Posted on 01/18/2016 6:54:01 AM PST by Kaslin
We all understand that politicians will be political, emphasizing one point to one audience and another point to another audience. We also understand that people's views can genuinely change, including the views of politicians.
But when a political leader completely flip-flops on issues and then flip-flops again, the trustworthiness of that leader must be questioned.
Does Donald Trump fit the description of a double-minded, untrustworthy leader?
Judge for yourself.
Trump claims that his views on abortion changed based on personal experience.
Let's give him the benefit of the doubt, although at best, he is still not a strong, consistent pro-life candidate.
He has also taken a more negative stance on gay issues than he did in the past (although at no time did he fully support same-sex "marriage"). Is this simply a calculated political shift in order to win the Republican nomination?
Perhaps, but once again, let's give him the benefit of the doubt, although here too, he is hardly an articulate champion of conservative moral values.
Other shifts in his views cannot be so easily explained.
Let's consider Trump's views on Hillary Clinton.
As Time Magazine reported July 17, 2015, last year Donald Trump called Hillary Clinton the "worst Secretary of State in the history of the United States," and a "desperate" and "s" candidate.
Trump's insults this year have gotten even worse, to the point of him calling Hillary's bathroom break during a presidential debate "disgusting." And that is only the tip of the iceberg.
Trump is also renting out a theater in Iowa so voters can see the new movie "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi" for free. According to a Trump spokesperson, "Mr. Trump would like all Americans to know the truth about what happened at Benghazi."
Contrast this with Trump’s comments in 2007 when Hillary was running for president on the Democrat side while Rudy Guiliani was running on the Republican side.
Trump said he was torn between them, stating, "They're both terrific people, and I hope they both get the nomination."
Yes, these were the words of Donald Trump.
Then, in 2012, he told Greta van Susteren on Fox News, "Hillary Clinton I think is a terrific woman," he told Greta Van Susteren. "I am biased because I have known her for years. I live in New York. She lives in New York. I really like her and her husband both a lot. I think she really works hard. And I think, again, she's given an agenda, it is not all of her, but I think she really works hard and I think she does a good job. I like her."
As to Hillary's record as Secretary of State, Trump opined on Live Leak that she probably did "above and beyond everybody else and everything else."
He also dismissed the importance of Benghazi and said that, if Hillary ran again for office, he was "sure" she would do a "good job" of defending her record as Secretary of State.
Is this not a glaring example of being double-minded?
How do you trust the words of someone who one day says that Hillary did her job as Secretary State "above and beyond everybody else and everything else" and another day brands her the "worst Secretary of State in the history of the United States"?
Which is his real opinion, the old one (from just a few years back) or the current one? And if his current opinion is his real opinion, why did he speak of Hillary with such praise before?
For another glaring example, consider how Trump has flipped, then flopped, then flipped again in terms of his evaluation of Ted Cruz.
On December 13, 2015, Trump stated that Cruz has acted like "a little bit of a maniac" in the Senate and doesn't have "the right temperament" or "the right judgment" to be president.
Two days later, when CNN's Dana Bash asked Trump about those comments during that night's presidential debate, he replied, "Let me tell you, as I have gotten to know him over the last three or four days, he has a wonderful temperament, he's just fine, don't worry about it."
Perhaps Trump was sincere during the debate.
Perhaps the first comments were just political rhetoric and perhaps he really did get to know Cruz better and genuinely believes that "he has a wonderful temperament" and "he's just fine."
Then how do we explain Trump's comments just one month later - and a month in which Trump made significant gains in the race - blasting Cruz in even more extreme terms?
Speaking to George Stephanopolous on ABC News on January 17th, Trump said of Cruz, "Look, the truth is, he's a nasty guy. Nobody likes him. Nobody in Congress likes him. Nobody likes him anywhere once they get to know him. He's a very - he's got an edge that's not good. You can't make deals with people like that and it's not a good thing. It's not a good thing for the country. Very nasty guy."
Trump also called him "a total hypocrite."
So, what does Trump really believe?
Right-wing blogosphere all anti-Trump now. So glad, they’ll be able to deliver a President Rubio, Kasich, or Christie. Even Fiorina is warning she’s not out.
Again, conservatives snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, amazing.
Don’t trust him. If he’s the nominee just
consider the alternative.
James 1:8
I like Trump. But I’m not sure I do. Well, then again, I guess he’s OK. But he does flip flop a lot. But does that matter? I think he is a good guy. But then again ...
>>Again, conservatives snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, amazing.
A leader who can get stuff done and appeals to Republicans and Democrats is a existential threat to the UniParty system that pits the people against one another while the politicians work in unison to keep us angry and keep them in power.
Imagine an America where the people work together and the politicians are forced to be polarized! That is the monster that lives in the closet of every Uniparty politician and the lobbyists who tuck them in bed at night.
Trump is already negotiating a new Reality Series if he gets in the White House, starring himself and the Dems and RINO’s in Congress. It’ll be called “Let’s Make A Deal”.
this is conservatives warning that a Trump victory will perhaps carry a lot of devastating and unpredictable liberal consequences......in other words, a Trump victory is not a conservative victory. It may be slightly less awful than a Hillary victory....but only slightly.
no, he’s triple minded, quadruple minded....etc....
It’s amazing how so many Freepers don’t understand that “making deals” is EXACTLY the same thing as McCain’s “reaching across the aisle.”
I’m very conservative and I wanted Clinton to get the nomination as well. I thought she was better than the black guy.
“when a political leader completely flip-flops on issues and then flip-flops again, the trustworthiness of that leader must be questioned.”
Problem is, practically ALL political leaders do this. Maybe not as blatantly as makes pointing fingers easy, but nearly all keep making promises that never come thru. We’re still fighting the same sociopolitical battles as when I started paying attention to sociopolitics 30 years ago. So...who’s trustworthiness ISN’T to be questioned?
Trump will in most likelihood make deals with both sides and unify the uni-party by ending the resistance of the opposition. (Conservatives) Obama-care will never be overturned, government will grow larger and more tyrannical, taxes will rise and moral decay will accelerate. The conservative movement will be hijacked and no conservative will be able to ascend to prominence for decades. Think John McCain only much more liberal and orders of magnitude more arrogant.
While his governance may be only slightly preferred to Hillary, the long-term outcome is much worse for America. With Hillary in office there will opposition from the right, with Trump the right is effectively censored and extinct.
All the Trump supporters who were unhappy with the thin skinned narcissistic conniving Obama who did not feel the law applied to him because of all the hope and change was was bringing have doubled down and are being duped by a life long liberal. At his core Trump is a NY liberal and once the sloganeering wanes and governance takes place he will revert back to who he is and it is not a limited government liberty loving conservative, but a NY nanny state liberal.
Nope. A charlatan who can dupe enough desperate conservatives into letting him deport illegal aliens and then bring back them back as enough legal immigrants and future Democrats as to make those nasty conservatives irrelevant forever.
Agreed. “Makinf deals” reminds me of Gingrich sharing a bench with Pelosi to do a PSA.
Precisely what Donald John intends to do...reach across the isle. When America objects, he’ll throw one of his hissy fits and tell them, “I’m President! I’ll do whatever the hell I want. You’re a bunch of Losers!”
Neither do I, but if he is the nominee I will probably vote for him. Hillary or Bernie Sanders are out of the question
Excellent point.
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