Posted on 03/03/2016 4:12:38 AM PST by RoosterRedux
Donald J. Trump’s dominant performance on Tuesday erased all doubt — if any remained — that he is in a strong position to be the Republican presidential nominee, a prospect that less than a year ago seemed inconceivable.
The political world has gone through stages of disbelief about his candidacy since he announced it last June: dismissing it at first, then acknowledging his strength and finally accepting that he could win the nomination.
As political reporters, we have come to realize the power and tenacity of Mr. Trump’s campaign at a different pace, and some of us can pinpoint the moment it all came into focus. These are some of our recollections:
It was Nov. 7, 2015. I was at a Thai restaurant in Chelsea with my wife, who is a political reporter, and two friends. I was alone in predicting that someone other than Mr. Trump would end up as the nominee. These weren’t casual news consumers: They were among the smartest and the most politically perceptive people I know. As I argued for another candidate’s chances, I found my own case less and less convincing. A Trump nomination still seemed far-fetched, but doubt sank in: Was I the one missing the bigger picture of 2016? — Alexander Burns
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(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
-PJ
Trump is not going to be the next President. If he is the nominee, he will lose to Hillary.
Winning will be difficult because the Dems have a built in electoral advantage. Not as lopsided as the Republicans had from 1972-1988, but its there. Especially because the Western states (CA) which had been red, are now all blue.
I do think Trump WILL bring in new voters and put states like NY in play. No one else will do that. And he will win the Red states even if the GOPe disowns him. Even so, it is Hillary’s race to lose.
Don't ya' know that all PRINCIPLED conservatives will be staying home if Trump is the nominee because that worked so well in 2008 and 2012?
Like I said do you like ketchup with your crow?
I am sure the 12:00 to 3:00 PM big blower will encourage that too.
All the Gimmiecrat candidate has to do is promise more “free” stuff and automatically 40% of the country will eagerly follow without a second thought. Add to that a few percentage points thanks to voter fraud. This is a challenge no one should underestimate.
It’s kind of like the moment in a Greek tragedy when the main character realizes that everything he believed is a lie and nothing he held dear is true.
Apart from "I'll build a wall," the most exercised staple of the early Trump campaign was crowing about the primary election polls (which consistently gave him a plurality in the low to mid-30's in a badly divided field) and calling everyone else a loser, and worse. I am amazed that Trumpsters, who have strutted about for months boasting about the Republican primary polls, are so quick to dismiss the national general election polls that very consistently show The Donald as our weakest candidate in November, and a probable loser to Hillary. I understand the temptation to only look at polls you like. But I don't think it's very smart.
As for me, I will probably vote for the Republican nominee, though Trump has been sufficiently repulsive that for the first time in my life I will be tempted to abstain. (No, I will not vote for Hillary.) In the end, I would probably pull the lever for Trump and hope to be surprised, mainly because abstaining is a a cop out. But the man is an opportunistic demagogue who has spent this campaign speaking abusively about people who have been fighting the good fight for many years, during which Trump himself was a partisan and a funder for the other side. He professes to be a born again conservative, though he continues to apostatize every other time he opens his mouth. He does not inspire confidence. And when he commits blood libels against real conservatives, he forfeits respect.
Good for you. You've reached the acceptance phase.
“”Reminds me of the New York reporter that famously said something like: “I still don’t know how Reagan won, I don’t know a single person that voted for him””
Sure, it’s a small world but it ain’t THAT small.
Dream on. You parrot the Democrats talking points
I have been angry since 2008. I have admitted it to a few, but felt a personal shame that I was so angry.
Angry at the process, Angry at getting lied to by Republicans, Angry that the administration seemed to get everything they wanted.
I voted for Cruz this week in Va, but I knew the moment he called Jeb low energy, that this campaign was for real. A happy moment when Bush threw in the towel.
I got excited early that Trump was upsetting the usual process. The DC elites are starting to get scared. Trump is coming and is he upset.
Since you brought him up, where is Ted Cruz on all this nastiness by the establishment? Isn’t he the anti-establishment candidate? Or, is it now ok to call candidates racists, and ask for tax returns, because they might have mob connections? If he won’t speak up on this fight, what fights will he speak up about?
If Trump doesn’t make nomination, there are too many people who have seen behind the curtain that will not be very motivated to go vote for Goldman Cruz, Foam Queen, or Car-sick. If you vote for those guys, you’re just keeping the unbearable uniparty.
I’ll build a wall and Mexico will pay for it.
Well, Hillary could win - but ONLY if she keeps her media ABCNNBCBS propaganda machine.
I think that is Trump’s best point. He is the ONLY one who will fight the media’s mass market “name” ...
You reek of condescending arrogance.
I agree. The same people doubting Trump are the same people who said America would never elect a black man or an aging B-rated movie star to the White House. Trump will win big, and cut deeply into traditional democrat strongholds.
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