses by Trump over the last four years on subjects near and dear to conservatives. Remember how Trump explained conservative principles in easy to understand thoughtful anecdotes.
Oh, wait, none of that is true. One guy is a NY shiv, serial trophy wifer and pseudo conservative and the other a proven conservative governor over the nations most populous and economically diverse state in the union, who actually became a conservative and was always a gentleman. You can’t say that about Trump.
Plus, Reagan put his money where his mouth was. Trump just talks about doing conservative things, but on a tight salary of $400 million there isn’t a lot left over to actually spend on causes you claim to hold dear.
His first wife, Jane Wyman, divorce him over his political ambitions (she was 4 years his senior) and Nancy was ten years younger than Reagan. So maybe Trump’s nearly quarter century difference in age with his wife is nearly, kinda something they have in common.
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