Why Is Trump So Formidable? - Perhaps Because He Owns The Downside ...

TheConservativeTreeHouse.com ^ | 11/17/15 | Sundance

[mbrfl]

Regardless of who you support in the 2016 Presidential primary race, most will admit there's one strategic advantage held by Donald Trump over all other candidates - Trump's willingness to "own the downside".

All policies and proposals have a "downside", there's no such thing as a policy proposal with benefit to all and harm to none. This empirical truth is toxic to professional politicians – therefore they spend an inordinate amount of time using pretzel logic to avoid it.

As a direct consequence of avoidance, the media love to use the downside as a weapon. For the first time in recent political memory Donald Trump represents a candidacy who is unafraid of their spear; and as a consequence, immune to the damage.

[mbrfl]

Excellent article. Worth reading.

[CottonBall]

Brilliant - this is something I never even considered.

I did recognize that Trump never backed away from all the supposed ‘controversial’ statements he made, like the media expected. Instead he doubled down and came back with even more force.

But I never analyzed it with the perspective of the political downside.

Good job!

[CottonBall]

Ping!

[Bryanw92]

He’s used to speaking to businessmen, where you don’t hide the downside and hope it never happens. Because it will happen and then you have problems that are bigger than disclosure would have been.

IOW, politicians lie for a living. Trump sells the benefits of a plan and finds ways to mitigate liabilities. America needs that badly.

[Grampa Dave]

From this oped: The Trump approach is what makes Splodey Heads!

[tophat9000]

Truth..in the affairs of men...there are no panacea

[mbrfl]

Agreed. I had never looked at it that way before.

[Guenevere]

Excellent!.....Spot on!

Read the letters afterward!

[Jane Long]

Amen!!

No “pretzel logic” or other DC speak, with Trump.

Thanks for the ping, great article.

[sparklite2]

I never heard of “own the downside” but it should be up there with “ahead of the curve.”

[Maverick68]

Trump is resonating with the public because he HATES the media and politicians ALMOST as much as the people do.

[wjcsux]

Very excellent read.

[Pelham]

bttt

[Gumdrop]

He has ‘hit the nail on the head’, so to speak. Another way to put it, Donald is not afraid to be ‘un-PC’.

[sparklite2]

““yeah, so?””

Without realizing, I have been owning
the downside on racism for a long time.
My response to being called a racist
is, “So what?”

[Despot of the Delta]

Media: Jeb Bush want's a no-fly zone in Syria?

Trump: When did ISIS get airplanes?

So beautiful in its simplicity

[over3Owithabrain]

The same brilliant strategy employed by Monorail Guy from the Simpsons.

Seriously though, it works for Trump.

[SamAdams76]

In the early going, the media were so sure that they would easily knock Trump out of the race. Simply ask him questions that would force him into a lie or an inconsistency. They truly were not prepared for Trump to so matter-of-factly acknowledge that some of his policies would have some unfortunate results.

This is the difference between a hard-nosed businessman who puts getting results ahead of having people like him and a politician, who puts being liked ahead of getting results.

[pgkdan]

Imagine if Marco Rubio said: “hey look, the reason I supported the gang-of-eight was because I was a freshman senator and their offer made me feel superior, like I was an important and influential member of the Senate – it was a massive ego boost“.

I'd have more respect for Rubio if he DID say something like that!