Posted on 11/15/2015 4:13:36 PM PST by SamAdams76
There was some discussion on another thread regarding the fact that Donald Trump should not be trusted as our Republican nominee due to the fact that he donated a substantial amount of money to Democrats over the years.
This is a valid concern, especially as it is becoming more likely that Trump will be the nominee. And as a Donald Trump supporter, it concerns me as well. So I thought I'd put the facts out there and throw this open to discussion.
Trump himself has been asked about this and his responses can be distilled as follows: In his line of work, which in large part entails building and acquiring properties in New York City, which is mostly controlled by Democrats, it was necessary for Trump to donate to both parties, especially to Democrats, in order to get business done. Further, Trump goes on to say that this is why he is self-financing his own campaign, as he does not want to be beholden to campaign contributors as they have been beholden to him over the years. This is something that Trump hopes to change should he get into office.
Many here will probably not buy that and they will state that Donald Trump should not be our nominee because he cannot be trusted, having supported Democrats in the past. Others here will state that the past is the past, that Ronald Reagan himself was once a Democrat and that this did not stop him from being one of the greatest conservative presidents in our history.
So can Trump be trusted as Reagan was?
To use football parlance, I decided to go to the tape. Below is a chart showing Donald Trump's political contributions each year since 1989. Up until 2010, it appears that Trump gave more or less equally to both parties and in some years, clearly gave more to the Democrats. However since 2010, not only has Trump only given to Republicans but his donations have greatly accelerated.
During the 2011-2014 period, Trump donated nearly $500,000 to Republicans while giving zero to Democrats. This appears to be more donations that the total Trump gave during the 1989-2010 period (21 years).
Now granted, that might not sit will with some folks here either as folks like Mitt Romney and John Boehner representee Republicans during that time.
This all said, we must consider the future of the Republican party and conservatives in general. Are we looking to win the hearts and minds of those who once voted for or donated to Democrats? Or we willing to forgive those who may have supported GOPe in the past such as Romney or McCain? Or do we need to turn our backs on them because they are not pure and cannot be trusted? If we take the latter course, the conservatives may be doomed to minority status, I fear.
Speaking for myself as a Trump supporter, I concede that Ted Cruz is the superior conservative in this race. But I'm not convinced that Cruz can win the nomination and then the general. I would love to be proven wrong on that and I would happily support Cruz should he get the nomination. But as of right now, I believe Trump is the best chance we have to keep a GOPe lightweight like Jebbie Bush or Marco Rubio from getting the nomination and then winning decisively next November against the Democrat.
Below is the graph of Trump donations to both Democrats and Republicans since 1989. I'm looking at recent history and giving Trump the benefit of the doubt. But I'm interested in the opinions of others.
I feel the same way :)
Great work. Thanks!
This election may be our last. There’s not much that Trump or Cruz could do that would make me not vote for them, whichever one is the nominee.
Now, if Trump was a pedophile, THAT would stop me. But otherwise, he could do any of the following:
-Rape a woman and almost bite her lip off and generally be known as a serial groper who can’t stop attacking women.
-Turn our White House into a sex party house.
-Have his chief counsel take a dirt nap in Ft Marcy Park.
-Have another associate who was threatening to talk to Feds slam into the side of a mountain in perfectly good weather.
-Sell our secrets to China and Russia.
-Make a fortune from a mysterious cattle future trade.
-Hide his entire identity from everyone to the point of not even knowing where he was born.
-I just realized I could still be doing this for another 48 hours and still not be done so I’ll stop now. But you get the point.
“The thing is, we have to remain GOP”
Amen.
So I’m sitting is a tavern in Copper Harbor Michigan tonight. Alone. Wife sponsored time away. Tomorrow off. I’m reading Hemmingway “The Big Two Hearted River” and the TV is on.
“Make America Great” comes over the air and the guy about 10 feet away says “Again?” in dumb cowboy.
My first thought, “You’re kidding right?” Then I realized I’m a Freeper with more knowledge than 99.9% of the population. He was a bit hammered so I declined to learn him up. Interestingly, the five or so people sitting around him chose not to agree.
We must remain united and invite those wandering in.
Hell no! Vote for Hitlery!
I do get the point and I’m with you!
Me too. Oh, wait, that’s been my plan all along. But if Trump gets the nod, I’m a Trumpster.
Then it looks like you and I are in the same boat. Go Trump, for now.
Interesting concept!
LOL!
So what?
He was a businessman buying access... that’s what business men do... He invited Hillary to his wedding... He’s covered that in his speeches too... Is that shocking for you?
Trump’s explained this about a hundred times... maybe when you’re older you’ll understand.
I have no problem with the superPACs - except that they should not be necessary, and therefore should not exist. They should not exist, because regulation of campaign contributions - other than by foreign governments - should not exist. Americans should simply contribute to campaigns as our purses and inclinations permit. Don’t like that money talks that way? Well, welcome to Realville, where “the MSM” spends unlimited bucks to promote leftie candidates - and supports CFR so you and I will not be able to reply.CFR is an abridgment of freedom of the press. Freedom of the press is the right of the people - of you and me - to spend our own money to buy or rent, and operate, any currently available technical means of promoting our political (or other) opinions. Unabridged.
Well, that’s true. But I’m also curious about why he gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Clinton Family Syndicate. I get the Cuomos to a certain extent, as well as the little fiefdoms in NYC local government, if the argument is only about the nebulous “getting things done”; what exactly, however, is he scared of from a single US Senator and her ex-president husband...especially two years out of their last term, as was the case in 2010? And if he’s that scared of them at the end of the day, why not simply make a call to the local US Attorney and give them a heads up? After all, a “master negotiator” like himself shouldn’t have any problem convincing law enforcement that he’s getting the shakedown...
Unless, of course, he’s willingly giving the money because he’s actually pretty tight with them. I don’t know about you, but I know which side I’m on.
“...nobody seems upset that their candidate is controlled by the Cheap Labor Cabal or the Globalists.”
Could you imagine people finding a database and taking the time to search donors/recipents. Look at super pacs and see how much dark money their candidate is receiving?
“Can we trust anyone who believes bribery is they way to make money?”
It IS the way to buy influence in America.
“I’m almost inclined to vote Cruz for all the whining Trump supporters do . . . .”
Trumpsters don’t whine. That’s your choice of words. Trump has cojones, and so do we, his supporters. You are being one rude boy.
Give me a friggin’ break.
“Now he’s trying to buy us. I am not for sale.”
No one cares. This isn’t about you.
“The closer I look at trump, the more I like president Cruz!”
Cruz will never win the Presidency. Not the right kind of personality for this moment in history. Back Trump; Cruz can’t win. Trump/Cruz 2016!
Any businessman who wants a politician to 'pick up the phone' has to 'pay' in some fashion or another... most quietly resent the crap out of the shakedown...
Thank you for that and this... “It is acquired wisdom and experience only that teach incredulity...”
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