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A Debate Postscript: How Ignorant Is Trump?
Powerline ^ | 2-26-16 | John Hinderaker

Posted on 02/27/2016 6:07:37 AM PST by afraidfortherepublic

Paul (Mirengoff) has already noted one of the strangest incidents in last night’s debate, when Donald Trump repeatedly talked about judges signing “bills.” Before the debate fades into history, let’s go to the tape. It’s short: (the tape will not play)

Three times, Trump says his sister and Sam Alito signed the same bill. As Paul politely put it, judges don’t sign bills. I would say, how did this knucklehead get through the eighth grade?

We are faced with a likely presidential nominee who has no idea what a bill is, as opposed to a judicial opinion. I never imagined that this could be possible. It is like hiring someone to manage a major league baseball team who is unfamiliar with the terms “hit” and “out.” To the extent that there are know-nothings in the electorate, they obviously have found their candidate.

Hillary Clinton isn’t much of an intellect, but I am afraid she will make Trump look like an idiot. Even in the degraded culture of 21st century America, it is questionable whether someone perceived as an idiot can get more than 46% or 47% of the vote.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: abortion; judges; maryannebarry; propaganda; samalito; trump
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To: Louis Foxwell
The bottom line is Trump is the only one in the race, left or right, who has the management skills and the predisposition to dig this country out of the abyss into which it has plummeted.

You have to be seriously deluded to think that someone who is so ignorant that he doesn't even know the most basic things about government, including the most basic differences between the various branches, is going to "dig this country out of the abyss into which it has plummeted."

If Trump wins he's going to be a mere plaything for the competing, warring factions of the GOP establishment. It's going to be an epic mess.

81 posted on 02/27/2016 7:35:08 AM PST by EternalVigilance
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To: alloysteel
Being ignorant is a sort of hallmark of every Presidential candidate.

Perhaps. But one who thinks judges sign bills is a new low.

82 posted on 02/27/2016 7:36:14 AM PST by EternalVigilance
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To: alloysteel

Dick Morris said Clinton never even came CLOSE to making a foreign policy decision his first 18 months in office.


83 posted on 02/27/2016 7:36:51 AM PST by ichabod1 (Spriiingtime for islam, and tyranny. Winter for US and frieeends. . .)
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To: Richard from IL
Nobody was yelling at Trump when he made that mistake. Confusing judges making decisions with governors or presidents signing bills is pretty bad. And the insults from some Trump supporters reacting to valid criticisms of him is scary. In some ways he reminds me of Obama. Threatening people who oppose him is democratic thug behavior. I don’t want to have a republican Obama. I want a president who supports the constitutional limits on government.

Exactly.

84 posted on 02/27/2016 7:40:36 AM PST by XenaLee (The only good commie is a dead commie)
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To: norwaypinesavage

You might find this interesting:

http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/rubios-health-plan-has-individual-mandate


85 posted on 02/27/2016 7:45:16 AM PST by old curmudgeon
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To: grania
I think the Apprentice shows answer that question. Trump had has own entertaining and odd criteria, for sure. That being said, he judged people by their performance, not their pedigree.

Wrong as can be. I watched him fire some poor schmuck that didn't do anything wrong while keeping Geraldo (the major fukup and do-nothing) due to PC and the fact that Geraldo 'had a bigger celebrity name'. Trump couldn't even get that right and people expect him to get running our nation right? It will never happen.

86 posted on 02/27/2016 7:48:42 AM PST by XenaLee (The only good commie is a dead commie)
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To: XenaLee

You find an exception to the rule and make it the rule.


87 posted on 02/27/2016 7:49:36 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: old curmudgeon

That analysis is based on the premise that a tax credit is a mandate. I don’t agree with that.


88 posted on 02/27/2016 7:52:04 AM PST by norwaypinesavage (The Stone Age did not end because we ran out of stones)
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To: EternalVigilance

The first thing I’d think is that he is referring to the modern tendency of courts to rule by fiat. It would be a metaphor. The very point we need to all agree upon is that they SHOULDN’T be doing this.


89 posted on 02/27/2016 7:52:30 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

No. I make judgments based on observations of Trump’s own words and actions. And then I draw logical conclusions. I don’t know what the hell Trump fans are doing. American Idol Worshipping, perhaps? [shaking head]


90 posted on 02/27/2016 7:56:00 AM PST by XenaLee (The only good commie is a dead commie)
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To: XenaLee

No, they are not just stopping at the first time Trump trips up and then crowing WE GOTCHA WE GOTCHA.


91 posted on 02/27/2016 7:58:11 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Yeh too bad you couldn’t have been up on the stage with Rubio and Cruz double teaming you. I’m sure you would have been sooooo much cooler under fire. Well actually I’m sure you would have been speechless and crying. LOL!


92 posted on 02/27/2016 7:58:50 AM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: St_Thomas_Aquinas

Can’t be worse, frankly.


93 posted on 02/27/2016 7:59:18 AM PST by ripnbang ("An armed man is a citizen, an unarmed man a subject)
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To: XenaLee

And really, your own scorched earth attitude shows in your own tag.

The only good commie is a dead commie.

Who taught you that? What command bids you do this?

If you force it into a question of survival rather than of dialogue, of course you are going to get an extreme reaction from them. A self fulfilling prophecy.


94 posted on 02/27/2016 8:00:27 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: PIF

He is a prime candidate for a basic 8th grade civics class.


95 posted on 02/27/2016 8:01:12 AM PST by biff
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To: biff

Doubtless a clarification will be coming soon.

The point to take away is that courts shouldn’t be acting like this.


96 posted on 02/27/2016 8:02:10 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Any degree of ignorance is OK, as long as you promise to make America great again.


97 posted on 02/27/2016 8:03:44 AM PST by Hawthorn
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To: jjotto

>> I suspect Trump will rely on ‘experts’ with ‘good reputations’ <<

Sure. It won’t be hard to find people who can explain clearly to him that judges handle “cases” — whereas “bills” are the responsibility of Congress and the President.


98 posted on 02/27/2016 8:07:01 AM PST by Hawthorn
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To: HiTech RedNeck

If only Trump had that level of understanding. But it’s quite obvious he does not.


99 posted on 02/27/2016 8:08:23 AM PST by EternalVigilance
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To: afraidfortherepublic

“I would say, how did this knucklehead get through the eighth grade? “

Probably the same way that he got through Wharton Business School, maybe the best in the country.

“As Paul politely put it, judges don’t sign bills.”

And the most likely explanation is that Trump simply misspoke, something that happens more often as we age. But then that wouldn’t provide the Powerline gang from the chance to preen themselves on their intellectual superiority.


100 posted on 02/27/2016 8:10:17 AM PST by Pelham (Marco Rubio (R-Amnesty). the GOP elite's cabana boy.)
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