Posted on 01/24/2016 4:32:39 AM PST by GonzoII
The Iowa caucuses are 10 days from Friday. And Donald Trump, the larger-than-life real estate reality star, is -- still -- the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. Not only has Trump not disappeared or imploded -- as everyone everywhere predicted he would -- he appears to be getting stronger in both early-state and national polling as actual votes draw closer.At this point, Trump's path to putting the nomination away quickly is far easier than the one Hillary Clinton must travel to capture the Democratic nomination. That doesn't mean Trump is a sure thing just yet, but he has, without question, the best chance of any Republican running to claim the party's top prize.
Below, my latest rankings of the six men who have a realistic-to-semi-realistic chance of winning the GOP nomination. If your preferred candidate's name isn't on the list, it's because they, well, aren't going to win.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I posted this near the end of a different thread last night, and I hope Freepers will forgive me for posting it again here. This second time will be the last, thanks all for letting me speak my piece.
I’ve lurked on FR since Bush vs Gore but only posted once or twice in these 15 years; in fact I could not recall my user name and password and I had to establish a new account just to post this. I first learned of the Sept 11 attacks against the US on FR, and I’ve gotten the overwhelming majority of my news from FR throughout the entire W and O administrations. So I don’t have any credibility as a poster here but I’ve been a reader for quite some time.
I have unrestrained glee in seeing the Republican establishment put on the defensive in this campaign; it is long past time that rank-and-file conservative voters took control of the nominating process rather than accepting another establishment-approved “electable†moderate, willing to “reach across the aisle†to prove that we can “govern responsibly.â€
Full disclosure - I’m a Cruz supporter. I live in TX and I gladly voted for him for US Senate against David Dewhurst. No one is perfect, certainly not Ted Cruz, but he’s consistently done what I hoped he would do when I voted for him. I had hoped he would sit this round out since he’s in his first Senate term, but when he announced he moved to the top of my list and he’s still there.
Like most people I didn’t take Trump seriously when he announced, and like most people I’ve been proven wrong about his staying power and the support he’s gained. In my book he deserves full credit for putting illegal immigration front and center in this campaign and forcing it into the spotlight. When Megyn Kelly turned against him in the first Fox debate I began to distrust Fox for the first time, and I stood and cheered when Trump rocked the Clintons back after Hillary accused him of sexism. I cringed a bit at some of his statements, but I realized my problem was his choice of words rather than his meaning. I’ve frequently said that Trump was not my first choice but if he were the nominee I would have no problem voting for him.
None of you will care, but I’m not saying that anymore. Insulting Carly Fiorina’s face, making fun of a handicapped reporter, re-tweeting juvenile twitter messages from neo-Nazis, and midnight twitter storms full of gratuitous personal insults are not behavior I can respect in a man asking to be elected President. Clinton and Obama disgraced the Oval Office with every breath they drew in the White House; Trump’s megalomaniacal, adolescent nonsense would unfortunately demean whatever credibility is left behind the Resolute Desk.
I agree that the Republican establishment has no credibility and we need to replace them; in fact I stopped considering myself a Republican when the 2010 House majority proved ineffective. Although I don’t find Trump’s late-life conversion to conservative values credible, I can give him the benefit of the doubt on that. I’m sure he’s a fine manager and would be decisive in dealing with a crisis, and I certainly appreciate that he fights to win. But frankly he is behaving like an ass and I cannot imagine supporting an ass for President.
Trump had, and perhaps still has, the ability to bring together a broad, winning coalition, honestly more so than my guy Cruz. But Trump is now alienating much of the base that would be inclined to support him. Does anyone believe he is not also alienating others who would have been more skeptical of him in the first place?
And I think you ought to go campaign for Sanders
Let’s pray for a major revival.
The alternatives aren’t pretty.
Sanders would be a compete nightmare. I’d rather see an armadillo in office. At least they move slowly.
New Fox poll just released.
Iowa Trump 34% Cruz 23%
NH Trump 31% Cruz 14%
Just like those guys in the orange jump suits, kneeling at the sea shore, in front of the guys in black with the black ski masks and the sharp knives?
“I don’t get how many people just jump aboard the cult of personality.”
Names should be taken.
In 4 years; those supporters will have vanished from here.
Maybe even in just a year.
A lot of folks are psychologically and emotionally - - very heavily - - into their anti-Trump opposition, predictions, and rhetoric.
It is very difficult for any human being to “come back” from such a deep and intense commitment, even or especially a negative commitment.
I hope Trump supporters (I am one) recognize the sincerity of the anti-Trump position, and are gracious toward those who have disagreed.
As a life-long Conservative who has suffered through the slow destruction of our America, I wish all my fellow conservatives could share the joy, the happiness and the optimism I am feeling right now supporting a winner like Trump, someone who came from nowhere and is soundly beating the left at their own game.
Trump is the ONLY candidate in my life to do that. Reagan beat the left in a different way and in a different time.
If we Trump supporters are correct, all Conservatives will be sharing the happiness after Trump is elected.
Gracias, Gratia. Great post.
We will all find out in the upcoming few weeks. The Iowa caucuses are next week (Feb 1), with New Hampshire the following week. By Super Tuesday at the beginning of March, we will know.
In the meanwhile, I wish people would stop tearing down the two main candidates. If you have something POSITIVE to say about YOUR guy, then let’s hear it.
Is there a Plan B if it turns out they made a mistake?
Wow! Thanks.
There once was a man caught in a flood. He couldn’t get out of his house, and a rowboat came along. The man refused to leave, saying God would save him. The water got to the roofline and the man climbed onto his roof. Another rowboat came by but the man refused to leave, saying God would save him. Finally, with water up to his neck, a helicopter came by but the man refused to leave, saying God would save him. The man drowned. In heaven, he said, “God, I trusted you to save me and you didn’t”. God answered, “What do you want me to do? I sent you two rowboats and a helicopter”.
Maybe, just maybe, God is sending Trump when we need him the most.
Pathetic.
I think the poster needs to set the crack pipe down and step back!
Marginalize the constitution...that's what this whole globalist agenda is all about. Free trade is one mechanism used to water down the notion of “America first/American worker first”. It's been used to beat up Americans that feel we should protect our industry against cheap slave labor, child labor that runs American business into bankruptcy.
As long as the U.S. constitution and bill of rights are revered documents, the global government cannot complete it's plan to set up a global governing structure over all nations.
Perfect GeorgiaDawg, just perfect.
I really wish Trump and Cruz would stop tearing at each other. I was so hopeful up until a month ago that we could have a Trump/Cruz ticket.
My hope now is for Trump (or Cruz)/Fallin.
Trump would wipe the floor with Bernie.
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