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Trump’s Terrific People
National Review ^ | 2/3/2016 | Kevin Williamson

Posted on 02/03/2016 6:06:05 PM PST by CA Conservative

Forgive me for repeating a point that's already been made by Rich and others, but I think it bears sustained consideration.

Donald Trump's professed strategy - for everything - is: I'll find the best people, the smartest people, terrific people, and those terrific people will come up with the best solutions possible. Implicit here is a pyramid of terrificness with Donald Trump at its apex.

And what was Trump's explanation for his poor performance in Iowa? "People told me my ground game was fine." I.e., "I got bad advice." As it turns out, Trump could not find the best people, the smartest people, terrific people for the relatively straightforward process of identifying supporters in Iowa, the population of which is less than half of Long Island's, and getting them to caucus locations.

Bend Beijing to his will? Construct thousands of miles of effective barriers across the Mexican border? He couldn't get his team to the Dunkerton Community Hall and Bunger Middle School when it really mattered.

Trump cannot accept responsibility for his mistakes, which is a crippling disability for any leader. He blames his underlings while insisting that the most important skill he brings to the contest is his ability to choose the right people for the job.

I am skeptical of Trump's purported business acumen. I am a very big fan of almost all business plans that begin with "Inherit vast wealth and a thriving enterprise from daddy," but I don't think those arrangements necessarily produce great leaders. But even if you take him at his word (always a mistake - the man is a habitual liar - but, arguendo) the fact is that those skills aren't necessarily transferable. Trump has vision, but his vision is: "You know what this casino needs? A strip club."

Greasing Atlantic City politicians and cowering behind Cole Schotz every time you misplay your hand isn't very much like being the commander in chief of the United States of America.

And "I'll have the best people" isn't much of a strategy for a man who plainly cannot recognize them when he sees them.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 1stcanadiansenator; iowa; kevinwilliamson; loser; nationalreview; tds; trump; usualsupect
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"And "I'll have the best people" isn't much of a strategy for a man who plainly cannot recognize them when he sees them."

Good point to consider. For a man whose main argument for his election is his ability to manage a business and find good people, he did a lousy job of finding the right people for his campaign in Iowa or managing the project to a successful completion. If he can't handle an election in Iowa, why should be believe he would be any better running a national campaign or, God forbid a thousand times, the country?

1 posted on 02/03/2016 6:06:05 PM PST by CA Conservative
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To: CA Conservative

Oh yeah, the National Review...(eyeroll)


2 posted on 02/03/2016 6:08:46 PM PST by MagnoliaB (You can't always get what you want but if you try sometime you might find, you get what you need.)
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To: MagnoliaB

And we get 10 post a day from the conservative treehouse (eye roll)


3 posted on 02/03/2016 6:10:42 PM PST by SPRINK
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To: CA Conservative

>> he did a lousy job of finding the right people for his campaign in Iowa or managing the project to a successful completion.

It’s actually worse than that. He found pretty good people, because they got him into second place fairly efficiently. That was GOOD!

But then the Donald THREW those pretty darn good people STRAIGHT UNDER THE BUS just to protect his own ego and blow off some steam! Just like that. YOU SUCK! YOU’RE FIRED!!!
That was BAD. Very bad.

Contrast that with Ted Cruz, who ALSO found very good (arguably better than trump’s) people, and built an organization that SUCCEEDED in their task.

And he stood by them and did NOT throw them under the bus when a problem arose.

Very good, Ted!!! A+++!

Back to school, Donnie. C-.


4 posted on 02/03/2016 6:13:51 PM PST by Nervous Tick (There is no "allah" but satan, and mohammed was his demon-possessed tool.)
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To: CA Conservative
You mean judgment like Hillary will make a great senator and a great secretary of state? And donating considerable money to her cause. Like de Blasio, the devout communist, will make a great mayor? And how about what a “terrific” leader Obama was in 2008?

Ya, the man is blessed with identifying the best and the brightest...

5 posted on 02/03/2016 6:14:12 PM PST by DB
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To: CA Conservative

He had the second highest vote total of ALL TIME in a Republican Caucus in Iowa! Ted Cruz spent two years in Iowa, and had to win, or he was done. Why can’t you folks take the win and move on to New Hampshire?

Let’s discuss how in the New Hampshire Harper poll 2/1-2/2, JEB! is at 14% which is 5% points ahead of Ted Cruz. Also, Ted Cruz is 3% points behind John Kasich, and 1% behind Marco Rubio.


6 posted on 02/03/2016 6:14:14 PM PST by SubMareener (Save us from Quarterly Freepathons! Become a MONTHLY DONOR!)
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To: CA Conservative

I would have done the same thing, treat Iowa like a sleeping dog you don’t know if its been fed, can see, if it can even hear or hunt or if it has rabies.

Or like jumping off the bluff along a river, why there could be an under water stump right where you plan to land arse first.

Trump tested the waters of Iowa, did better than expected, and while the Cruze team is still pulling leeches off Donald Trump is getter better, bigger, and bolder to Make America Great some more!


7 posted on 02/03/2016 6:14:54 PM PST by Daniel Ramsey (You don't have to like Trump, his enemies certainly don't.)
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To: CA Conservative

Keep dumping on Trump NRO and I bet you piss enough centrists off they don’t even bother to show to vote for whoever you manipulate in in the primaries.

Good luck winning the general election with a crippled candidate.


8 posted on 02/03/2016 6:15:37 PM PST by Fhios (circa 2016: Truth will be outlawed unless pre-approved.)
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To: SPRINK; MagnoliaB

No argument, no content, just attack the messenger... Weak.


9 posted on 02/03/2016 6:15:49 PM PST by DB
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To: CA Conservative

10 posted on 02/03/2016 6:16:46 PM PST by DoughtyOne (the Free Republic Caucus: what FReepers are thinking, 100s or 1000s of them. It's up to you.)
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To: SubMareener

Didn’t Trump say he was going to win Iowa?

Didn’t you guys say it was going to be a “sweep”?

One primary at a time. Cruz may well crash and burn, but I’m not counting any chickens one way or the other until they hatch.


11 posted on 02/03/2016 6:18:54 PM PST by DB
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To: SubMareener

What do the polls show for NYC, San Fran, and LA? Is Cruz also doing poorly there? What about Berkley and Martha’s Vineyard? I think we really have a chance of picking all of those up if Trump gets the nod, don’t you?


12 posted on 02/03/2016 6:22:54 PM PST by SampleMan (Feral Humans are the refuse of socialism.)
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To: CA Conservative

Was Williamson wearing his clown nose and shoes when he wrote this?


13 posted on 02/03/2016 6:23:25 PM PST by patq
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To: SPRINK

As a Freeper who has followed Conservative Treehouse for quite a long time, and found them to be fairly reliable in uncovering information not easily found in the mainstream media, and quick to point out disinformation, I don’t get your “eye roll”.

Is it just because they try to get to the bottom of facts that do not suit your agenda?

That suggests to me that you really aren’t interested in trying to search for truth, but prefer misinformation that suits your mind-set, which, like concrete, is already mixed up and permanently set.

I like to do my own research before forming a final opinion on what/who is best, considering all the complicated factors.

Life works better for me that way. What appears to be true at first sound-bite is often seductive, but dangerously untrue.

As Reagan said, always verify before trusting - or something like that.


14 posted on 02/03/2016 6:24:45 PM PST by jacquej ("You cannot have a conservative government with a liberal culture." (Mark Steyn))
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To: jacquej
"Trust, but verify."

With a little coaching, he said it in Russian to Gorbachev.

15 posted on 02/03/2016 6:26:33 PM PST by Publius ("Who is John Galt?" by Billthedrill and Publius now available at Amazon.)
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To: jacquej

Well said.


16 posted on 02/03/2016 6:28:54 PM PST by sarasota
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To: CA Conservative

http://www.impulsetoday.com/breaking-ted-cruzs-pr-guy-who-slanders-trump-for-carson-lie-is-founder-of-shilling-company/


17 posted on 02/03/2016 6:30:37 PM PST by DoughtyOne (the Free Republic Caucus: what FReepers are thinking, 100s or 1000s of them. It's up to you.)
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To: SubMareener
Let's discuss how in the New Hampshire Harper poll 2/1-2/2, JEB! is at 14% which is 5% points ahead of Ted Cruz. Also, Ted Cruz is 3% points behind John Kasich, and 1% behind Marco Rubio.

Yes let's talk about a poll from a company that is rated C+ for their accuracy, does only robocall polls, and is an outlier from every other poll in NH over the past month... Such desperation from Trump supporters that they will even believe such an obvious outlier just because it confirms their bias against Cruz.

18 posted on 02/03/2016 6:31:19 PM PST by CA Conservative (Texan by birth, Californian by circumstance)
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To: DoughtyOne

Yawn... you need new material.


19 posted on 02/03/2016 6:32:01 PM PST by CA Conservative (Texan by birth, Californian by circumstance)
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To: MagnoliaB
Oh yeah, that bastion of liberals at the NR.... (phhhtt)

Do you think you would get a more reasoned assessment at the New York Times?

20 posted on 02/03/2016 6:33:37 PM PST by Cannoneer ( "..raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair.." GW)
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